Oklahoma football: 5 bold predictions for 2020

Oklahoma football bold prediction No. 2: Light coming on for Rattler will be the major turning point

We’ve already talked about Rattler as a talented young player and what he can accomplish. From what we’ve seen from Riley, there is no better place for a quarterback to be than in Norman. His offense sets players at the position up for inherent success, especially if they have the tools that a player like Rattler does. Thus, there is good reason to set the bar high for Rattler.

At the end of the day, though, Ratter is a true sophomore quarterback who has seen action in three games in his college football career, never taking a truly meaningful snap. Getting thrown into the fire, especially with this particular offseason when spring practice and workouts were either shortened or canceled, means that there are going to be some growing pains.

Subsequently, it stands to reason that we are going to see Rattler and the OU offense have some moments early in the season where they look lesser than they have over the past three years. They can survive that. What’s critical, though, is that the light should eventually come on for the young quarterback. And when that happens, look out.

Even if the defensive improvement under Alex Grinch continues, Oklahoma’s success still hinges upon their offense and what that unit is capable of which, in turn, hinges upon the play of the young quarterback. So when things start clicking for Rattler, we’ll start to see the true ceiling of the Sooners this season.