NORMAN — This week really is all about one thing for Oklahoma: staying healthy.

Oklahoma should obliterate Maine on the scoreboard Saturday, and neither the team nor Sooner Nation should read too much into OU’s margin of victory.

Mired in a ragged season, OU’s motivation might not seem very high for stepping out of Southeastern Conference play. 

That’s not the case, said linebacker Dasan McCullough.

“This team, we’re just wild dogs ready to go bite at this point,” McCullough said. “We’re just ready to play, ready to against whoever, whenever.” 

As a program playing in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), the Black Bears are limited to 63 athletic scholarships (there are 112 players on the roster). And while 100 percent of the players who received scholarships are good football players, only one of them was offered by an SEC school (DB Jayden Curry was courted by Texas A&M before beginning his career at South Florida and then transferring to Maine). The disparity in athletic talent is, strictly speaking, unfair.

(A caveat: Historically, Maine has four wins against FBS opponents, beating UMass in 2021, Western Kentucky in 2018, UMass in 2013 and Mississippi State — yes, of the SEC — in 2004.)

This Maine squad comes in 4-4 — that’s double the Bears’ win total from each of the last two seasons — with some impressive wins over FCS No. 5-ranked Villanova (35-7) and No. 21 Albany (34-20). But they’ve also suffered four double-digit defeats.

“I’ve got respect for them,” said OU cornerback Dez Malone. “I think we all should. That’s the last thing you want to do is kind of fall asleep on an opponent. This still is the game of football.”

The Black Bears do have 20 graduate students and six seniors on their two-deep, which seems to cause concern on Brent Venables’ part. They also have four FBS transfers — two of whom are backups, two of whom don’t appear on the two-deep.

“What does that mean? They’ve got a lot of experience,” Venables said. “Nobody cares. We’re focused on Oklahoma like we always have been.”

The Black Bears’ depth chart does show some capable bodies. Maine’s defensive line averages 273 pounds per man, and the offensive line averages 307. All eight defensive backs are 5-11 or taller (six are listed above 6 feet). 

But this will be a mismatch.

Once the Sooners establish that a comfortable victory is secure — start of the third quarter, perhaps, or maybe a couple possessions after halftime — it’s time to dump the bench.

“Big opportunity,” said linebacker Kip Lewis. “Big chance to get momentum for this next stretch, this next run. And so we gotta come out here and capitalize on it.”

Expect significant snaps for QB Michael Hawkins, and maybe even Casey Thompson could finally see his first action in Crimson and Cream. Jaquaize Pettaway, Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney, Ivan Carreon and Jacob Jordan should all have a breakout day catching the football. OU should get its first 100-yard rusher of the season, and then should expect another — maybe Sam Franklin. 

And most importantly, Isaiah Autry-Dent, Eddy Pierre-Louis, Eugene Brooks and Josh Aisosa should expect to play significant snaps on the offensive line. For that matter, if Daniel Akinkunmi is healthy enough to play and in shape enough to hold up, this would be a great time to unleash him into the world of American football.

This is when Bill Bedenbaugh finds out if those freshman can play, and that’s big because the offensive line in its current iteration isn’t good enough to push the Sooners across the finish line and into a bowl game. Bedenbaugh needs to start thinking about the future, and that starts Saturday.

OU needs to make a bowl not to keep alive its 24-year bowl streak, but to be able to schedule up to 15 more practices, where those young players can get frontline reps and really start to show improvement for 2025 and beyond.

“It’s actually pretty important because, win this (and) we’re one more closer to getting to a bowl game,” said defensive end R Mason Thomas. “I know that’s huge because we have a bowl streak going back a long time. We’re not trying to look forward, but we know we have to win to make a bowl.”

“We’re going to keep fighting until the season’s over with,” said wideout J.J. Hester. “That’s what Coach V emphasizes, and we’re just going to keep going.”

Oklahoma started the season with high hopes but now begins the final third of 2024 with a 4-4 record and, at 1-4 in league play with a daunting finishing stretch of Missouri, Alabama and LSU, is in danger of finishing at the bottom of the SEC standings.

“What’s in the past is in the past,” Thomas said. “We’ve got to move on and if we’re going to let last week and the week before or the weeks before that define what we can do this week, then we might as well forfeit all the rest of the games.”

On the ballot Tuesday: a zoning proposition in Craig County proposed by a group trying to stop a large wind farm from putting up windmills close to homes.

Craig County is one of several in Oklahoma where wind farm proposals are emerging. Companies already have power mills set up in at least eight counties, mostly in western Oklahoma. News On 6 has found they are either being proposed or are in development in at least ten other counties, moving toward the eastern side of the state.

The Oklahoma Wind Energy Development Act requires wind farms to keep turbines one and a half miles away from public airports, public schools, and hospitals, but there is no state requirement for residential homes.

Craig County Residents Concerned

News On 6 spoke to one couple who is concerned for their home and their neighbors after being approached by Triple Oak Energy, the company behind the Cabin Creek Wind Farm.

Making your way down Highway 10 through Craig County, it’s not hard to imagine how some landowners feel about wind farms.

Natalie Bullard and her husband Ben live near Bluejacket and were approached by Triple Oak Power about placing wind turbines on their property about a year ago.

“My wife asked me a really important question. She said, ‘Well, if it wasn’t for the money, would you do it?’ And I know enough about the wind industry that my answer was no.”

The couple is now part of a group called the “Craig County Concerned Citizens.” The group is backing a zoning proposition on the ballot Tuesday that would allow the county to create zoning rules for unincorporated areas. Supporters of the proposal believe zoning is the best option to keep the more than 600-foot-tall turbines away from people’s homes.

“This has been going on for about a year, and zoning wasn’t our first option,” Ben said. “It was probably about option D. We went with road use agreements. We looked at moratoriums and different things, but we were trying to find the most legal aspect we could to provide healthy and safe setbacks from industrial wind or just industrial energy development period.”

Many in the area are concerned about the erosion of property rights.

Craig County District Attorney Matt Ballard sent us this statement about the zoning proposition:

“The proposition isn’t about wind turbines. It is about zoning throughout the county. Zoning gives the county the ability to govern the appropriate use of property.”

The couple says they understand the concerns.

“We are all for property rights,” said Natalie. “We own land. We want to protect those property rights. I don’t want to tell my neighbor what to do, but at the same point in time, I have an interest in telling a foreign-owned company that they should be held to a higher standard of regulations and setbacks for our community’s health, safety, and welfare, and I think that’s really important.”

Triple Oak Power Response

News On 6 reached out to Triple Oak Power about the proposed wind farm—called Cabin Creek Wind. They sent the following statement:

“Triple Oak Power is committed to responsible wind development and being a good community partner for years to come. We are excited about helping to drive economic opportunity in Craig County by creating new jobs, tax revenue for local schools and county services, and improved infrastructure.

“Craig County voters will have a choice on Tuesday to place limitations on property rights through zoning or leave things as is, protecting landowner rights to use their land. This referendum could result in significant costs for the county and add bureaucracy and red tape for residents who want to make improvements to their land.

“Whatever the results of this referendum, Triple Oak will continue to work with county leaders on important issues such as setbacks and any health and safety concerns of our Cabin Creek wind project.”

What’s Next

The zoning change that would make it harder for wind farms to build next to homes is now up to Craig County voters. Election Day is Tuesday.

The Arizona State at Oklahoma State Big 12 football game got a TV upgrade.

Originally scheduled to air on FS1, Saturday’s game in Stillwater will now be televised on FOX.

If the Yankees hadn’t blown a 5-0 lead in Game 5 of the World Series, Game 6 would be airing on FOX on Saturday. Instead, Sun Devils and Cowboys fans will get the benefit of the wider reach of a major network.

Arizona State (5-2, 2-2) is coming off a bye week and enters the game as 3.5-point favorites. Oklahoma State (3-5, 0-5) is trying to get back on track after losing five consecutive games.

ASU running back Cam Skattebo, who has rushed for 848 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games, could be in line for a big game vs. an OSU run defense that is dead last in the Big 12 – and second-to-last in all of Division I-A college football.

“He very well could be the best back we’ve played,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. said “He’s a good back. They feed off him. So if you want to slow them down, in my opinion, you better tackle him.”

The Cowboys are giving up 251 rushing yards per game and are coming off a 38-28 loss to Baylor where they missed 21 tackles and allowed a staggering 343 yards on the ground.

Here are the updated details on how to watch and follow Arizona State at Oklahoma State on Saturday:

Arizona State at Oklahoma State TV Channel, Live Stream, Betting Odds

Who: Arizona State (5-2, 2-2) at Oklahoma State (3-5, 0-5) in a Big 12 football game

When: 4 p.m. MST/6 p.m. CT | Saturday, November 2

Where: Boone Pickens Stadium | Stillwater, Oklahoma

Live Stream: Stream Arizona State-Oklahoma State live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

TV Channel: FOX

Our Prediction: Arizona State 34, Oklahoma State 30

Betting Odds: Arizona State is favored by 3.5 points per FanDuel Sportsbook

Live Updates, Highlights: Follow the game on Arizona State On SI for live updates and big-play highlights throughout Saturday’s matchup

More Big 12 News & Analysis