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Sooners' 2015 hopes ride on arm of yet unnamed quarterback
It's all about the quarterback. That might sound overly simplistic, but it's true.
A team can possess a magnificent rushing attack, but if it the quarterback can't consistently make smart, efficient decisions that help move the chains and keep defenses honest, the odds for success deteriorate greatly.
Hello, Oklahoma Sooners.
It was more than just sloppy quarterback play that derailed 2014. A porous defense, and specifically a scatterbrained secondary, had a lot to do with an 8-5 finish and plenty of offseason changes to the coaching staff and scheme.
Bob Stoops fired offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and brought in Mike Leach disciple Lincoln Riley to install the Air Raid offense he ran at East Carolina.
Now come two key questions: Which quarterback will Stoops and Riley tab to run the offense, and can that quarterback limit turnovers? Last year, Trevor Knight could not. He threw 12 interceptions to just 14 touchdowns.
Knight's main competition for the starting job, Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield, didn't do much better during his one season with the Red Raiders. Although Mayfield earned Offensive Freshman of the Year honors in 2013 as a walk-on, he tossed nine picks with 12 touchdowns.
As the Sooners head into the summer and prepare for the start of fall camp in August, there are plenty of areas to address. But if OU is to return to contention for the Big 12 title, and ultimately for a place in the College Football Playoff, it's going to have to find the right quarterback who can erase "mistake-prone" before his name.
Because it really is all about the quarterback.
(h/t ESPN)
Photo Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
