The unranked Oklahoma Sooners have a tall task in front of them on Saturday, as they'll hit the road to take on the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. An uninspiring win over New Mexico last week was not what Sooner Nation needed in order to feel good heading into a matchup with the Dawgs, and OU's season is in a perilous spot, due to their poor offense.
Head coach Brent Venables and the Sooners aren't overly healthy coming into this game, and there are some players that are going to have to really step up if Oklahoma is going to pull off the upset. The SEC gauntlet begins this week, and while OU has to find an offense in a hurry, it'll take everything this team has to get the road win on Saturday.
Here are 4 players to watch for Oklahoma in Week
4.
1. E'Marion Harris, OL
OU's offensive line has not been good this year, and perhaps the weakest link might be starting right tackle E'Marion Harris. With players being reshuffled across the Oklahoma front due to injuries, he's been healthy but mostly ineffective through three games.
With Michael Fasusi out for this game, that means Ryan Fodje will still have to start at left tackle. Eddy Pierre-Louis will line up next to him, with Jake Maikkula in the middle. Noah Best is likely to remain the starter at right guard, but with Fodje having to play on the left, that means at least another week of Harris on the right. He'll need a whale of a performance against the Bulldogs if Oklahoma wants offensive success.
2. Owen Heinecke, LB
In the win over New Mexico last week, one of the many defensive stars of the game was starting linebacker Owen Heinecke. He played every snap and was a warrior for the Sooners. While Heinecke wasn't perfect, he played in multiple spots and without his running mate, Kip Lewis. The Sooners were down to Heinecke and James Nesta at inside linebacker against the Lobos, as Cole Sullivan was also out, and Sullivan won't play this week either.
Lewis might be back for this week's game, but Heinecke is still the guy to watch for. He calls the defense for the Sooners, and if Lewis isn't able to play, Heinecke will likely have to play just about every down again in a game that will probably see the defense needing to play perfect football. With an inexperienced linebacker room around him, Heinecke will need to turn in another great day on Saturday, especially if Lewis can't go.
3. Bishop Thomas, DL
Defensive tackle Bishop Thomas will be in line for a larger role this week, especially if David Stone cannot go due to his injury. In that situation, Thomas could start at one of the defensive tackle spots, and even if not, he'll still be a player to watch.
Thomas didn't garner many headlines this offseason, but he's already flashed a couple of impressive plays this season. If Stone can't play, it'll take a village for OU's other defensive tackles next to Jayden Jackson. That includes Thomas, Trent Wilson, Nigel Smith II, James Carrington, Danny Saili, and Braxton Fely.
4. Peyton Bowen, DB
Oklahoma will not have starting free safety Michael Boganowski again this week, meaning Omarion Robinson will likely make his second career start on Saturday. However, starting strong safety Peyton Bowen is the player to watch in the OU secondary, as they can't afford any coverage mistakes against the Bulldogs, especially with the way the offense is playing.
Bowen will be leading a very young safety group that will include the likes of Robinson, Niko Jandreau and Markel Ford this week, and the veteran star will have a lot of responsibility on his plate against a very good offense. Bowen came very close to multiple interceptions against New Mexico, and if he can grab one at a crucial time against Georgia, it could swing the game in Oklahoma's favor.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: 4 Oklahoma Sooners to watch against the Georgia Bulldogs
