OU mailbag: Would a 10-2 Oklahoma make the CFP in 2024?
Every week, SoonerScoop.com and On3’s George Stoia will be answering your questions in his weekly OU mailbag. This week, Stoia answers questions about Oklahoma’s 2024 schedule, the softball team and NIL.
Below are Stoia’s answers for Monday, May 20.
Assume OU takes down Maine this fall. What states can say they’ve never had a team from within their borders beaten by the Sooners?
Shoutout to board member GasMaskPhilly who researched this…
Alaska, Georgia, Mississippi, Nevada, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, North Dakota, Montana, and D.C.
If OU goes 2-2 vs Ole Miss, Bama, LSU and Texas does this team end up in the top 12 in a playoff game? Why?
Assuming they win all their other games, yeah, they’re in the playoff. I think if they are 10-2, no matter who they lose to, they’re getting in. Everyone knows how difficult Oklahoma’s schedule is next season. And the playoff committee will respect that. Going 10-2 next year with that schedule should be rewarded. Add that on top of the brand that OU has and it feels like a no-brainer that they would get in.
Now, OU would have to win its other games. Maybe they could sneak in at 9-3 if the other loss was on the road to Auburn or Missouri, but it would be really close. Oklahoma might be the last team in or the first team out in the scenario depending on the rest of the landscape.
What OU player are you most excited to play with in the NCAA Football video game? In the ultimate team, what’s the #1 former sooner you want on your squad?
On this year’s team, probably Deion Burks. You can run a lot of fun plays with him that would open up your offense. And for the ultimate team, it has to be Adrian Peterson. I used to play NCAA 07 with Peterson. The HB toss could not be stopped.
Do you regret saying “I want Luka”?
I have no regrets. I am an irrational fan. What do you expect me to say? I don’t want Luka and the Mavs are going to win in 6? I’m not a bedwetter. I believe in my squad. Thunder coming for it all in 2025.
So how does it work, if you would enlighten me. You requested to the OU media relations that you would like to talk to Zac Alley and they just deny the request?
Yes. This is exactly how it works. We requested every week of spring ball. Never got him. And it’s the first time I can remember in my career that a coordinator did not have an introductory press conference.
Are there any new alternate uniforms/alterations that are in the works?
Not that I know of.
When they’re officially in the SEC July 1, will we be televised on SEC network instead of the ESPN+ app?
Certain things will be on SEC Network, yes. Like football games. But some sports will likely still be on ESPN+ for certain occasions or when the SEC Network time slots are full. There should be less events on ESPN+ overall though.
I know this is an OU board/site but the Thunder are about 2–3 years ahead of where they should be. Outside of the Mavs winning it all, there’s not another team I want to win more than OKC. What areas do you think they need to improve over the offseason?
I don’t think it’s as much as some think. Everyone seems to think OKC needs another superstar or a big, but I disagree. I think they could use a backup center for sure. And I’d like for a lengthy four who can shoot and play alongside Chet. But I think a lot of people are forgetting that Chet and JDub are only going to get better. And I believe those two can be the stars — not someone else like Kevin Durant. I think they need a shot creator off the bench and a little more size. Not much else.
If Oklahoma goes 9-3, what combination of losses do you think gives them the best chance to sneak into the playoff?
Texas, Alabama, LSU or Ole Miss. The first three are big brands and there is no shame in losing to them any season. And Ole Miss is going to be a top-10 team.
Why didn’t Kierston Deal see the mound during the regionals? OU seems to get talented pitchers from high school, but the last many years we went to the portal for pitching. If you’re Deal or SJ Geurin do you jump in the portal after this season? Is this strategy going to backfire in the long run if/when the portal well runs dry? For a staff that seems to be focused on culture this seems like a counterintuitive approach.
Great question. I’m really not sure why Deal didn’t pitch. Maybe they’re saving her? It didn’t seem like they really needed her. And a week’s rest might be good. I don’t think Deal will portal. That’s not based on any info other than she is the leading candidate to be OU’s ace next season. I also think it’s too early to say Geurin would enter either.
I wouldn’t worry about the long run. Patty Gasso is recruiting at a high level and any pitcher in the portal I’m sure OU would have a chance to land. Don’t question culture with Gasso. I think she knows what she’s doing.
Scoop Staff Olympics. Who wins each event:
3 point shootout: Me
Longest drive: Eddie
100-yard dash: Me
Home run derby at Loves Field: Carey
Hot Dog Eating competition: Bob
Chess: Josh
Your favorite pick for the Thunder this draft in the first round (trade up, down or stay, just has to be realistic)?
Jared McCain. This is based on whether the Thunder trade Josh Giddey. I think McCain would be a great creator off the bench with the second unit.
Your picks of which teams make it to OKC out of the super regionals in softball.
Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, OSU, UCLA, Duke, LSU.
What are the odds of the SEC adding 2-4 more teams by the beginning of the ’25 football season? Any guesses on who those might be? ACC seems about ready to implode.
By 2025? I’d say low. But I would bet in the next 5-10 years the SEC gets to 20 teams. It feels inevitable at this point. I don’t think it will happen as fast as 2025, but I do think it could by 2030.
We all love the talent Brandon Hall has brought in at safety but what do you think needs to be done to bring it up to the level of say USC?
Yeah, I don’t agree with that list. It is what it is. I think OU’s secondary is going to surprise a lot of people this year. But it shouldn’t be a surprise given the talent that Oklahoma has been able to bring in and keep on its roster. Also, PFF is a good source for basic information, but it’s not exactly the best resource for grading players (and I say this as someone who uses PFF for certain statistics. Player grades is not one of them).
Who will you play your first dynasty with on EA Sports CFB? Do you have a strategy in picking teams? (For example, I won’t pick a really good team, I want it to be challenging and have to actually build a successful program).
I always pick one-star programs and work my way up as an offensive coordinator. I love to build up my resume by turning around a low-level program. So any school that is considered a bottom-tier program, like Idaho or Akron or a school like that. And then once I get a big time job and win a few national titles, I start over at a new small school.
What is Gavin Sawchuk’s NFL ceiling? We know that he will likely test well…lets say he goes out this year in the SEC and has 1,200 yards and 11 TDs.
I think Sawchuk can be like a fourth-round pick and a multi-year starter in the NFL. I don’t think he’s a Pro Bowler or anything, but could be a nice back for a couple of years and then be a rotational guy in the NFL. His speed will certainly help him and I think he could be a really good kick returner if that’s something he’s interested in. His size and injury history might hurt him a little, which is why he really needs to have a full season this year being the guy.
Same thing for Ethan Downs. I have heard that he will surprise us with his testing, much more athletic than most realize. He is a 2x all-conference guy in the Big 12. Let’s say he goes out and has 6.5 sacks,10 TFL, and makes HM All SEC…what is his NFL ceiling?
Like Sawchuk, I think Downs is a Day 3-caliber draft pick. He will need to have a good combine/pro day performance. But it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if Downs played in the NFL for several years. He has the motor and size to be a rotational guy. That’s his ceiling, at least. I could also see it not working out for him just because of the nature of his position. There are a lot of athletic freaks at the defensive end spot and it’s easy to get passed up there quickly.
How big of an NIL wake-up call was losing Cayden Green? Obviously, we would love to still have him, but losing him in the manner we did has to be a blessing in disguise in the long run.
I think it definitely was a bit of a kick in the butt. But there were a lot of other factors that went into that situation that weren’t NIL-related. But I do think it opened the staff’s eyes to how some programs are running their NIL operations. And I think it made them realize sometimes you have to “overspend” to get guys — the Lance Heard situation might have been a better example of that. I do think all those situations will help OU in the long term because it does feel like they have been more proactive and aggressive in NIL.
What are your expectations for the DE room this year? Consistent pressure off the edge can really take the D to another level, curious if you think who we have in the room currently are capable of doing that at a high level.
My expectations are high. I think it’s the most talented defensive end room OU has had in a while. And it’s a good mix of experience and talent. I think having Ethan Downs and Trace Ford back, on top of bringing in Caiden Woullard — that’s a lot of experience. And then you have some young guys in R Mason Thomas and PJ Adebawore who could be game wreckers. Those are the two that I think could be the biggest different makers. They have the highest ceilings of the group.
You know what you’re getting in Downs, Ford and Caiden Woullard you kind of know what you’re getting. Whereas Adebawore and Thomas could really elevate the group.
I keep hearing national guys say that Brent Venables may be on the hot seat if OU doesn’t have a big year. I think that sounds ridiculous, what are your thoughts?
Guess it depends on what a “big year” means. If OU goes 10-2, that would be a big year. 9-3 would be a solid year. And 8-4 would be a fine year. I think if OU goes 6-6 or worse than, yeah, he’s probably on the hot seat in 2025. But other than that, I don’t see it considering the difficulty of the schedule.
The post OU mailbag: Would a 10-2 Oklahoma make the CFP in 2024? appeared first on On3.
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