3-2-1 KICK OFF
Here's a look at what to watch for when the Sooners take on Kansas State at 11 a.m. Saturday:
Three players to watch
Trey Sermon: After recording no carries against Texas, Sermon ran the ball five times against West Virginia, gaining 17 total yards. Will Sermon have a bigger game this week or continue to have a smaller role in the running back rotation?
Nik Bonitto: Bonitto got his first career start against West Virginia and made five tackles. With Jon-Michael Terry out for the rest of the season with a lower leg injury, Bonitto may see an increasing role in Oklahoma's defense. CeeDee Lamb: Kansas State has had trouble defending deep passes, so Lamb could be set to have a big day for the Sooners. Lamb has had a catch for over 30 yards in all but one game so far this season.
Two big questions
Will the Sooners record a
turnover? The defense has a goal of two turnovers per game but hasn't recorded one in the last three games. Kansas State may be an opportunity for the defense to get back on track with takeaways.
How big of a role will the three freshmen receivers play? Theo Wease, Jadon Haselwood and Trejan Bridges have proven they can be effective for the Sooners but haven't been targets often as of late. What role will they play against a defense who hasn't allowed more than 268 passing yards in a game this season.
One bold prediction
Nik Bonitto will have six total
tackles. In the last five games, the number of tackles Bonitto has had has increased by one. He had one against UCLA, two against Texas Tech, three against Kansas, four against Texas and five against West Virginia. The trend continues this week as Bonitto records six tackles for the first time since playing Houston.