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With football season 11 weeks away, it’s time to take a look at KU’s 11th opponent, the Oklahoma Sooners.
Game Info
Kansas @ Oklahoma
Nov 17, 2018, Time TBD
Norman, OK: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
About the Oklahoma Offense
Oklahoma returns just 55% of its offensive production from last season, which ranks 97th in the NCAA, and just six offensive starters. With Baker Mayfield gone, the reigns will likely be turned over to redshirt junior Kyler Murray (18-21, 359 yds, 3-0 TD-INT), who will make more money than his head coach this year after being taken in the top 10 of the MLB Draft.
OU’s two leading rushers from 2017, RBs Rodney Anderson (188 car, 1161 yds, 13 TD) and Trey Sermon (121 car, 744 yds, 5 TD) both return, but the Sooners will be breaking in some new wide receivers, with Marquise Brown (57 rec, 1095 yds, 7 TD) and CeeDee Lamb (46 rec, 807 yds, 7 TD) the only WRs returning who caught more than 30 balls last year.
About the Oklahoma Defense
If you think OU lost a lot on offense, the defense is just as bad, with just 53% of its production returning. However, seven starters return. Key returnees include junior DL Amani Bledsoe (18 tak, 4 TFL, 2 sk), along with CB Parnell Motley (63 tak, 4.5 TFL, 2 INT), LB Kenneth Murray (68 tak, 7 TFL, 1 sk), and DL Kenneth Mann (28 tak, 6 TFL, 4 sk).
Fearless Prediction
Despite all of the lost production, Oklahoma looks to simply reload in 2018. S&P+ projects OU at #9 and KU at #103 for 2018, giving the Jayhawks just a 4% chance to pull off the road upset with a predicted margin of 30 points. Meanwhile, Athlon has Oklahoma at #6 (KU is #107).
Some of the greatest upsets in KU football history have victimized the Sooners, but only a fool would predict it. If Beaty is even still around, his track record against Oklahoma is, well, it’s not good. The Jayhawks haven’t beaten the Sooners since 1997, and haven’t even scored in double figures since 2013. Will Kyler Murray even play the entire first half in this one? Oklahoma 62, Kansas 9.