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Even though Oklahoma football won't travel to Dallas to face the Texas Longhorns until Week 7 of season, Jackson Arnold and the Sooners are already having to address this year's Red River Rivalry game. The 2024 edition will mark the 120th matchup between the schools, which Texas leads all time, but Oklahoma football won last year and in 17 of the last 25 matchups.
When Arnold talked about staying focused on the opponents at hand and not looking ahead, he stayed true to Oklahoma football's principles.
“For us, and for the team, it’s really just (about) focusing on the opponent at hand, and that's Houston right now. Obviously there's people who will talk about the OU-Texas game, the games you have later on. But as (coach Brent Venables) says, the next game is the most important game we have on the schedule. And for us, that's Houston this week. So for us, just locking in on film study, on practice and just locking into Houston is going to be a big key for us this game and moving forward, too. After Houston, we play Tulane, and then after that we play Tennessee, and it just keeps on going. And the next game you play keeps on being that most important game that you got.”
In his first year as a full-time starter, Arnold, a sophomore, had his way against the Temple Owls in Week 1. He passed for 141 yards and four touchdowns, three of which—all before halftime—went to Deion Burks, a transfer from Purdue.
The Sooners' defense was also impressive as well, collecting six sacks and nine tackles for loss during the team's 52-7 rout.
Jackson Arnold can't help but look ahead at Oklahoma football's 2024 schedule
Arnold is prepared though and has coveted the QB1 role all offseason.
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“That was the biggest thing for me this offseason, was going into a situation where I knew I was going to be the guy,” Arnold admitted. “I knew that all these coaches had faith in me to go out and perform. For me, just building that leadership and the toughness that it takes to be the quarterback at, not only a Power 4 school, but at the University of Oklahoma. Just having the offseason to really prepare myself for what I was walking into was huge for me to build chemistry with my coaches and my teammates.”
Oklahoma football faces so-so opponents at home in its next two games—the Houston Cougars and Tulane Green Wave—but it's their Week 4 game, not the rivalry game against Texas, that will grab the media's attention.
That matchup against No. 14 Tennessee football looks intense, as Nico Iamaleava is already talking lots of trash. After beating Chattanooga, he pulled no punches when asked about what he learned from the game.
“We learned to keep our foot on their throat,” Iamaleava said. “When we go up big, we’ve still got to come to the sideline with the same mindset that it’s 0-0.”
Other ranked opponents on the schedule are No. 3 Texas, at No. 6 Ole Miss, at No. 9 Missouri, No. 4 Alabama and at No. 18 LSU. Oklahoma football came into the season with the No. 2 ranked most difficult schedule in college football.
