The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to put a stop to their three-game losing streak when they take on the Maine Black Bears on Saturday. Oklahoma’s just 1-4 in SEC play and hasn’t played a complete game in months.
They’ll be wearing the Unity alternates when they welcome Maine. Oklahoma is 2-0 in these uniforms and have averaged 55 points per game since introducing the uniforms in 2022.
It’s an important game for the Sooners, who hope to start the month of November off on the right foot with games against Missouri, Alabama, and LSU to close the season. Two wins get OU to a bowl game. With the way the season has gone, getting three or four wins to close the year would drastically change the narrative of 2024 and the future of the program.
But they first have to take care of business against the Maine Black Bears.
Here are 5 Bold Predictions as the Sooners get ready to take on Maine.
1. Shutout
The Oklahoma Sooners defense has played some good football this year. They’ve been tested throughout SEC play and have played well enough for the Sooners to win. Maine is averaging 25 points per game this but is 4-4 on the season. They’ve had some good moments on offense but they’ve been inconsistent and they certainly haven’t played a defense like Oklahoma’s.
Look for the Sooners to play assignment-sound football despite going deep into the depth chart and pitching their first shutout of the season.
More: Predictions for Oklahoma Football vs. Maine
2. Taylor Tatum hits the century mark
Saturday would be a great day to give Taylor Tatum a ton of snaps on offense. He’s shown really good vision and burst. He’s struggled a bit in pass protection and with ball security, but with time and repetitions, that’ll get better.
Jovantae Barnes has been carrying a big workload for the Sooners lately and this week is the perfect time to give him a bit of a breather ahead of the stretch run of the season.
It’s time for Taylor Tatum to show he can be the lead ball carrier for the Sooners offense. He’ll get at least 15 carries this week and that’ll be enough to go over 100 yards rushing.
3. Big First Half
The Oklahoma Sooners look to build off of their strong first half against Ole Miss with another good performance out of the gates against Maine. The Sooners will hit a few big plays in the passing game and continue to run the ball well as they jump all over the Black Bears for at least 30 points in the first half.
4. Brenen Thompson has Big Day
Brenen Thompson’s speed is tough for any team to handle. If the Sooners get him involved in the offense, he’ll be impossible to cover. Look for Thompson to have the first 100-yard game of his career.
5. Clean Sheet for the Offensive Line
We said bold, right?
The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line has been under fire in recent weeks due to their struggles in pass protection against Texas, South Carolina, and Ole Miss. The Sooners aren’t healthy and will be turning to some of their young players up front, but look for them to have a strong performance this week and keep the Sooners upright.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: 5 Bold Predictions for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. Maine
