No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas Jayhawks: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Week 9
The undefeated Oklahoma Sooners go on the road to face the Kansas Jayhawks in a Big 12 showdown that has title game berth ramifications.
The Sooners control their own destiny to get back to the title game after a two-year hiatus. Go 1-0 each week and the Sooners will get there. But each week will present unique challenges for the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners. And that includes this week against the Kansas Jayhawks.
Kansas is on the verge of bowl eligibility for the second straight season. With two losses in conference play, they’re also fighting for Big 12 title game survival. It’s unlikely they’ll reach the title game, but they certainly can’t afford another loss in conference play and still make it.
The Sooners will face an impressive run game and a quarterback very capable of making plays in the passing game.
Will the Sooners keep their undefeated season alive on the road in Lawrence? Will Oklahoma maintain its historical dominance over the Jayhawks, or will Kansas thwart the Sooners’ Big 12 national aspirations?
Sooners Wire Staff Predictions and more from the College Wires
Sooners bring it Saturday
Saturday is another step in the Sooners’ march to Arlington for one final Big 12 championship game. They’ll make their last trip to Kansas as Big 12 members on Saturday, and I expect a sold-out crowd to bring it.
Kansas will be coming off of a bye week. While that usually always favors the team off the bye week, Oklahoma’s mediocre performance against UCF should mean they come out razor-focused on Saturday.
The Sooners won’t be facing Jason Daniels but will take on Jason Bean, a seasoned quarterback with success against Oklahoma. Sure, Kansas didn’t win last year, but Bean tossed four touchdowns.
Oklahoma comes out and bottles up Devin Neal, Daniel Hishaw, and the Jayhawks’ rushing attack, while Gabriel and the offense come out with 17 straight points. It puts the Jayhawks behind, and the Sooners defense gets to play in attack mode for the rest of the game. Gabriel throws three more touchdowns, and Gavin Sawchuk gets another rushing touchdown. We see three takeaways by the Sooners defense en route to holding Kansas to under 350 total yards. Zach Schmit also calms the noise about his field goal woes and goes 2/2.
Oklahoma 41, Kansas 21
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Sooners pull away late
The Oklahoma Sooners are going on the road to play a team almost identical to the one they played a week ago.
The Kansas Jayhawks come in with a high-powered offense with an elite rushing attack. Combine that with poor weather conditions, and this could spell disaster for Oklahoma, especially if they can’t get the running game going.
Still, I think Oklahoma finds a way to win just because Kansas’ defense is so poor. This game will be close early, with Oklahoma pulling away late.
Sooners 42, Jayhawks 21
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Running the Rock
This Kansas Jayhawks team isn’t the Kansas Jayhawks team of five to ten years ago. They’ve got an offense capable of scoring with just about everyone. The Sooners’ defense will have a tough task ahead of them trying to slow down Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw, a dynamic running back duo that’s helped make Kansas one of the best rushing offenses in the country.
Offensively, the Sooners may have to deal with the elements, something that was a problem two years ago when they beat Kansas in Lawrence. It was also something that affected the offense when Oklahoma lost to West Virginia in Morgantown in 2022. How well Dillon Gabriel and Jeff Lebby adjust to potentially high winds and moisture could be the biggest factor in Oklahoma’s success on offense.
The Sooners have a variety of ways to get the ball to their playmakers. Whether it’s the wide receiver screen game or the jet sweep packages they run, Oklahoma has the offensive talent to create a versatile offense that doesn’t have to throw the ball down the field if the elements are an issue.
Dillon Gabriel’s been playing really good football, and his ability to run the football will be an x-factor in this game. Tawee Walker, Marcus Major, and Gavin Sawchuk create a three-headed monster that takes advantage of a porous Jayhawks rush defense.
Oklahoma 38, Kansas 17
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College Sports Wire's Split Decision
The staff over at College Sports Wire are split on their picks against the spread. Patrick Conn and Nick Schwartz favor the Sooners to cover, while Tyler Nettuno and Patrick Sturgeon took the Jayhawks plus the points.
Check out College Sports Wire for more College Football Analysis.
Fired up and Focused
Kansas is probably not going to upset Oklahoma. The Sooners are much more reliable than expected this season and it’s doubtful the Jayhawks have the defense to get it done. Coming off a sluggish win over UCF, I would expect Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables to have his team more fired up and focused for Kansas. – Joey Hickey, Longhorns Wire
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