A fantastic win for OU to end the season. Many pundits projected OU to lose this game and were taking some glee in the thought of another Big Game Bob bowl loss.
The Sooners gave a dominating second half performance, with a third quarter featuring two touchdowns for OU and only 20 yards of offense for Auburn.
The win sets up OU for a great offseason, including what is shaping up to be a great recruiting class, and some program momentum heading to spring ball. Finally, OU probably gets a top five finish in the polls and a top five preseason ranking in 2017.
Stoops, his assistants and the players did a great job recovering from the messy 1-2 start. With bad losses to Houston and Ohio State, it would have been easy to see this season so south badly. Instead, OU kept the momentum going following the 2015 College Football Playoff appearance.
The Great
Joe Mixon and Baker Mayfield
Hard to pick which one was really the player of the game. Mixon was the most talented player, while Mayfield executed at the higher level. No clearer example of this than the third-and-22 pickup, which changed the whole complexion of the game.
Mayfield will likely be the Heisman front runner and the best returning QB in college football next season.
Second half for the offensive line
The OL struggled with a legitimate top five defensive front in the first half, as any OL in college football would. In the second half, though, OU’s OL started to grind down the talented Auburn DL.
Considering the whole unit returns in 2017 along with early season starter Cody Ford, OU is in the best shape on its OL since 2008.
Linebackers
Playing a run-oriented offense, outside linebackers Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Caleb Kelly dominated the game. Obo was unblockable, harassing all three Auburn QBs. When he wasn’ t challenging the Auburn run game, Kelly was attacking the QB.
OU has to find a way to sub for Obo to keep him fresh and work to keep Caleb Kelly in the game all three downs, even when the defense goes into the nickel.
After a bad start to the year, Jordan Evans continued his improved play with an excellent Sugar Bowl.
Probably the best game from OU’s LBs since Tennessee last year.
Lincoln Riley’s first drive to start the second half
Riley’s play calling on that possession was just superb. OU sliced up the Tigers in a quick scoring drive like they were a “Big 12 defense.” The pace of play and variety of formations and motion left the Auburn defense flat-footed. With an eight point lead, the Sooners took over the game.
The Good
Mark Andrews and Jeffrey Mead
With Andrews healthy again, he made several huge catches that helped Sooner drives.
After two disappointing seasons, Mead is displaying the flypaper hands and skills he showed in high school. He had several move-the-chains catches.
Defense (after Auburn’s first drive)
OU’s defense did a great job in the first quarter of stopping the Auburn attack, giving the offense time to get untracked. If you told me that OU would hold Auburn and that rushing attack to 13 meaningful points, then I would have headed to Vegas with a grand in hand.
After a terrible start, OU’s defense played solid defense the second half of the season.
Ahmad Thomas’ hit
Sure, it ended up as a first down, but Thomas’ hit appeared to fire up the whole defense and set a tone for the rest of the game.
The Bad
Austin Siebert’s missed field
I really thought Seibert was going to be the Sooners’ most reliable kicker since Garrett Hartley.
The Ugly
Orlando Brown
Going to reverse this term this time. The way Brown was burying Auburn defenders into Superdome turf had to be ugly for Auburn fans.
Once again, thanks Butch Jones.
-Atlantasooner