Why Oklahoma Will Have the Best Offense in College Football in 2015

Who would have ever thought in a million years that Oklahoma would need to follow in TCU's footsteps? However, if the Horned Frogs can transform their offense from one of the worst in the Big 12 to one of the best in the country in one year, why can't the Sooners? 

Immediate results are what Oklahoma is banking on with the addition of offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. Riley, who comes to Oklahoma after spending five seasons as East Carolina's offensive coordinator, could determine head coach Bob Stoops' own future as a make-or-break hire. That's a fairly large responsibility for a 31-year-old. 

Riley may not have been the "splash hire" that Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost would have been, but it should be a good one all the same. 

"Lincoln brings a fresh perspective to our program that I believe will help us maximize our potential offensively," Stoops said in an email release from the university. "He owns a consistent track record of implementing innovative offensive concepts during his career and has a history of developing productive offensive players. He has been mentored by a number of successful offensive coaches during his career, while developing his own unique offensive approach."

Riley brings Oklahoma back to an Air Raid attack that Stoops employed when Mike Leach, now the head coach at Washington State, was Oklahoma's offensive coordinator in 1999. Riley was a former player and assistant under Leach at Texas Tech. 

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Shifting offensive philosophies shouldn't be like learning a dead language for Oklahoma, though. These are concepts that some players on the roster were familiar with before. The personnel generally fits. 

The most important position is naturally going to be the quarterback. Trevor Knight simply didn't take the leap he needed to in 2014. Furthermore, health issues remain a problem. He enters 2015 in an intriguing quarterback battle with Baker Mayfield, the Texas Tech transfer who has experience in a similar offense. 

One would think that gives Mayfield an edge to start next season. In any case, Oklahoma must get more out of its quarterbacks.

That's not a stretch, though. Riley did an excellent job at East Carolina in developing Shane Carden, a former 2-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com, who finished with more than 4,700 yards passing this year. Mayfield was a former walk-on for the Red Raiders who started in Week 1 of the 2013 season. 

Oklahoma also has a No. 1 receiver, Sterling Shepard, that's one of the best in the Big 12. Shepard announced earlier this month that he's returning for his senior season. 

Also returning is running back Samaje Perine, who led all freshmen with 1,713 rushing yards. Alex Ross and Keith Ford round out what should be the deepest running back pool in the Big 12. 

While Air Raid concepts are based on the pass—and, indeed, East Carolina finished third in passing offense—Riley is good enough to know how to get the ball in the hands of his best players. Don't expect the Sooners to abandon the run; conversely, Riley should find creative ways to get Perine the ball. 

Name	Position
Trevor Knight	Quarterback
Baker Mayfield	Quarterback
Sterling Shepard	Wide Receiver
Samaje Perine	Running Back
Ty Darlington	Center

In short, the pieces and philosophy are there for Oklahoma to rebound from a disappointing season. As for the concerns—the offensive line turnover and receiver development—they're capable of being fixed. 

The Sooners lose four seniors off of last year's line, but return center Ty Darlington. Backups who could emerge into starting roles next year have played in a combined 33 games. On the receiving front, young guys like Michiah Quick started to emerge late in the season. 

Will it take some time to transition? Sure, every new offense does. Remember that TCU didn't score more than 40 points against a team that mattered until they played Baylor in October. Will this be a season-long project for Riley? It shouldn't be. Talent hasn't been the issue, development has.  

Stoops deserves blame for going in a direction that didn't work. For the past two years, Oklahoma shifted away from a pass-heavy attack to a more running-oriented offense. One problem among many was there was never a true identity for what the Sooners wanted to do. Hiring Riley should rectify that. 

It's not like Oklahoma was abysmal on offense, either. The Sooners still finished third in the Big 12 in points per game (36.4) and fifth in total offense (464.7 yards per game). They were just frustrating to watch. 

Riley has that "missing piece" factor going for him, similar to how Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie were the missing pieces for TCU. 

If the Sooners can follow that path, the 2015 offense should be far more fun to watch. It even has the makings to be great.

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.