2015 Oklahoma Sooners Football Preview | Running To The Promised Land

Regardless of who wins the starting quarterback job for the Sooners, their primary responsibility is going to be to hand the ball off to Samaje Perine and a deeply talented stable of running backs. Oklahoma heads into the 2015 season in the best shape at running back they've been for a long time.

"We have the best backfield in the country and we're going to use it," new Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley said to a crowd at the Norman Citizens Advisory Board Coaches Luncheon on Wednesday afternoon. To assume that Riley is coming to OU just to throw the football is an extremely false assumption and the fact that he isn't going to do that is the primary reason the Sooners could be back in the hunt in 2015.

When going up against spread offensive attacks week in and week out, you are limited on options. You can try to match them point-for-point and hope for stops or a turnover, you can try and take away an aspect of their game, or you can control the game by controlling the ball. I think at times this season OU is going to attempt all three of these but they are primarily going to focus on the latter two and they have just the right talent set to do so.

The New Guy

It's going to be bang or bust for redshirt freshman Joe Mixon. The former 5-star recruit from Oakley, California ran for over 1,700 yards and 23 touchdowns during his senior campaign and was named a U.S. Army All-American. To say that his first twelve months in Norman have been a nightmare would be a bit of an understatement and opposing teams have plenty of fodder to try and get under his skin. However, he's certainly playing with a chip on his shoulder and with a ton of confidence.

2015 Oklahoma Sooners Running Backs

Mixon possesses that rare combination of size, power, and elite speed. He can take the hand-off in the backfield, and has the power to run through the middle of the line, but he also has the speed and hands to be a strong passing target out of the backfield which makes him a potential nightmare match-up for linebackers.

The "Jack of All Trades"

Alex Ross' speed can't be questioned but what has been questioned in recent years is where he fits in the offense. He doesn't necessarily fit the mold of a guy that you can use to pound the middle of a defense with, although the Sooners have certainly tried that, but his speed can make him extremely dangerous when attacking the edges. Look for Oklahoma to use him in motion to set him up for sweeps, misdirection plays, and passes towards the flats and up the boundaries.

Ross doesn't fit the bill as a "prototypical running back" but his speed is top of the line and the reason Oklahoma needs to put him on the field.

The Beast

Sophomore Semaje Perine sits atop the list of reasons to be hopeful in 2015. During his freshman campaign he rushed for an average of 6.5 yards per carry en route to a 1,713 yard/21 touchdown season. A speedy back, who makes defenders feel as if they're trying to tackle a bowling ball, Perine will enter the season as Oklahoma's feature back and should be the catalysts to success in all aspects of the offense because defenses will have to make him their priority. Obviously that means the passing game would have the opportunity to take advantage of one-on-one situations.