Austin Box is no Ryan Reynolds but he is the closest thing that the Sooners have to the injured linebacker who was almost guaranteed to plug up the middle of Oklahoma’s defense. After a one game experiment with Nic Harris at middle linebacker Box was called upon to be the new anchor of a defense that has drawn a lot of criticism since conference play began.
At 6-2, 221 Box has the physical ability to be everything that Ryan Reynolds was to this unit. The only thing he is lacking is in experience, which is something that only time can fix, but he is doing everything he can to add that to his resume. In three games as the starter he has logged 20 tackles and has shown a game-by-game on field maturity that has been nothing short of impressive.
| Opponent | Tackles | TFL | INT |
| KSU | 9 | 1 | - |
| Nebraska | 3 | - | - |
| A&M | 8 | 1 | 1 |
As Oklahoma prepares for the biggest game of the year Box cannot be found guilty of committing the cardinal sin of getting lost in coverage. Texas Tech is going to complete passes because that is what they do but they turn short passes into long touchdowns by exploiting misaligned defenders and shedding tackles.
With OU’s recent knack of giving up big plays and missing tackles every now and then, Texas Tech has the potential to be the most lethal offensive attack the Sooners have faced this year. The Red Raiders are sure to attack the middle of Oklahoma’s defense and Austin Box with be there as the key to OU’s defense or Texas Tech’s offense.