The last two times these teams got together it worked out pretty nice!
The last two times LSU and Oklahoma got together on the football field, the stakes could not have been bigger. Even better, the last two times LSU and Oklahoma got together, LSU came out on top!
The BCS National Championship Game, January 4, 2004: LSU 21, Oklahoma 14
The CFP Semifinal at the Chick Fil A Peach Bowl, December 28, 2019: LSU 63, Oklahoma 28
This time around?….well the stakes could be bigger but we’re not gonna worry about that right now. It’s LSU versus Oklahoma week and for the first time ever this game is an SEC matchup. To get us ready for it, we visit once again with our friend Jack from Crimson and Cream Machine.
1. So. It’s our first time doing one of these since that 2019 Peach Bowl. Umm…sorry about that one!
I had people over for a watch party that night. To cope with what was occurring, I had to ramp up the partying element of it. After the third quarter, I received a text from my then-girlfriend reminding me that I was supposed to meet her mom for the first time that night. I don’t really remember it, but apparently I made a great impression, and that girlfriend is now my wife, so… thank you???
2. Oklahoma’s about to wrap up its first season of football in the SEC and it hasn’t exactly been a year to remember (besides of course that whole “beat Alabama by three touchdowns” thing). Where do you expect Oklahoma to fit into the league’s hierarchy in the years to come?
It’s hard to say, because this year has just been odd. Coupling the injury situations at wide receiver with like 10 different OL combinations will make life tough for a young QB no matter what the schedule looks like. As I said before the Alabama game, this team maybe wins eight games if it’s still a member of the Big 12. Seth Littrell was dealt a bad hand, but he played that hand as poorly has humanly possible.
Recruiting has been great. OU will always have the DFW Metroplex. The NIL situation is on solid footing. In other words, the program has good bones. If said program is managed properly, trips to the expanded playoff are a reasonable expectation.
3. LSU’s had problems all season long stopping running quarterbacks and now they gotta deal with Jackson Arnold. Is what Arnold did against Alabama replicable?
It is, and it’s largely because Bill Bedenbaugh’s OL group has hit its stride from a run-blocking perspective. Granted, interim OL Joe Jon Finley broke out some new wrinkles in the run scheme, so it’ll be interesting to see if he’s able to mix it up again to catch LSU off guard. Say what you will about Arnold, but he’s an athletic kid who runs hard. If the holes are there again, he could eclipse 100.
However, must of his runs are by design, so if LSU diagnoses things properly, he can be contained.
4. LSU is, relatively speaking, pretty good in pass defense and Oklahoma had five wide receivers listed as out for last week’s Alabama game. Who exactly is Arnold supposed to throw the ball to?
Remember when Alex Smith went an entire season without throwing a single TD to a Chiefs WR? It kind of has to look like that. TE Bauer Sharp has been the primary target by default, and the RBs have to get involved as well. There is no downfield passing game to speak of, so if the Tigers contain the run, you should like LSU’s chances.
5. There seems to be a bit of griping about both Brian Kelly and Brent Venables lately, but neither appear to be in serious danger of getting axed because of how costly the buyout would be. That said, who needs this win more?
Venables is aided by three things (other than the buyout). The first is that this season’s issues are easy to diagnose. He made the wrong call by elevating Littrell to OC, and the injury situation has been absurd. If he makes a home run hire (likely within the next few days), he’s back in business.
The second is that “his” side of the ball has been terrific. He promised to fix the terrible defense left behind by his predecessor(s), and boy did he come through. Again, he just needs to fix the other side.
Lastly, he is well-liked. That doesn’t save underperforming coaches in the long run — particularly at a program like OU — but it certainly doesn’t hurt in the short term.
A win tonight would definitely help the vibes entering the offseason, but it likely doesn’t have any bearing on his future. His main concern is fixing the offense in 2025.
I get the sense that Kelly REALLY needs to not lose tonight. Not that he would necessarily lose his job, but the stink of a loss to this OU team would be tough to wash off.
6. Finally, since it is Thanksgiving and all, what would Sooner fans bring to the table for a Thanksgiving meal?
I tell you what, I’m going to keep it regional. My mother-in-law (see above) decided to mix it up and make Chicken Fried Steak this year. CFS is the official state meal (look it up), so I’ll go with that. It was bomb.