The Oklahoma Sooners suffered a devastating loss to the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, 17-10. The Sooners' offense was a disaster in the game, racking up just 289 yards of total offense and going 3-of-13 on third down and 0-of-1 on fourth down.
Quarterback John Mateer struggled, completing 17-of-33 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The Wolverines took control early, taking a 10-0 lead before the Sooners roared back to tie it at 10 in the second half. A costly Mateer interception deep in Oklahoma territory set up Michigan's game-winning touchdown.
ESPN's Matt Barrie revealed that the loss changes the national perception of Oklahoma.
"That's a season-altering loss (Saturday) for Oklahoma," Barrie said on 'The Matt Barrie Show.'
"Because of the schedule that we noted in the preseason. We looked at that and pointed to Michigan and said, 'Okay, there's the swing game. There's the one that catapults the team into the national championship conversation.' ... Now you look at it, well, if that offense that showed up (Saturday) in the Big House is the one they are going to take to Athens, is the one they are going to take to Dallas, you're right (their season is over)."
The loss is particularly damaging because of what remains on Oklahoma's schedule. The Sooners still have massive matchups with the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns, two games that could determine whether they remain in the national championship and College Football Playoff conversation.
Barrie believes the biggest question is whether the offense that struggled in Ann Arbor is the version Oklahoma will bring into those games. That is the challenge facing Brent Venables and his staff now. Oklahoma's season is not over after one September loss, but the margin for error has narrowed considerably.
The Sooners still have opportunities to earn major wins, yet they will need a much more efficient offense to take advantage of them. If Saturday's performance becomes a pattern rather than an outlier, Barrie's warning about Oklahoma's season could prove prophetic.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: ESPN CFB Pundit believes OU's Week 2 loss was 'season-altering'
