It’s an exciting time to be a college football fan, and one fan base that is excited for the season is Oklahoma football fans. The Sooners have a lot of hype coming into the 2024 season. We're almost there. Another long college football offseason is almost over as the calendar now reads August, and the first games will begin on the 24th. College football fans everywhere are eager for the new beginning. College football fever is rampant across the country as we get closer to the season, but this offseason was a bit easier than others because of the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game that just came out in mid July.
This college football season is a big one, and it's going to look a lot different than past years. The sport is going through some major changes, and some of those changes are going to be seen for the first time during the 2024 season. Let’s take a look at what some of the most notable ones are.
First off, there are going to be some rules changes this year in college football, and some fans aren’t going to like them. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the two-minute warning, like in the NFL. If you are like most college football fans, you're getting sick of the amount of commercials that we see during games. Well, the two-minute warning is just another way for TV Networks to pack another break into the action.
There are more changes, however, and these are ones that more fans in favor of, but some still don't like them. College football is going to look completely different next year because of expansion to the College Football Playoff to 12 teams and conference realignment. California schools playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yeah, things are changing.
Conference realignment has made things look a lot different. The power five is no longer a thing as the Pac-12 is essentially dead. Every team left for a new conference except for Oregon State and Washington State. Those two teams have scheduling alliances with the Mountain West, but they aren't actually in the conference.
Every other Pac-12 school found a new home. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State are now in the Big 12. Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. Lastly, Cal and Stanford joined the ACC (makes a ton of sense, right?).
The other big change with conferences comes in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 and they will join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC are loaded with good teams, and some think that things could be heading in the direction of two super conferences.
This season, we will also see 12 teams make the College Football Playoff instead of just four. For about a month, the College Football Playoff will be happening. Some people aren’t in favor of the big expansion, but there will be more marquee college football games, and it’s hard to be too upset about that.
All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest college football seasons of all time. The game is changing, and this is the start of a new era.
Oklahoma football has a steep climb ahead in the SEC
All eyes will be on Oklahoma football this season as they are one of the strongest programs that is making a move to a new conference. The Sooners are joining rival Texas in the SEC as both programs are moving on from the Big 12. However, the Longhorns are getting a lot more attention about their move than Oklahoma is. Both teams had good years in the Big 12 last year, and the Sooners actually won the matchup between the two, but it is Texas that is expected to have a big 2024 campaign in the SEC.
After Oklahoma beat Texas last year, it looked like the Sooners were going to coast to the Big 12 title game and likely have a rematch with the Longhorns with a College Football Playoff spot on the line. Their toughest games were behind them, and they were undefeated. However, the Sooners stumbled twice in games that they were expected to win, and they finished the regular season 10-2, missing the Big 12 title game.
Oklahoma football went on to lose in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona to end the season, and they finished with a 10-3 overall record. The season had a ton of promise after that win against Texas, but the Sooners kind of fell apart to close the year, and now they don't have a ton of momentum heading into this crucial first year in the SEC.
One thing is for certain: If Oklahoma football wants to succeed during year one in the SEC, they are going to need some newcomers to step up and pick up the slack that is left from 2023 departures. There will be new starters that were on the team in backup roles, but there will also be experienced transfer portal additions that can come in and make a big impact from day one. Here is the transfer that will have the biggest impact for the Sooners this year:
Damonic Williams, DL, TCU
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One thing that you hear a lot about in college football is the “Big 12 defense.” Teams in the Big 12 are known for having explosive offenses, and those conference games are often shootouts. However, the Big 12 defenses are not taken very seriously. Oklahoma has had a lot of good teams in the past, but when they have made it to the College Football Playoff, their defense has been exposed by SEC teams like Georgia and LSU, and they have given up a ton of points, and lost games. That isn't going to fly in the SEC, and Damonic Williams is a player that will help make their defense stronger.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Damonic Williams is transferring from TCU, another Big 12 team. However, Williams has had a good career with the Horned Frogs. There are still a lot of talented defensive players in the conference, but a lot of times, there aren't enough on the same team to actually form a good defense. Damonic Williams is joining some good talent with the Sooners, and he should be able to make a big impact.
Damonic Williams has racked up 60 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble during his two year college career. He showed a lot of improvement from year one to two, and Oklahoma football fans are hoping that he takes another leap this season.
The Sooners have 16 transfers that came over in the offseason, and Damonic Williams is one that fans should be excited about.
