I WOKE UP FEELING THE CHEESIEST COACH!

It’s safe to say that most people didn’t expect to see Oklahoma and Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl in late December. Oklahoma, welcoming first-year head coach Brent Venables, had Big 12 championship aspirations and beyond but fell remarkably short of those goals, and Florida State exceeded all expectations and won nine games, sitting at No. 13 in the current College Football Playoff rankings. These two legendary programs, fresh off a good night’s sleep in the cheesiest hotel rooms, will duke it out for the right to be crowned King of the Cheez-It Crackers (not Cheez-Its, look it up) by Prince Cheddward himself.

How Oklahoma Got Here:

Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma and took his Heisman Trophy developing ways with him to USC, as future Heisman winner Caleb Williams took off to Hollywood as well after one year in Norman. Brent Venables took over as the head coach, and while the Sooners were ranked as high as No. 6 in the AP poll heading into conference play, they were in for a rude awakening as to how adjusting to the post-Riley era would be.

The Sooners lost at home to their kryptonite, Kansas State, but the worst was yet to come. Many people shrugged it off and said the Sooners never lose consecutive games, and historically speaking, they were right. But all good things come to an end. TCU smacked Oklahoma 55-24 in a game that proved the legitimacy of the Horned Frogs, as well as sidelined quarterback Dillon Gabriel with a head injury. Then the Sooners were dogpiled by their rival Texas 49-0 in a game that snapped a 311-game scoring streak that dated back to November 7, 1998. They hadn’t lost three games in a SEASON since 2014, but to lose three in a row was a gut punch for OU fans. A three-game skid hadn’t happened since 1998.

The recovery was short-lived, as the Sooners defeated 19th-ranked Kansas and Iowa State but lost three of the final four. Oklahoma lost six games in conference play — the most since 1997. If OU falls short to Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl, it would be its first losing season since that fateful 1998 season that marked the final year of mediocrity before nearly a quarter-century of success.

How Florida State Got Here:

Florida State was due to return to relevance at some point, and this year, Mike Norvell earned himself a payday. The Seminoles had been accumulating talent on the recruiting trail and through the transfer portal, but it was anyone’s guess as to how the team would perform due to injuries and inconsistencies. In 2022, however, the Noles made a statement that the rebuild is over and they’re ready to compete now. They hadn’t even started a season 1-0 in six years, so that was the first hump to get over. Duquesne was a much easier opponent than some of the non-conference foes they’ve had to be fair.

In Week 1, Florida State made a statement by defeating LSU in New Orleans in what remains one of the craziest games of the year. The Noles hadn’t won many games on a big stage like that since Jimbo Fisher’s departure in 2017, but it wasn’t just about winning one big game. Could the Noles keep it up and snap their four-year stretch of losing seasons?

They narrowly defeated Louisville and smoked Boston College to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2015. It was clear that the Seminoles had a bona fide starting quarterback in Jordan Travis after years of inconsistent quarterbacking, and the backfield was one of the most loaded in the nation. But as the calendar flipped to October, it was time to see if the Seminoles were for real with three ranked opponents approaching, including No. 4 Clemson. They dropped all three games but proved they can hang with the top teams in the ACC.

After the skid, however, the Seminoles tore every opponent in their path to shreds, albeit against lighter competition. Nonetheless, the level of dominance was one unseen in Tallahassee for quite some time. The Seminoles enter the Cheez-It Bowl on a five-game winning streak in which they’ve scored at least 38 points in every game and have a point differential of +141 (28.2 per game).

Players to Watch:

Oklahoma:

#2 RB Jovantae Barnes — Oklahoma’s leading rusher Eric Gray is off to the NFL draft, and redshirt junior Marcus Major is out with an injury. True freshman and former four-star prospect Jovantae Barnes will step in for the Sooners, and he impressed in his backup role. He ranked second on the team with 411 yards and four touchdowns. His best day came against TCU when he topped 100 yards and scored two touchdowns.

#17 WR Marvin Mims Jr — Oklahoma has long had stellar wide receiver play, and Marvin Mims Jr. is definitely stellar, leading the team in receiving yards in each of his three seasons. Despite the shifting in quarterbacks during his career, he’s been as reliable as can be and has improved every year. He surpassed 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors.

#28 LB Danny Stutsman — Oklahoma’s defense has once again been underwhelming as a unit, but sophomore linebacker Danny Stutsman had a strong year, leading the Big 12 with 118 total tackles. He also logged 9.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, and two interceptions. Against a formidable rushing attack, Stutsman’s run-stopping abilities will be required.

Florida State:

#3 RB Trey Benson — Florida State entered this season with a dynamic trio of backs with Treshaun Ward, Lawrance Toafili, and Trey Benson. The Noles knew what they had in Ward and Toafili, but Benson was a wild card coming in as a transfer from Oregon. He had just six carries for 22 yards as a Duck in a loaded backfield, and there wasn’t any certainty that he’d get the touches he deserved. He led the team in every rushing category with 965 rushing yards, nine touchdowns, and a remarkable 6.8 yards per carry. Benson is listed at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, but he plays much bigger than that and is difficult to bring down. He has a deep bag of moves to elude defenders, but he doesn’t have to elude them because he’s more than powerful enough to bowl them over.

#5 DE Jared Verse — Speaking of bowling players over, Jared Verse is a MONSTER. The Albany transfer stepped right into the starting lineup and he harassed opposing backfields from the jump. Verse recorded 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in his debut season for the Noles, and Oklahoma will be without both of its usual starting tackles. Expect to see #5 in the backfield a LOT.

#14 WR Johnny Wilson — A big part of Jordan Travis’s success this season was the addition of former Arizona State WR Johnny Wilson. Wilson was another unproven asset to the offense brought in through the portal, but the talent was there and his 6-foot-7 frame will make any quarterback happy. Wilson was doubted because of his history of drops, but he was impressive in his first year in Tallahassee with 695 yards and five touchdowns on 35 receptions. Oklahoma’s pass defense has no one that can match up with Wilson’s size and ability to catch contested balls.

Score Prediction:

Florida State’s offense has come into its own and should be at full strength for this game. Even if Oklahoma’s offense has a good day, the Sooners defense is going to have a hard time matching up with the firepower of the Noles. Florida State 38, Oklahoma 20.