FiveDimes recently released over/under regular season win totals for college football teams.
Here is an early-season look at the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12.
Over/Under
FiveDimes has Oklahoma at nine wins. Last year, the Sooners went 8-4 in the regular season. The line features a more favorable over for bettors at -110, while the under is at -130.
The upside
High expectations turned into a disappointing season last year for the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma went 5-4 in the Big 12 conference and were beat soundly 40-6 to Clemson in the bowl game. After defeating Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, last season was supposed to be the year of the Sooners with returning quarterback Trevor Knight.
Knight is back again, but he may not even start.
Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield is the likely starter for the Sooners and he’ll have plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Oklahoma returns running back Samaje Perine, who rushed for 1,713 yards during his freshman campaign.
The Sooners also will have a new play caller in former East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. He will have to implement a more consistent offense if the Sooners believe they can get through another rugged conference season.
Like all Big 12 teams, the Sooners will square off against each team in the league, with road games against Kansas State, Kansas, Baylor and Oklahoma State. Oklahoma also will to travel to Tennessee in non-conference action.
The good part of the 2015 season for the Sooners is that they should be heavily favored at home against Akron, Tulsa, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Iowa State, and on the road against Kansas.
In six of its 12 games, the Sooners should not only be favored, but own a double-digit spread.
The downside
The offensive line will have to replace four starters and although Riley will implement a spread attack likely similar to what the Sooners have utilized in the past, it may take awhile for the players to fully grasp the system.
Defensively, the Sooners weren’t very good last year, and there are holes on the defensive line to replace this year. In the pass-happy Big 12, getting pressure on the quarterback is as important as anything on defense.
With having to go over nine wins, there’s not much room for error for the Sooners. Oklahoma will likely be underdogs in only two games, at Baylor and at home against TCU. The two rivalry games, in Dallas against Texas and at Oklahoma State will likely feature the Sooners as favorites, but it won’t be by much.
Also, bettors should watch out for the second game of the season at Tennessee. Oklahoma should be more talented, but the Volunteers are looking to improve upon last year’s campaign, and should be better this year.
The verdict
Oklahoma will likely be favorites in the season’s first nine games and could enter the Nov. 14 match-up at Baylor undefeated. However, what happens in the year’s final three games will ultimately decide if bettors can win with the over.
The Sooners close out the season at Baylor, at home against TCU and then at Oklahoma State. With having to win nine games, Oklahoma can’t slip up, which is something it hasn’t done a good job of avoiding in recent years.
Talent is never a problem at Oklahoma and the players should be motivated from last year’s difficult season. There’s no room for error with the Sooners, but go ahead and take the over and hope Oklahoma can beat either TCU or Baylor, or just not trip up against any other opponent.
