Oklahoma football is reeling right now. The move to the SEC was always going to be replete with challenges, but fans had at least hoped for competent quarterback play. The Sooners' offense is reaching concerning lows in Saturday's home game against South Carolina.
Following a 21-0 deficit, which astonishingly occurred just five minutes in, head coach Brent Venables benched QB Michael Hawkins Jr. and went back to former five-star recruit Jackson Arnold, via Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports and 247 Sports. The freshman had three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble), two of which resulted in immediate touchdowns. Norman is in a state of disbelief.
Arnold is not faring much better, completing 5-of-13 passes for 56 yards at time of print, but he did help the team get on the board and has yet to commit a turnover. The Sooners trailed 32-3 at halftime. What is most disconcerting is that the defense is holding its own versus the Gamecocks, limiting quarterback LaNorris Sellers for much of the first half. The massive disparity in performance between the two units must quickly be fixed, otherwise a once proud new chapter of Oklahoma football will end as a complete disaster.
Oklahoma football is stuck in a tough spot
The offensive woes come during a year in which Dillon Gabriel is starting at QB for the undefeated Oregon Ducks, a squad that is vying for a national championship this season. The program believed that Arnold was the right man to lead it into the treacherous SEC, but it took less than a month for the team to essentially admit its costly miscalculation.
It must be noted that the Sooners' wide receiver room has been decimated by injuries this season, making it difficult to thoroughly assess the quarterback situation. Nevertheless, Venables must devise some sort of a plan to halt this avalanche of humiliation that is crashing down on Oklahoma's offense.
Whether it is Jackson Arnold or Michael Hawkins Jr., fans are desperate to see some productivity under center. The College Football Playoff has long faded from the list of reasonable expectations. The goal right now is to simply deliver a watchable product.