Oklahoma's Offensive Line Problems Could Be Exactly What Texas Needs

Texas does not need to search very far to find Oklahoma's biggest weakness entering Saturday's Red River Rivalry. The Sooners have struggled to establish consistency up front, and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables was unusually candid about the problems during his press conference this week.

That is significant for a Texas defense that has already shown what it can do when its pass rush gets rolling. Colin Simmons exploded for 5.5 sacks against Tennessee, setting a Texas single-game record and giving the Longhorns another reason to attack Oklahoma in the trenches.

The opportunity is obvious. If Oklahoma's offensive line has been a problem through the first month of the season, Texas has the personnel to make that problem even worse.

Colin Simmons Could Make Oklahoma's Biggest Weakness Impossible to Hide

Venables described Oklahoma's offensive line development as "incredibly inconsistent and very disappointing," while pointing to a lack of continuity as one of the group's biggest problems. The Sooners have already used seven different offensive linemen in a game this season as they continue searching for the right combination.

That is not exactly the situation Oklahoma wants heading into a matchup with Texas.

The Sooners have allowed 13 sacks through four games, while their rushing attack is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry. Oklahoma also ranks last in the SEC in total offense, according to CBS Sports.

Now the Sooners have to deal with Simmons.

The sophomore edge rusher was already productive before his five-sack explosion against Tennessee, but that performance showed how quickly he can take over a game when Texas creates favorable pass-rush situations. Oklahoma cannot simply hope that its offensive line suddenly solves its issues against one of the best defensive fronts in the country.

The problem is bigger than Simmons, too.

Texas has enough talent along the defensive front to attack Oklahoma from multiple spots, meaning the Sooners cannot simply slide protection toward Simmons on every passing down. If they do, another Longhorn could have an opportunity to win one-on-one.

That puts enormous pressure on Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer.

Mateer has struggled to find consistency this season, and the offensive line has not given him the stability necessary to settle into games. Oklahoma has scored more than 17 points only once this season, and the Sooners have converted just 34 percent of their third downs.

Texas does not need to reinvent its defense Saturday. It needs to exploit what is already there.

If the Longhorns can consistently collapse the pocket, disrupt Oklahoma's rushing game and force Mateer into obvious passing situations, Simmons and the rest of the defensive front could turn Oklahoma's biggest weakness into the defining matchup of the afternoon.

For a Texas team trying to protect an undefeated record, that could be exactly what it needs.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/texas as Oklahoma's Offensive Line Problems Could Be Exactly What Texas Needs.