Weekend Open Post | September 25th – 27th
Posted on: September 25, 2026
Sunday Brunch | Bigger Than One Ugly Win
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 20, 2026
At some point, we have to stop calling this a bad stretch and start calling it what it is.
Oklahoma’s offense has a serious identity problem, and my name is Captain Obvious.
The Sooners beat New Mexico 14-6, but the offense looked every bit as uncomfortable as it has for much of the season. Sixty-one rushing yards on 32 carries. Two interceptions from John Mateer. Little rhythm. Little consistency. And far too many plays where individual players simply aren’t executing their jobs.
Brent Venables admitted as much.
“We haven’t gotten into a rhythm with really much of anything.”
That is not what you want to hear three games into the season.
And John Mateer deserves a significant share of the criticism.
The quarterback OU has repeatedly said will determine how far this team can go simply has not played well enough. Against New Mexico, Mateer threw an interception on the opening pass play, threw another before halftime and spent too much of the night making decisions that put the offense behind the chains.
Yes, Mateer made some big throws. Yes, he settled down somewhat in the second half.
But that’s part of the problem.
OU cannot keep waiting for Mateer to eventually figure it out while the offense burns possessions around him.
And this is where something we talked about before the game becomes even more interesting.
Once Mateer struggled early, why didn’t Whitt Newbauer get a chance?
We’re not talking about putting a true freshman into a hostile SEC environment. Newbauer has played college football, has been through an entire offseason in this system and was part of the competition for the job. Yet with Mateer struggling to move the offense and already putting the ball in harm’s way, OU never even gave Newbauer a series.
So what exactly are we afraid of finding out?
Is it possible the coaching staff doesn’t want to see what Newbauer can actually do because it might force some uncomfortable questions about the evaluation of Mateer?
Because once you have made this much of an investment in QB1, both in personnel decisions and resources, there is an obvious temptation to keep doubling down on that decision.
But football doesn’t care how much you invested in a quarterback.
If Newbauer can give you something different, shouldn’t you at least find out?
Maybe he can’t. Maybe the coaches are completely right about Mateer being the guy.
But after what we saw Saturday night, not even looking is what makes you wonder.
And this isn’t all on Mateer.
Take Hayden Hansen.
He looked good as a receiver and showed that he can be a legitimate weapon in the passing game. But he struggled mightily at times to execute his blocking assignments.
That’s another example of what is wrong with this offense.
OU isn’t consistently getting complete performances from its players.
You can’t just be a receiving tight end. You have to block.
You can’t just make spectacular throws at quarterback. You have to consistently make the right decisions.
The offensive line can’t just pass protect. It has to create movement in the run game. Then there are the times when it does none of the above.
And the offense can’t spend three quarters trying to figure out what it wants to be.
Ben Arbuckle acknowledged that Oklahoma still needs to figure out “what we’re really good at” and “what our identity is going to be.”
Three games into the season. There is not one consistently positive offensive room currently. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
That’s a problem.
And ultimately, the responsibility lands with Venables.
Arbuckle deserves criticism. Mateer deserves criticism. The position groups deserve criticism.
But Venables is the head coach, and this is now looking like another offensive reset under his watch.
Since taking over, Oklahoma has gone through Jeff Lebby, the Seth Littrell/Joe Jon Finley arrangement, the Finley/Kevin Johns interim arrangement and now Arbuckle.
At some point, changing the name on the office door isn’t the answer.
The program has to figure out the offense.
Because the schedule is about to get brutal.
Georgia is next. Then Texas. Then Kentucky, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Missouri.
There are no more UTEPs or New Mexicos coming to save this offense.
The defense can keep Oklahoma in games. But it can’t be expected to win every game 10-6.
This offense has to grow up.
Mateer has to play better.
Arbuckle has to find an identity.
The offensive line has to establish the run.
The tight ends have to block.
The receivers have to demand respect from the opposing defenses.
The running backs have to make people miss and grab those hard-earned yards between contact and open space.
And the entire offense has to start looking like five position groups working toward the same goal.
Right now, it looks like a collection of individual parts instead of an actual offense.
And against the schedule Oklahoma has coming, there isn’t much time left to figure it out.
This is not acceptable, but it is the current reality.
Sourced Notes | Speculation Will Run Rampant
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 20, 2026
Just wanted to start what will likely be a rumor-filled week with a baseline of where we are at in regard to the inevitable talk of staffing changes.
***Source tells me there have not been any internal discussions that they have heard about concerning staffing duties and changes.
***Spoke to James as well, and he has not picked up any chatter of that nature as well and he noted he doubts it would happen at this time. I agree with him.
***NOW…I could go out here and speculate that with a bye week upcoming between Georgia and Texas, should the Sooners go out and lay another offensive egg next week, THAT could be the time when a staffing change would be made…but that would be me speculating and then claiming I nailed it should that come to pass. I ain’t doing that.
***Just wanted to be clear with the community that we (TFB), at this time, have not heard any discussion about staffing changes and would just recommend taking any bait you see and any social media talk about changes being “in the works” with a massive grain of salt…right now. Some folks will say everything so they can point to something.
Position Group Progress Report | Week Three ’26: New Mexico
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 21, 2026
Checking out how the position groups performed in the Sooners’ win over New Mexico. OU was a heavy favorite against New Mexico, and they didn’t cover the 21.5 point spread.
This will be the third progress report of the season.
I will include the previous week’s ranking at the top of each position group’s report in all subsequent progress reports!
Let’s see how things shook out against New Mexico.
QB: Nebula (Last week: Nebula)
I don’t know that people understand just how poorly Mateer played. There was nothing redeeming about that performance and when you come out afterward and thank the crowd for letting you know someone was open…there are serious levels of concern.
RB: 1* (Last week: 2*)
More of a reflection on the QB play and the OL play than the RB room play, but these guys also have to start doing running back things and make at least a guy or two miss at some point.
WR: 1* (Last week: Nebula)
Much in the same vein as the RBs, it’s difficult to do anything with a QB who can’t get you the ball. They caught the catchable balls tho for the most part.
TE: 2* (Last week: 3*)
Hayden Hansen had a big series in receiving, but he was pretty terrible all night in the blocking game (everybody was). Just felt like there were a couple blatant plays where he was the culprit and you can’t have that when your OL is already playing like crap.
OL: Nebula (Last week: Nebula)
I have nothing nice to say. They were terrible on what felt like 50% of their snaps and barely serviceable on the other 50%.
DT: 4* (Last week: 3*)
David Stone had a really strong game and I thought all the interior guys played really well. Noticed Jackson, Wilson, and Bishop Thomas pretty consistently. For overall play, these guys were the best unit on the field against New Mexico.
EDGE: 3* (Last week: 4*)
Felt like PJ has arrived as he put his third consecutive nice game in a row together. Taylor Wein was a bit off on the night, got bullied a bit in the run game, but he was not terrible by any means.
LB: 4* (Last week: 3*)
This is an effort score. Owen Heinecke left it all on the field, and he had to, and while there were a couple missed tackles, he was not going to allow his defense to lose. Thought James Nesta made some nice strides; still needs to be better in coverage, but it looks like OU will be counting on this duo for the most part once again vs. Georgia.
CB: 3* (Last week: 3*)
Maybe it is because the they know the other teams they have faced are not strong in the pass game, but both OU corners have left aa bunch of plays on the field for the opposition early this season. Just a bit too loose in coverage for me.
S: 3* (Last week: 3*)
Thought Peyton Bowen played like a 5* if he could simply catch a ball a time or two. Kid is really good at his assignments, knows where to be and is a solid tackler. Just needs to capitalize on his turnover opportunities. Omarion Robinson was decent, and Niko Jandreau flashed a couple times. Markel Ford got caught biting on some eye candy, hope he learns from that.
ST: Nebula (Last week: 4*)
Every aspect of special teams was an adventure the other night.
Sandell missed what would have been a badly needed field goal.
Sategna looked like he couldn’t see the ball in the air on punts and every time he was out there it was a circus and his muffed punt was brutal.
One Battle Being Lost Under The Radar
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 21, 2026
The turnover battle…
Currently, OU is -4 on the turnover margin after not recording any turnovers agianst Michigan and New Mexico after picking up two turnovers on fumbles against UTEP.
It is not like OU has not had any chances…they had multiple interception chances in both of their latest games, and the ball was on the turf a couple of times as well; OU just could not fall on it.
When you have an anemic offense, you have to capitalize on those turnover chances, and right now, the Sooners likely lead the country in ‘near interceptions’…thats how Michigan won the game against OU.
Do These Injuries Matter?
– Super K – Posted on: September 22, 2026
Sooners are starting to get hit with some impactful injuries. On the defensive side, the Sooners have lost a couple of really talented front seven guys in David Stone and Kip Lewis. We’ll see what happens with Sullivan.
On offense, they’re down Fasusi and Trell Harris. We’ll see what happens with Best, but again, I’m talking about truly impactful players.
These injuries are obviously not ideal but do they ruin a season? Absolutely not.
The defensive line and the linebacker room are supposed to be this staff’s bread butter. The linebacker room is Brent’s forte. The Sooners have a really good defensive line coach. They don’t have the proven upper echelon depth they had last year but we are in year five here.
For whatever the offense has lost, an injury to one talented tackle can’t spell despair for your OL. And Trell Harris wasn’t even on the team last year. They’ve since last year added other weapons including tight ends and wide receivers.
So, whatever happens from here won’t be an injury story, in my opinion – at least not yet.
If you’ve built a team to win games 10-3 requiring a perfect defense then yes, maybe you’ve already doomed yourself. But that certainly wasn’t the staff’s intent and if it was it would be malpractice.
If, as I assume they have, you’ve built a team to win 27-10 (that’s my best guess based on what I heard from sources in the off-season), then some injuries may adjust that to 24-17.
Either way, the team is more than well enough intact and the coaches are just going to have to get the offense going to help out the defense.
They were going to have to do that regardless. Again, winning games 10-3 was never a reasonable proposition.
Feed Avant and Take Deep Shots
– Super K – Posted on: September 22, 2026
Take a look at this year’s rushing numbers, so far. I know it’s a small sample size but it’s what we have and it matches what we see on the field – that Avant is the most competent runner.
As you can see Avant is average 4.4 yards per carry. Look at the numbers from this past weekend…
Not fantastic but still a decent 3.4 yards a clip. But they only handed him the ball eight times.
I think they should – and my guess is they will – start handing the ball off to Avant 15+ times.
The lack of a game breaker has long been an issue for OU. OU hasn’t had legit NFL running backs since the law firm and Mixon and Perine were prosecuted defenses for OU.
Without guys who are a threat to break the second and third levels, everything becomes more difficult because the safeties aren’t being manipulated and the front isn’t afraid of overpursuit.
Still, Avant gives you consistency in winning at the first level. He isn’t like some backs who will make your OL right even when they’re wrong but he’s effective enough and annoying enough to a defensive coordinator.
He brings a level of consistency that none of the other runners do, right now.
The other thing we need to start seeing more of is deep shots, even if they’re just to keep the defense honest. Mateer isn’t going to hit a lot of those but if you want your tight ends to eat or you want to start seeing Sategna break a few big ones, then something has to be done about the safeties.
The arrogance of the safety play from Michigan’s defense was annoying. I wouldn’t throw it deep just out of spite.
I know it might look pointless but I don’t care how many you hit, those back end guys and that DC, they get tight on the deep balls and they’d rather you didn’t throw them. It makes them more hesitant in the run game.
Give me plenty of Avant this weekend and some bombs. And, throw in plenty of Mateer outside the pocket where he can make things happen with his arm or legs.
Avant to wear them down, Mateer throwing on the move to make them defend more field and deep shots to stress the back end early.
Know Your Opponent | Georgia – 2026
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 23, 2026
Head Coach: Kirby Smart — 11th year
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Bobo — 4th year in current stint
Defensive Coordinator: Glenn Schumann — 10th year
Georgia has been dominant through the first three games, opening 3-0 and outscoring opponents 128-27. The Bulldogs opened with a 59-0 win over Tennessee State, followed it with a 24-10 victory over Western Kentucky, and then went on the road and handled Arkansas 45-17 in their SEC opener. The offense has been especially explosive, while the defense has allowed just 12 points in the first half all season. Georgia now faces its first ranked matchup of the season when No. 24 Oklahoma visits Athens Saturday
On offense…
Georgia’s offense under Mike Bobo is multiple, balanced and built around creating mismatches. The Bulldogs use a large volume of concepts and personnel groupings, especially with tight ends, receivers and backs, then tailor that package from week to week. The run game is a major part of the equation, while Gunner Stockton’s ability to distribute the ball and push it downfield gives the passing game plenty of flexibility. Through three games, Georgia has shown it can spread the ball around rather than relying on one featured receiver.
QB #14 Gunner Stockton – Stockton has been extremely efficient through three games. He is 38-of-45 for 583 yards and nine touchdowns, while also rushing for 97 yards against Arkansas. He threw five TDs against Western Kentucky and added three TD passes in the opener against Tennessee State.
RB #3 Nate Frazier – Frazier has been Georgia’s primary back and has made his opportunities count. He has 24 carries for 170 yards and five touchdowns through three games, including 72 yards and three TDs on just four carries against Tennessee State.
WR-X #6 Isiah Canion – The Georgia Tech transfer gives Stockton a big target on the outside at 6-foot-4. Canion has three catches for 28 yards through three games but left the Arkansas game during the opening series with an injury, so his availability is worth watching.
WR-Z #1 Talyn Taylor – Taylor has quickly become one of Georgia’s more dangerous young weapons. Through three games, he has five catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns, plus a 31-yard rushing attempt. He scored his first career TD in the opener against Tennessee State.
WR-Slot #0 Sacovie White-Helton – White-Helton has emerged as Georgia’s leading returning receiver early in the season. He has eight catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, including a 70-yard TD against Western Kentucky. He also contributes as a returner.
TE #7 Lawson Luckie – Luckie is the veteran of the tight end room and one of Stockton’s more trusted targets. He had a big game against Arkansas with three catches for 59 yards and a touchdown, including a 33-yard reception on Georgia’s opening scoring drive.
LT #71 Earnest Greene III – Greene is the veteran anchor of the offensive line and has a team-best 35 career starts. He has been part of the same starting five through all three games as Georgia has piled up more than 1,600 yards of offense.
LG #63 Dontrell Glover – Glover is a returning starter who earned FWAA Freshman All-America honors in 2025. He has started all three games at left guard and is part of a Georgia offensive line that has remained remarkably consistent early this season.
C #74 Drew Bobo – Bobo brings experience and leadership to the middle of the line. The fifth-year center was a second-team Coaches All-SEC selection and has started all three games.
RG #55 Zykie Helton – Helton is the youngster of the group, but he has held his own as a true freshman. He became just the third true freshman offensive lineman in the Kirby Smart era to start a season opener and has remained the starter at right guard through three games.
RT #73 Juan Gaston Jr. – Gaston has starting experience at both guard and tackle and has settled in at right tackle this season. He has been part of the same starting five in each of Georgia’s first three games.
The Big Picture for OU:
***Explosive and efficient: Georgia is averaging 59.3 points and 539 yards per game, with Gunner Stockton completing 84.4% of his passes for 583 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception.
***The run game is a problem: The Bulldogs are averaging 253.3 rushing yards per game at 7.3 yards per carry, with 11 rushing touchdowns. Nate Frazier leads the team with five rushing scores on just 24 carries.
***Balance and depth: Georgia has been spreading the ball around while getting consistent play from the offensive line, which has used the same five starters through three games. The Bulldogs have also shown they can hurt defenses with Stockton’s legs, explosive plays and multiple receiving options rather than relying on one player.
On defense…
Georgia’s defense under Glenn Schumann is a multiple, aggressive scheme built around versatility and matchup flexibility. The Bulldogs use a 3-4 foundation but regularly change personnel and alignments, moving linebackers and safeties around to create pressure and disguise coverage. Schumann emphasizes keeping the defense simple enough for experienced players to play fast while using different packages and pattern-match concepts to create problems for opposing offenses.
DE #0 Gabe Harris Jr. – The veteran defensive end is one of Georgia’s anchors up front and has been a consistent starter. Harris recorded a sack against Western Kentucky and is part of a front that has helped Georgia allow just 45.7 rushing yards per game through three games.
NT #44 Jordan Hall – Hall is the experienced interior presence and one of Georgia’s veteran leaders. He has been a starter in all three games as the Bulldogs have limited opponents to just 137 rushing yards total over the last two games.
DT #90 Elijah Griffin – Griffin is a sophomore who earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors last season and is making his first season as a full-time starter. He has been part of a defensive line that has helped Georgia produce eight sacks through three games.
JACK #3 Quintavius Johnson – Johnson gives Georgia an athletic edge presence who can rush the passer or drop into coverage. He recorded a tackle for loss against Arkansas and had two tackles against Western Kentucky.
MAC #5 Raylen Wilson – Wilson is one of the veterans in the linebacker room and ranked third on the team with 74 tackles in 2025. He exploded against Arkansas with three tackles, two sacks for 21 yards and a forced fumble.
MONEY #9 Chris Cole – The former five-star linebacker has become one of Georgia’s most versatile defensive pieces. Cole is tied for the team lead with 10 tackles through three games and had four tackles against Arkansas.
LCB #8 Demello Jones – Jones made his first career start in the opener and has quickly established himself in the secondary. He had a career-high six tackles against Arkansas and returned an interception 41 yards against Western Kentucky.
SS #4 KJ Bolden – The preseason All-American is one of the most talented players in the Georgia secondary. Bolden had four tackles and a pass breakup against Arkansas, while his versatility allows Georgia to use him in multiple areas of the defense.
FS #31 Kyron Jones – Jones brings veteran experience to the back end after starting the first six games of 2025 before a foot injury ended his season. He returned to the starting lineup this year and has been part of a secondary allowing only 165.7 passing yards per game.
RCB #1 Ellis Robinson IV – One of the most highly regarded players in the Georgia secondary, Robinson is a preseason All-American and has been a steady presence at corner. He has recorded six tackles and two pass breakups through the first three games.
NB #7 Khalil Barnes – The Clemson transfer has quickly become an important piece of Georgia’s defense. Barnes recorded four tackles and a pass breakup against Arkansas and made a key fourth-down pass breakup on the Razorbacks’ opening drive.
The Big Picture for OU:
***Elite against the run: Georgia is allowing just 45.7 rushing yards per game through three games. Tennessee State managed only 10 yards on 32 carries, Western Kentucky had 110 on 37 carries, and Arkansas managed just 17 yards on 20 attempts.
***Getting after the quarterback: The Bulldogs have recorded eight sacks for 81 yards through three games, with three sacks in each of their first and third games. Raylen Wilson had two sacks against Arkansas, including a strip-sack that Georgia recovered.
***Forcing teams to throw: Because Georgia has been so effective stopping the run, opponents have averaged 165.7 passing yards per game. The Bulldogs have also picked off two passes, while the defense has allowed only 13.3 points per game and has yet to allow a point in the first or third quarter.
Bottom line…
***Find a way to run the football – Georgia is allowing just 45.7 rushing yards per game and has held opponents to 17 rushing yards or fewer in two of its first three games. OU cannot become one-dimensional against this defense. The Sooners need to stay committed to the run and give John Mateer some help.
***Make Gunner Stockton uncomfortable – Stockton has been extremely efficient, but Georgia has also played with big leads throughout the season. OU needs to create pressure without constantly selling out, force Stockton to make difficult decisions and prevent Georgia from getting comfortable early.
Play complementary football – This feels like a game where OU’s defense has to keep the Sooners within striking distance while the offense finds its footing. OU is allowing only 7.7 points per game, while Georgia is averaging 59.3, so the Sooners need to maximize every possession, avoid turnovers and make Georgia work for every point.
Georgia Matchup
– Super K – Posted on: September 24, 2026
We talked about this in the preseason but at Clemson, BV shut Georgia down.
As you know, they like to lean on teams. Arkansas held up fairly well for most of the first half but the run game was too much for them and once they started losing Gunner Stockton in the run game, it was just too much.
BV is a master at creating negative plays. If he can do that and force Stockton to be a thrower, BV’s defense should eat.
We obviously don’t know if that will happen but that’s what BV is best at so you have to write your game plan assuming the defense will contain the UGA offense for at least the first half.
Which means the offense needs to be patient, pound UGA to make it second half game and above all else…do not turn the ball over.
I’m not super impressed with UGA’s pass rushers. I think they haven’t had the rush we are used to for the past year or so.
So as long as there is some threat of a run game from OU, then the Sooners should be able to give Mateer a little time to complete some passes.
As I mentioned in the comments section earlier, it feels like the Sooners have been playing tight.
Not just Mateer but kind of across the board including special teams. Sooners came into the season with fairly high expectations and have so far fallen short. But, hopefully going under the radar into UGA with most folks counting them out, they can play loose and put up a better showing than folks are expecting.
One On Ones | OU vs Georgia 2026
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 24, 2026
The Sooners hit the road to Athens this week to take on the Georgia Bulldogs!
OU comes into the contest at 2-1 while the Bulldogs are 3-0.
I’ll be watching a couple of one-on-one matchups in this game as keys to Oklahoma’s success!
Let’s have a look!
One on One Number One:
OU WR Isaiah Sategna vs. Georgia DB Ellis Robinson
This is probably the cleanest true one-on-one matchup on the field.
Sategna has once again shown to be OU’s most dangerous receiver through the first three games, and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart specifically pointed him out this week. Sategna has the speed to take the top off a defense, but he is also a more complete receiver than he was a year ago.
Standing across from him will be Ellis Robinson IV, one of the most talented young corners in the country. The 6-foot junior was a second-team All-SEC selection last season and enters this matchup as one of the Bulldogs’ premier cover guys.
This is where OU has to find a way to win some isolated battles. Georgia has been extremely good against the run, so if the Bulldogs can put the clamps on Sategna without consistently needing safety help, they can make life miserable for John Mateer.
But if Sategna can consistently separate from Robinson and make a few plays down the field, it changes the entire equation. Suddenly Georgia has to respect the perimeter, which can create opportunities elsewhere.
For OU, this is simple: Sategna doesn’t have to dominate Robinson, but he needs to make him work.
The other matchup starts up front, and frankly, it could determine whether the Sooners have any chance of getting their offense going.
One On One Number Two
OU tackles vs. Gabe Harris Jr.
Georgia has been absolutely nasty against the run, allowing just 45.7 rushing yards per game through three games. That’s not a typo. The Bulldogs aren’t giving opponents much room to breathe.
Enter Gabe Harris Jr., one of Georgia’s veteran pieces up front. Harris has the size, length and athleticism to create problems both against the run and as a pass rusher, and OU’s tackles are going to have their hands full.
This is where the Sooners have to prove they can play physical football against an SEC defense that isn’t going to be bullied.
OU can’t afford to spend the afternoon watching Georgia’s defensive front live in the backfield. The Sooners need to create enough movement to establish some semblance of a run game, while also keeping Harris and the rest of Georgia’s front from constantly collapsing the pocket on Mateer.
Because if Georgia can shut down the run and consistently win up front, it puts everything on Mateer’s shoulders against one of the best defenses in the country.
That’s a recipe OU doesn’t want.
The Sategna-Robinson matchup could decide whether OU hits explosive plays. The tackle-Harris matchup could determine whether OU gets enough time and space to create them in the first place.
