Lincoln Riley After Kansas Win: Oklahoma's Toughest Opponent Right Now Is Itself

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley wasn't happy with his team's performance after surviving a scare against Kansas on Saturday.

After the Sooners' 35-23 win, Riley told reporters that his team is its own worst enemy right now.

"The toughest opponent that we've got right now is ourselves," Riley said. "And we beat ourselves too much. I love the way we finish, and damn, if we will ever figure out how to play a complete game, combined with the way this team finishes, we could have something."

The Sooners were trailing 10-0 through two quarters after a horrendous performance by the offense. They gained a total of 53 yards on just 17 plays with an interception by Caleb Williams and a turnover on downs when a 4th-and-6 pass was incomplete.

Coming out after halftime, Oklahoma gained more yards on its first drive (75) than it did in the entire first half. Williams capped it off with a five-yard touchdown pass to Jadon Haselwood.

The Sooners scored touchdowns on all five of their second-half possessions. Williams threw for 178 yards, ran for 70 and accounted for three scores.

Despite being 8-0 so far, the Sooners have rarely played an entire game at an elite level. They had to make a defensive stop on the final drive in a 23-16 win over Nebraska. They spent most of their game against West Virginia tied before Gabe Brkic's 30-yard field goal as time expired.

Oklahoma had to score 35 points in the second half against Texas to steal a 55-48 win on Oct. 9.

Early season issues at quarterback are at least partially to blame. Spencer Rattler was seen as a Heisman favorite coming into the year, but turnovers have moved him behind Williams on the depth chart.

If there is a silver lining for Riley and the Sooners, they keep winning games as other playoff contenders fall. Illinois upset Penn State 20-18 in nine overtimes Saturday. Alabama and Ohio State already have one loss this season.

Oklahoma still has two games remaining against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including a Nov. 27 showdown at Oklahoma State in the regular-season finale.

If the Sooners can iron out their issues, they are still in a prime position to be in the College Football Playoff.