Inside the Oklahoma Sooners
JB Talking Sportz | James Baxter
There is one thing I can tell you about an Oklahoma football team coached by Brent Venables. You had better come prepared to play a physical football game.
Venables has built his reputation on defense, and while Oklahoma has experienced its share of growing pains in the Southeastern Conference, the Sooners are not a football team you can afford to underestimate.
For South Carolina, this is an interesting matchup because I believe the Gamecocks have the talent to beat Oklahoma. The question is whether we get the South Carolina team that has struggled with consistency or the version capable of competing with just about anybody in the conference.
And, perhaps more importantly, which version of LaNorris Sellers shows up?
THE VENABLES FACTOR
I have followed Brent Venables for a long time, going back to his days as the defensive coordinator at Clemson. One thing that has always impressed me is his ability to disguise defensive alignments and create confusion for opposing quarterbacks.
Venables doesn’t simply line up his defense and hope his athletes are better than yours. He attacks weaknesses, manipulates blocking assignments, and tries to force quarterbacks into making decisions before they fully understand what they’re seeing.
That is something South Carolina needs to recognize.
I fully expect Venables to have a defensive package specifically designed to contain Sellers.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if that package includes a linebacker or safety assigned to spy on him.
But here’s where things get interesting.
Venables is smart enough to disguise that spy. He isn’t necessarily going to show South Carolina exactly where the extra defender is coming from before the snap.
He may present one defensive look and rotate into something entirely different once the football is snapped.
That means Sellers must be disciplined with his reads, particularly when deciding whether to escape the pocket.
THE BIGGEST CONCERN FOR OKLAHOMA
As much as I respect Venables as a defensive coach, there is one thing he cannot completely prepare for.
The Superman version of LaNorris Sellers.
When Sellers is playing with confidence, making accurate throws, and using his athletic ability intelligently, he becomes an entirely different animal.
You can assign a spy to him. You can bring pressure from different angles. You can try to contain him inside the pocket.
But when a quarterback possesses his combination of size, strength, and athleticism, even a perfectly designed defensive scheme can break down.
The key is making Oklahoma defend the entire football field.
If Sellers can establish himself as a legitimate passing threat early, Venables will have some difficult decisions to make.
Commit additional defenders to containing the quarterback, and you potentially create opportunities in the passing game.
Sit back in coverage, and you give Sellers opportunities to make plays with his legs.
That’s the dilemma South Carolina needs to create.
THE OKLAHOMA OFFENSE
Defensively, Oklahoma has the kind of philosophy I respect. Offensively, the Sooners present another challenge.
South Carolina cannot afford to let Oklahoma establish an offensive rhythm.
The Gamecocks have shown flashes of being an outstanding defensive football team, particularly when Dylan Stewart is allowed to attack the quarterback and disrupt plays in the backfield.
But there have also been stretches when Carolina has struggled with discipline, tackling, and maintaining assignments.
Against Oklahoma, those mistakes can become expensive.
I want to see South Carolina establish itself defensively from the opening possession.
That means controlling the line of scrimmage, limiting explosive plays, and forcing Oklahoma into obvious passing situations.
When the Gamecocks can turn Dylan Stewart loose and allow their defensive front to attack, they become a much more dangerous football team.
But none of that matters if Oklahoma is consistently facing second-and-four instead of second-and-nine.
Winning on first down will be critical.
WHERE SOUTH CAROLINA CAN WIN
I believe South Carolina has three opportunities to take control of this football game.
The first is establishing a legitimate vertical passing threat. Oklahoma cannot be allowed to crowd the line of scrimmage and devote additional defenders to containing Sellers without paying a price.
The second is creating negative plays defensively. South Carolina needs to force Oklahoma into situations where the Sooners become predictable.
And the third, perhaps most importantly, is eliminating the self-inflicted mistakes that have plagued the Gamecocks.
I’m talking about dropped passes, presnap penalties, missed assignments, and questionable decisions in critical situations.
South Carolina has spent far too much time this season making football games more difficult than they need to be.
Against a Venables defense, those mistakes can be devastating.
THE INTANGIBLE FACTOR
There is another element to this matchup that deserves consideration.
Oklahoma is a proud football program with tremendous tradition, and Venables understands what it means to compete at the highest level.
The Sooners aren’t going to be intimidated by South Carolina’s athleticism.
But I don’t believe South Carolina should be intimidated by Oklahoma, either.
Quite frankly, I believe the Gamecocks have enough individual talent to compete with the Sooners.
What concerns me is whether that talent will translate into four quarters of disciplined football.
We’ve seen South Carolina play well enough to give us hope, only to turn around and look completely disorganized.
That inconsistency has become the defining characteristic of this football team.
And at some point, the excuses have to stop.
JB’S FINAL TAKE
If I’m sitting in Oklahoma’s defensive meeting room this week, the first name I’m discussing is LaNorris Sellers.
Not because South Carolina has an overwhelming collection of offensive weapons, but because Sellers has the ability to completely change the complexion of a football game.
I expect Venables to challenge him mentally as much as physically.
He’ll disguise coverages, change defensive looks, and attempt to take away the things Sellers does best.
The question is whether South Carolina’s offensive coaching staff can anticipate those adjustments and give its quarterback opportunities to succeed.
I’ve said repeatedly that South Carolina has two versions of its football team.
There’s the version that struggles with execution, makes unnecessary mistakes, and looks completely out of sync.
And there’s the version that can line up and compete with almost anybody.
If the good version of South Carolina shows up, and we get Superman Sellers, Oklahoma is going to have its hands full.
But if Carolina spends another afternoon shooting itself in the foot, Brent Venables will be more than happy to take advantage.
And that’s what makes this matchup so intriguing.
The Sooners may have the defensive scheme to contain South Carolina. But do they have the athletes to contain Superman?
That’s the question Oklahoma must answer.
JB Talking Sportz
JBTalkinSportz.com
