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The Definitive Ranking of West Virginia Football’s 2019 Opponents

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No. 1: @Oklahoma Sooners (10/19)

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Photo via The Athletic

Was there any question as to who was going to top this list? I gave Texas some serious thought here, but in the words of D’Angelo Barksdale, “The King Stay the King.”

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley is nearly batting 1.000 at this point in his young head coaching career. In two years, he’s won two Big 12 championships, coached two Heisman winners and led the Sooners to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. The crazy thing is that it could all happen again.

Starting on the offensive side of the ball, the Sooners were able to land Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts, who announced his intentions of transferring shortly after the national championship loss to Clemson. Hurts is not Baker Mayfield, nor is he Kyler Murray, but he is a winner. He’s been in the spotlight before, won big games and led a team to the national championship. It will be interesting to see how he fits into an “Air Raid” style of offense, but he will have plenty of help. Speedy receiver CeeDee Lamb and the reliable Grant Calcaterra headline the recipients of the passing game, but be on the lookout for true freshman Jadon Haselwood. The Sooners always seem to have a stable of backs and they will again this year with Kennedy Brooks, Trey Sermon and T.J. Pledger all returning. Every one of them could start almost anywhere in the country.

The one thing Oklahoma is not known for is a superior defense, but that may change under the new leadership of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, who is coming over from Ohio State. The secondary has a ton of talent that has yet to have been developed, like Tre Norwood, Delarrin Turner-Yell, Jordan Parker and Brendan Radley-Hiles. Defensive lineman Neville Gallimore and Kenneth Mann, along with linebacker Kenneth Murray, are the veterans that will make this thing go… assuming it ever does.

The Mountaineers are looking for their first win against the Sooners since joining the conference. With a new staff, a new quarterback and new playmakers, a win in Norman will be the most difficult task for Neal Brown and his staff to achieve.

Series History: Oklahoma leads 9-2

Current Win Streak: Oklahoma (7)

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