Oklahoma Ready to Finish Strong and ‘Prove Everybody Wrong’ in Cheez-It Bowl

NORMAN – The 2022 season has been an arduous and difficult one for Oklahoma.

The Sooners, who enter each season with a minimum of convention title aspirations, had been largely anticipated to be contenders as soon as once more regardless of all of the turnover from a 12 months in the past beneath first-year head coach Brent Venables.

However, after a 3-0 begin, issues started to slide away as Oklahoma stumbled into three straight losses and an eventual 6-6 end to the common season – their worst mark in over 20 years.

Now, all that continues to be is the postseason and the Cheez-It Bowl towards No. 13 Florida State on Thursday in Orlando, FL – one final probability to attempt to finish the 12 months on a excessive observe.

The Sooners definitely acknowledge that actuality, and are decided to shut 2022 the correct approach.

“We’ve been attacking observe each day,” working again Jovantae Barnes stated. “Even once we didn’t know who we had been taking part in, we had been getting in and ensuring we had been watching movie. We knew we needed to step up. Taking issues in our personal arms and ensuring we might step up with out coaches. That was one of many largest issues we did. We had our personal conferences. That was a giant accomplishment to do all that with out the coaches.”

A part of what makes that simpler, in a way, is the quantity of contemporary faces who’re getting thrust into bigger roles and thus see this as their alternative to make an impression.

Working again Eric Grey, offensive linemen Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris and defensive sort out Jalen Redmond have all chosen to forgo the sport and start preparation for the NFL Draft, which means that the remaining gamers should step as much as fill the void left by the important thing guys lacking.

Whereas OU will surely reasonably have these vital items, transferring ahead with out them helps drive residence a giant promoting level on the sport: the bowl sport is each bit as a lot a leap on subsequent season as it’s a closing on this one.

“Bowl season is a season of it’s personal,” defensive finish Reggie Grimes stated. “Not solely are you getting again to fundamentals, however your roster is a bit bit totally different. You’ve obtained guys opting out, you’ve obtained guys gone who had been contributors, so your roster’s a bit bit totally different. However on the similar time, it provides different guys alternatives to shine and that’s the principle factor. I obtained my first significant begin within the Alamo Bowl final 12 months. So once more, bowl season is a season of its personal, it’s a time to essentially mirror and understand what you’ve obtained coming again, what you’ve misplaced, stuff like that.”

Matching up with the No. 13-ranked and nine-win Seminoles has most anticipating Oklahoma to undergo one other loss to shut out the season.

That is one thing not misplaced on the workforce as they appear to springboard their approach into the offseason and end issues on a optimistic observe for those taking part in their remaining sport in an OU uniform.

“It’ll set us up nice for Workforce 129,” defensive finish Ethan Downs stated. “We’re not trying too far forward, although. Now we have to manage at the moment and what we will do at the moment. Our final aim is to win that sport and to show everyone mistaken. To present motivation and inspiration to Sooner followers and other people all all over the world that depend out any individual who’s gone via the tough of it. Overcome adversity each time everybody has wager towards them. And persevered and actually been at their finest once they wanted to. 

“That’s what it means for us, greater than only a win. Extra than simply being 7-6 as a result of it appears to be like so much higher than 6-7. However, actually assembly considered one of our workforce objectives: Win the final one and exit with a bang. Making it occur for the seniors which might be right here.”

For a program like Oklahoma, the underdog function isn’t one which will get to return up usually, given the Sooners’ dominance within the Massive 12 and standing as a perennial powerhouse over the historical past of this system.

However, being doubted is exactly what is occurring nationally heading into the matchup, with Florida State presently sitting as a strong 9-point favourite.

For OU, although, that simply makes it even simpler to return to work every day able to make a press release.

“We like it (being doubted),” Downs stated. “We’re feeding off of it. Not that we wanted any gasoline to develop our hearth. However it undoubtedly contributed to how onerous we’re working. We’ve obtained one thing to show. Acquired one thing to show to lots of people, and we’re fired as much as do it.”

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