Week 2: Cincinnati at Oklahoma

The Sooners take a big step up in competition.

The Bearcats see this as a potentially big step in their development as a program.

Perhaps the best matchup of an uninspiring weekend lineup, this game could prove tricky for the three-touchdown favorite Sooners.

The Bearcats are strong on both lines and in the secondary, offsetting two major OU strengths. And with 10 players being scouted by the NFL, Cincy may be one of the nation’s most underrated squads.

This team is not much different from the one that claimed 10 wins and a No. 17 final ranking a year ago, with the exception of quarterback, where Dustin Grutza has replaced Ben Mauk. And Grutza was sharp in the Bearcats opening win.

The Sooners ran into little resistance in their opener, a 57-2 rout of Chattanooga. So answers to questions about their inexperienced back seven on defense won’t come until Saturday.

They did debut a new no-huddle offense. And it went smoothly, with quarterback Sam Bradford directing touchdown drives on six straight possessions to open the game.

The Bearcats have OU’s attention, with the game carrying a feel reminiscent of last year, when Miami came to Norman after an easy Sooner opener.

The Sooners won that one in a rout.

No one close to the program expects a repeat.

Bearcats coach Brian Kelly says his team can’t afford one, calling this venture into Norman “critical.”

“Critical for our program, in terms of where we want to go,” Kelly said. “This is a huge measuring stick for our program, relative to where we stand in the progression towards a Big East championship.

“Certainly, we can’t go to Norman, Oklahoma, and lay an egg. And not play to the level we’re capable of. I don’t think we will. We haven’t shown any signs of that.”

Notes:

OU receiver Manny Johnson set a career-high with nine receptions in the win over Chattanooga.

The Sooners held Chattanooga to two total first downs and 36 yards.

At 149 career wins, Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly can become the only current Big East coach with 150 victories with an upset of the Sooners.

Cincinnati has never beaten a team ranked in the top five. The Sooners are No. 4.

Player to Watch (Sooners) – Sam Bradford, QB

Consistent and efficient, Bradford has thrust himself into Heisman talk with eye-popping stats since starting as a freshman a year ago. But the Bearcats will present a test, with most back off a defense that totaled an NCAA-best 42 takeaways and 26 interceptions a year ago.

Player to Watch (Bearcats) – Mike Mickens, CB

Mickens, a senior, is an All-American in a talented Cincinnati secondary. A lockdown corner, he plays an aggressive style, with make-up speed an asset for whenever a receiver does get behind him. He’ll demand Bradford’s attention and his cover skills will allow the Bearcats to gamble with blitz packages.

Oklahoma by 12