OU head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle spoke to the media Tuesday following a dominant 51-0 victory over UTEP Friday night.
The No. 10 Sooners (1-0) will square off against No. 16 Michigan (1-0) next at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Michigan Stadium on FOX.
Here are key takeaways:
OFFENSIVE LINE LOOKS TO GET HEALTHY
As OU looks to continue to find stability on the offensive line a shuffling group looks to take shape in week two and beyond.
After freshman Noah Best got the start at center following injuries to sophomore Ryan Fodje and senior Jake Maikkula, Arbuckle spoke on what it would mean to have two starters back in the fold.
"You can't put a value on you know what Jake Maikkula means to this football team," Arbuckle said. "Just the person that he is, the teammate that he is, and you know the player that he is (Maikkula) is awesome."
As for Fodje, Arbuckle spoke to his versatility and ability to play anywhere across the offensive line as something the Sooners are excited to have back.
"The kind of athlete that he is, just being able to flip from one side to the other, and you know, almost seamlessly make the transition there, just from a physical and athletic standpoint," Arbuckle said. "I think the challenges that come with that…I think Ryan has handled them beautifully."
As Maikkula and Fodje return to full health the Sooners will continue to lean on Best and senior Caleb Nitta as backups.
SULLIVAN PREPARES FOR MICHIGAN
One of the stories of the week going into OU's highly anticipated matchup against Michigan has been former Wolverine linebacker Cole Sullivan going back to the place he started his career.
The junior accumulated 48 tackles in the maize and blue and transferred to OU in the offseason. Head coach Brent Venables spoke highly of Sullivan as he gets ready to face off against his former team.
"The more he plays the better he gets," Venables said. “He's still a young guy, so he's going to be a pivotal piece to what we're doing and our success here.”
Though Sullivan and the defense helped pitch a shutout in the 51-0 victory, Venables still believes the group will have better days ahead.
"Their hair was on fire; we just didn't play with the cleanliness and discipline that you have to play with," Venables said. "We were overly anxious and had a great, great effort. (We) just (have) to play a little cleaner."
The defense will get more depth this week following the additions of multiple players who won temporary restraining orders from the NCAA to suit up in Sooner uniforms.
Senior defensive lineman Braxton Fely and Danny Saili headline the group and will look to fit in right away.
"These are experienced guys that played a ton of football, and between their positions that they play and special teams, we feel like they'll be able to bring us experience (and) depth," Venables said.
MICHIGAN WEEK
For the first time in program history, OU will travel to the "Big House" to play Michigan, a rematch of a 24-13 Sooner win a year ago.
As OU retained a majority of their staff in the offseason, Michigan had a complete overhaul of theirs, hiring former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to lead the Wolverines.
Venables likened Michigan's new coaches to a "championship pedigree staff", stating that the new additions were positives for the maize and blue.
"I loved watching those guys play for all those years in Utah," Venables said. "The physicality, assuredness, the passion, the energy you can see, they have a great culture.
Venables also had high praise for second year quarterback Bryce Underwood who just a year ago, was held to nine completions in his game against the Sooners.
"(Bryce is) one of the most talented players at any position in all of college football," Venables said. "All of his best days are still in front of him."
