Oklahoma football’s standout player drops reality check amid looming Texas game

Oklahoma football’s standout player drops reality check amid looming Texas game. Even though the Oklahoma Sooners won’t face the Texas Longhorns in Dallas until Week 7 of the season, Jackson Arnold and the team are already addressing this year’s Red River Rivalry game. This season marks the 120th meeting between the two schools, with Texas leading the all-time series. However, Oklahoma won last year and has triumphed in 17 of the last 25 matchups.

Arnold emphasized the importance of focusing on their current opponent, Houston, rather than looking ahead to Texas. He echoed Oklahoma’s focus on the immediate game, stating, “For us, and for the team, it’s really just (about) focusing on the opponent at hand, and that’s Houston right now. People will talk about the OU-Texas game and other future games, but as Coach Brent Venables says, the next game is the most important one. So for us, it’s all about preparing for Houston this week, then Tulane, and eventually Tennessee. Each game is crucial and the most important one at the time.”

In his first year as a full-time starter, Arnold performed well against Temple in Week 1, passing for 141 yards and four touchdowns, three of which went to Deion Burks before halftime. The Sooners’ defense also excelled, recording six sacks and nine tackles for loss in their 52-7 victory.

Jackson Arnold can’t help but look ahead to Oklahoma football’s 2024 schedule.

Arnold is well-prepared and has been focused on securing the QB1 role all offseason.

“That was the biggest thing for me this offseason, was going into a situation where I knew I was going to be the guy,” Arnold said. “I knew the coaches had faith in me to perform. Building leadership and toughness to be the quarterback at a Power 4 school, especially at the University of Oklahoma, was crucial. The offseason was key for me to build chemistry with my coaches and teammates and prepare for what was ahead.”

Oklahoma will face Houston and Tulane at home in their next two games, but the media’s focus will shift to their Week 4 matchup against No. 14 Tennessee. This game is expected to be intense, with Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava already making headlines with his comments after a win against Chattanooga.