College Football Preview With Tulsa Podcaster Amy Siegfried

Every month, we talk with Tulsa podcaster and speaker Amy Siegfried about big sporting events that are going on.

She joined the News On 6 at 9 on Tuesday to talk about her recent trip to Japan and the upcoming football season for the Sooners, Cowboys and Golden Hurricane.

A Look Back At 2022 For Oklahoma Football

The Sooners finished with a record of 6-7 last year under first-year head coach Brent Venables, which placed them seventh in their conference. The biggest change on the field from 2021 to this prior season was the defense being much less effective than it was prior. In 2021, the Sooners were an average defense with a rushing defense that was ranked fourth in the conference. In 2022, the rushing defense dropped to eighth, and the Sooners also had the conference’s worst passing defense. Their dip to a bottom-tier defense couldn’t make up for an offense that was still able to maintain its effectiveness. While their offense did have a bit of a drop-off, their passing average per game dropped from second in 2021 to sixth in 2022. It was still overall a positive and not as steep of a decline that the departure of Lincoln Riley could have led to. 

Oklahoma Sooners Offensive Preview

Dillion Gabriel will continue to be the starting quarterback for this Sooner squad his senior year, while his likely replacement in 2024, Jackson Arnold, will be getting action when needed. Returning wide receivers Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops will have another receiver added to their core in Michigan transfer Andel Anthony, who should get a bigger role with the Sooners. The transfer portal was useful in aiding the offensive line, with Stanford and Miami transfers Walter Rouse and Caleb Shaffer. 

Oklahoma Sooners Defensive Preview

If the Sooners do improve this season, a lot of it will have to come from the defensive side of the ball. Linebacker Danny Stutsman will continue to be a key part of the defense coming into his junior year, and with the departures of fellow linebackers David Ugwoegbu to the University of Houston and DaShaun White to the NFL's Buffalo Bills, there will be opportunities. Transfer Dasan McCullough from Indiana University and junior Shane Whitter will likely get an opportunity to make an impact. For the Sooners tackles, Notre Dame transfer Jacob Lacey will get an opportunity with returning players Ethan Downs and Reggie Grimes to show out. 

With the amount of incoming transfers, Venables seems to understand the importance of making sure all players, new and returning, are on the same page in turning the program around. He told News 9, “The key to our success is to take all these newcomers and [see] how quickly we can get them all to buy in.” 

A Look Back At 2022 For Oklahoma State Football

The Cowboys trotted out to a strong 6-1 record to begin last season, even rising to seventh in the AP national poll, but their season seemed to corrode rather quickly during its second half. The team went 1-5 in their final 6 games, leading to a 7-6 season record, good for fifth in the conference. But what’s done is done, and after a summer that saw heavy transfer portal activity for the Cowboys, there is a lot to be seen with this year’s roster. The offense, ranked eighth in the conference, needs to improve with new additions coming in. The fact that the offense couldn’t hold up for the entire season should be a summer focus for the Cowboys. 

Oklahoma State Cowboys Offensive Preview

The biggest change offensively for the Cowboys will be the departure of Spencer Sanders to Ole Miss, with his likely replacement Alan Bowman, a transfer from Michigan, coming in with big shoes to fill. It’ll be interesting to see how Bowman will fit into the starting spot while playing in only five games in his previous two seasons at Michigan. Bowman will not be rushing nearly as much as Sanders was as a Cowboy, which is a shift head coach Mike Gundy will have to orient his offense around. The Cowboys can bank on their passing offense, ranked second in the conference last season, as a bright spot that they can fall back on. The return of top receiving yard man Brennan Presley is an integral piece, and players like Cale Cabbiness and Rashod Owens, as well as Washington State transfer De’Zhaun Stribling, will try to keep this receiving end as one of the best in the Big 12.

Oklahoma State Cowboys Defensive Preview

The defense overall was average last season for the Cowboys, but the roster shift is going to mean that unproven players will have to step up. The biggest blow to the defense is linebacker Mason Cobb transferring to USC. Xavier Benson and Colin Oliver will be key returners, while senior Tulsa transfer Justin Wright will be able to aid on the line with 101 total tackles last year. Kendal Daniels will be given plenty of opportunities to improve after a breakout freshman campaign as he heads into his sophomore season. Defensive back Korie Black will be a needed veteran presence as younger players like Lyrik Rawls will get increased opportunities.