Oklahoma Sooners Football Team Preview 2019 - Odds and Predictions

The second year of the Lincoln Riley era was an eventful season, with the Sooners going 11-1 in the regular season with a Big 12 Championship crown before losing to Alabama 45-34 in the playoff semi-final. Led by Heisman winner Kyler Murray at quarterback, the Sooners had an explosive offense that produced seven 50+ point games to combat a porous defensive unit that coughed up 40+ points in that many games.

The Sooners road to the playoff was not an easy one, as they pulled off nail-biting wins against Army, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia to keep their resume clean. After suffering their lone loss to Texas in the Red River Showdown, Oklahoma got the last laugh by taking down the Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship game.

Born For The Storm And Built To Overcome. I Ain’t Sparing Nobody.. #UNTAMED #RAREBREED pic.twitter.com/4RAkdFuNuU

— Jalen Hurts (@JalenHurts) May 2, 2019

Key Returning Players (2018 Stats)

• RB Trey Sermon (Junior) – 947 Rush Yards | 13 Rush TD | 5.8 Yards Per Carry
• WR CeeDee Lamb (Junior) – 65 Receptions | 1,158 Rec Yards | 11 Rec TD
• MLB Kenneth Murray (Junior) – 155 Total Tackles | 12.5 TFL | 4.5 Sacks
• DE Ronnie Perkins (Sophomore) – 37 Total Tackles | 8.0 TFL | 5.0 Sacks

Oklahoma’s dynamic duo of Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks are back in Norman, and are likely to be leaned on by former Alabama quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Hurts will also benefit from a pair of strong throwing targets in receiver CeeDee Lamb and tight end Grant Calcaterra. The lone returning starter on the offensive line is sophomore center, Creed Humphrey.

As far as the defense is concerned, leading tackler Kenneth Murray is likely to be a key piece for a unit that ranked 124th in FBS in yards allowed, and 96th in points allowed. A defensive line rotation of Ronnie Perkins, Kenneth Mann, Neville Gallimore, and Dillion Faamatau should help new coordinator, Alex Grinch to implement a more solidified front.

Given the poor performance in the secondary last season, the competition for starting nods at those positions will be wide open for the likes of Patrick Fields, Delarrin Turner-Yell, Tre Norwood, and others.

Key Departures

• QB Kyler Murray (NFL Draft)
• WR Marquise Brown (NFL Draft)
• OG Cody Ford (NFL Draft)
• OT Bobby Evans (NFL Draft)

After just one season as a starter for the Sooners, Heisman winner Kyler Murray turned down baseball to become the first overall pick in the NFL draft. The offensive line loses a ton of experience, as Cody Ford, Bobby Evans, Ben Powers, and Dru Samia were all drafted. Murray’s top target, receiver Marquise Brown is also gone as he elected to leave early for the NFL where he is now a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

Notable Recruits (Star Ratings and Rankings According to Rivals.com)

Extremely excited to be officially apart of the Oklahoma Family! Thank you @LincolnRiley for making this the best recruitment ever. Next stop Norman. ? #BOOMER #NewWave19 pic.twitter.com/r6a0cJ53zM

— Spencer Rattler (@SpencerRattler) December 19, 2018

• WR Jadon Haselwood – 5 Star | 6-3, 195lb | Cedar Grove HS | Ellenwood, GA
• QB Spencer Rattler – 5 Star | 6-2, 198lb | Pinnacle HS | Phoenix, AZ
• CB Woodi Washington – 4 Star | 6-0, 175lb | Oakland HS | Murfreesboro, TN
• OT Stacey Wilkins – 4 Star | 6-7, 285lb | Fairview HS | Camden, AR

The Sooners stocked themselves well for the future, particularly at the glamour positions with three five star receiver signings in Jadon Haselwood, Theo Wease, and Trejan Bridges to highlight the fourth-ranked recruiting class. Haselwood, the fourth-ranked overall recruit, and top receiver prospect should make an immediate impact. Oklahoma also found their likely quarterback of the future in dual-threat passer Spencer Rattler, who ranked as the best at his position.

Oklahoma Sooners 2019 Schedule

The biggest question regarding Oklahoma’s schedule is how they perform on the road, as none of their games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium appear to be scary matchups. Texas always plays the Sooners hard in the Red River Rivalry, even during down years. The same could be said for arch-rival Oklahoma State who will get to host Bedlam this season. The other team to look out for is Baylor, which has come a long way since their 1-11 season in 2017 under coach Matt Rhule.

Where to Bet on Win Totals and Playoff Odds in New Jersey – Oklahoma Sooners Odds

New Jersey residents can log onto 888Sport to wager on Oklahoma’s playoff and Big 12 Championship odds, as well as their win total. With an over/under of 10.5 wins, those looking to bet the over will have very little margin for error with a schedule with more than one potential booby trap that could hurt the Sooners.

Big 12 Conference Winner

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Number of Games Won – Excluding Bowl Games & Play Offs

Regular season only. Conference championship games do not count.

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER