5 reasons Oklahoma makes the 2019 College Football Playoff

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: The Oklahoma Sooners are wait to run onto the field prior to the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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11 OCT 2014: ECU’s Head Coach Ruffin McNeill during the game between the East Carolina Pirates and the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images) /

4. Ruffin McNeill

While the offense was one of the best in the country last season, Oklahoma’s defense struggled mightily. The Sooners were ranked 67^th in total defense; 54^th in rushing defense and 87^th in pass defense. While the defense did enough to keep the team afloat, the offense was the biggest reason Oklahoma won 12 games in 2017. This showed in the Rose Bowl, as their rush defense was constantly gashed by Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops is returning, much to the fans’ dismay, but Riley is bringing in an old friend to help on that side of the ball. This summer, the team hired Ruffin McNeill to be the new defensive tackles coach and assistant head coach.

Riley and McNeill both had success under Mike Leach at Texas Tech in the mid-2000s as assistant coaches. When McNeill was hired to be East Carolina’s head coach in 2010, he brought Riley with him as his offensive coordinator before he was hired at OU. At both schools, McNeill turned the defenses around.

The hope is that McNeill can do the same at Oklahoma. While the talent has certainly dipped this year in the Big 12 from last year, a solid defense is needed in order to slow down the conference’s high-powered offenses. Young talent from last year such as junior linebacker Kenneth Murray and junior corner Parnell Motley are returning as well.

If this defense can improve with McNeill, the Sooners will be a better team and certainly be capable of making another run at the College Football Playoff.

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