The Oklahoma Sooners roll into Athens Saturday afternoon for their first of nine SEC games this season, but this Week 4 matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs looks like a whole different beast. OU started strong with a 51-0 beatdown of UTEP, then stumbled with a 17-10 loss to Michigan and a tight 14-6 win over New Mexico. Head coach Brent Venables is trying to get things turned around this year, but he is running straight into a Georgia squad that is 3-0 and has absolutely dominated every opponent so far.
Kirby Smart’s Dawgs Are Still the Gold Standard
Let’s be real, Kirby Smart is the best of the best in the SEC, and he is the league’s longest-tenured head coach, now in Year 11. The man has two national championships in 2021 and 2022 and four SEC titles under his belt. In his first ten seasons, the Bulldogs missed the SEC Championship Game only twice and he has made five playoff appearances. He is the league’s gold standard for a reason. Last year, Georgia went 12-2, grabbing their second straight SEC championship by beating Alabama, but they went one-and-done in the College Football Playoff for the second straight year, losing a thriller in the Sugar Bowl to Ole Miss. Smart knows those consecutive Sugar Bowl losses won’t cut it, and his team is clearly on a mission in 2026. They have demolished Tennessee State 63-3, crushed Western Kentucky 70-20, and rolled over Arkansas 45-17. This Week 4 game against Oklahoma marks their first real test of the year, and they are ready to prove they still rule the SEC.
The Georgia Ground Attack Is On Fire
Georgia’s offense is cooking, led by offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who has been calling plays since 2023. His unit has been on fire to begin the season, and it is built around a punishing run game. Starting quarterback Gunner Stockton is in his second year as a full-time starter, and he has been incredibly efficient when he throws the ball. Here is the wild part: the Dawgs have barely thrown it! Stockton has only attempted 45 passes in three games this year. For the fourth straight week, Venables’ defense is up against an offense that wants to run the ball first, and run it often. Leading rusher Nate Frazier’s status is up in the air for Saturday’s game; he was listed as questionable. If he plays, he is the focal point. If not, Chauncey Bowens and Nick Peal will carry the load. Stockton himself is the team’s second-leading rusher, and his scrambling ability will force OU’s defense to stay honest. When they do pass, tight end Lawson Luckie is a matchup nightmare, and wide receivers Craig Dandridge, Sacovie White-Helton, and Jeremy Bell are big-play threats. But make no mistake, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s Sooners defense will first have to contend with Georgia’s excellent offensive line trying to move them up front.
This Saturday is Georgia’s first real test of the year, a chance for them to prove again that they still rule the SEC. On the other side, Brent Venables and his OU defense are about to get a serious gut check. Can they slow down a run-first machine, or is Kirby Smart’s squad just too much right now?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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