The Oklahoma Sooners will take on the LSU Tigers on Saturday afternoon with an opportunity to stamp their ticket to the College Football Playoff. Oklahoma will face an LSU team that’s been through a ton of turmoil this season and is in the thick of the Lane Kiffin saga.
But they’re a dangerous team. Brent Venables called LSU one of the most talented teams Oklahoma will face this season. Though they’ll be without starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and starting center Braelin Moore, it’s a roster filled with blue-chip talent looking to prove themselves for whoever is the next head coach in Baton Rouge, or for their next destination.
Sophomore Michael Van Buren will get the start at quarterback for the Tigers this week. It’ll be his third straight start for LSU. He helped the Tigers earn one-score wins over Arkansas and Western Kentucky.
A desperate team is a dangerous team, and the Tigers are desperate to end the season on a high note.
On the initial availability report for the Oklahoma Sooners are key players Reggie Powers III (Out for the first half), R Mason Thomas (Doubtful), Gentry Williams (Doubtful), Jayden Jackson (Questionable), Jake Maikkula (Questionable), and Heath Ozaeta (Questionable).
Powers was ejected in the second half of Oklahoma’s win over Missouri for targeting, which ruled him out for the first half against LSU. Defensive end R Mason Thomas has been working his way back from a quadriceps injury suffered during his 71-yard fumble return for a touchdown against LSU.
Jayden Jackson has been playing banged up for a while and looked to injure his left leg on a goalline play against the Missouri Tigers. Oklahoma’s been relying more on Markus Strong as the fourth defensive tackle in the rotation. If Jackson is unable to go this week or held out for precautionary reasons, Strong should see a lot more work this week.
Starting center Jake Maikkula is a surprise name on the availability report this week. He played the entire game against Missouri and should play this week against LSU. If he’s unable to go, it would likely fall to right guard Febechi Nwaiwu to slide in and play some center or for Gunnar Allen or Owen Hollenbeck to get some playing time.
Guard Heath Ozaeta missed last week’s win over Missouri. Eddy Pierre-Louis took over at left guard a few games ago but Ozaeta is an important piece to the interior offensive line rotation. If he can’t play, Daniel Akinkunmi is the likely next man up to provide some snaps at guard.
If the Oklahoma Sooners are able to come away with another must-win victory, it will give the team roughly three weeks to rest and heal before their opening round playoff game.
Oklahoma Sooners Availability Report
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Troy Everett | OL | Out |
| Reggie Powers III | DB | Out – 1st Half (Targeting) |
| Gentry Williams | DB | Doubtful |
| R Mason Thomas | DL | Doubtful |
| Jacob Sexton | OL | Doubtful |
| Jake Taylor | OL | Doubtful |
| Jovantae Barnes | RB | Questionable |
| Jayden Jackson | DL | Questionable |
| Jake Maikkula | OL | Questionable |
| Heath Ozaeta | OL | Questionable |
LSU Tigers Availability Report
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Anderson | WR | Out |
| Nic Anderson | WR | Out |
| Garrett Nussmeier | QB | Out |
| Gabriel Reilford | DE | Out |
| Braelin Moore | OL | Out |
| Whit Weeks | LB | Questionable |
| Tyree Adams | OL | Questionable |
| Ory WIlliams | OL | Questionable |
| Ja’Keem Jackson | CB | Probable |
| Caden Durham | RB | Probable |
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma vs. LSU Availability Report: Who’s likely to miss Week 14?
