Oklahoma-Texas Tech GameDay: X-Factors

John Hoover: Dillon Gabriel and the climate

Dillon Gabriel grew up in Hawaii and performed three seasons in Florida. The very fact is he’s struggled in ugly climate this yr — wind, rain, chilly — and it’s virtually sure to be nasty on Saturday in Lubbock. In his earlier two-plus seasons at Central Florida, Gabriel performed in unhealthy climate solely as soon as: 39 levels, damp and windy in a 38-23 November loss at Tulsa. (He accomplished 23-of-38 passes for 290 yards with a landing, but in addition threw two interceptions.) Gabriel struggled within the wind in opposition to Baylor, within the rain at West Virginia and within the chilly in opposition to Oklahoma State. Gabriel might want to overcome the climate. He’ll should be cautious with the soccer (Texas Tech ranks 93rd within the nation with simply 13 takeaways). He’ll should be correct when he throws. Most of all, he’ll want to maneuver the chains — not like final week — and produce factors.

Ryan Chapman: Drained legs

For 3 straight weeks, the Sooners have misplaced the time of possession battle in lopsided style. Oklahoma’s protection isn’t overflowing with depth, particularly at linebacker, and that unit is recent off defending 102 performs final week in opposition to Oklahoma State. The Pink Raider offense needs to maneuver shortly and run up the snap whole once more on Saturday, and so the offense might want to do a greater job of holding onto the soccer to assist maintain the protection recent to proceed to construct on the optimistic momentum from the previous two weeks and end the season sturdy.

Josh Callaway: The group

Texas Tech followers are loopy. That has been nicely established. However, with 4 new groups getting into the Large 12 subsequent yr, it isn’t a on condition that Oklahoma ever returns to Lubbock after this sport. Combine that in with the truth that that is the ultimate residence sport of the season — and there’s purpose to imagine that Lubbock may very well be on hearth even by their requirements. This season, the Sooners have finished pretty nicely dealing with robust highway environments. This one shall be proper there towards the highest by way of problem, with the majority of the roster having by no means skilled a sport at Jones AT&T Stadium. The Sooners are in all probability the higher staff on paper, however the crowd and atmosphere may function the equalizer. It’s going to be as much as Dillon Gabriel and the OU offense to discover a method to work via numerous noise and for the Sooners protection to attempt to maintain the Tech followers out of the sport as a lot as doable on Saturday.

Ross Lovelace: 4-quarter soccer

The Sooners have desperately struggled to play full video games this season. Final week was a main instance, as Oklahoma clung to what was as soon as a 28-0 lead, in a sport the place the offense didn’t rating some extent outdoors of the primary quarter. Saturday goes to be an enormous take a look at for each Jeff Lebby and Dillon Gabriel, because the pair has struggled to generate lengthy, profitable drives. The three-and-outs and inconsistent tempo has killed the momentum on a number of events. Placing collectively lengthy drives that finish in factors will lead to an entire sport, and that’s precisely what Oklahoma will want on the highway in Lubbock.