Oklahoma vs. Ball State: 5 Things to Look for from the Sooners

Oklahoma's game Saturday night with Ball State may turn out to be a bit of a yawner, but that doesn't mean it can't be a big game for the Sooners.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was clearly unhappy with the way his team played last week against Missouri. Despite the 38-28 victory, players on both sides of the ball shared that disappointment.

The last thing the Cardinals wanted was for this Oklahoma team to be looking to prove something coming into this game. Thanks to a sub-par performance last week, that could be the case.

With this game being broadcast on pay-per-view, some Oklahoma fans may need something to look forward to in order to justify paying for this game. Here are five things those fans can watch for on Saturday night in Norman, OK.

With Ben Habern Out, Gabe Ikard Is Center of Attention

Center Ben Haber will miss several weeks with a broken arm, which means Gabe Ikard will move over from guard to center.

How much of a problem is this for the Oklahoma offense?

The relationship between a quarterback and his center are important to an up-tempo offense. It's the fast tempo that Oklahoma depends on to keep the defense off balance.  Even Stoops admitted that Ikard's move to center played a big role in their lack of offensive continuity in the second half against Missouri.

Ikard has had roughly half of a game and a week of practice to become familiar with his new role. A full game and another week of practice before the Texas game will be important for not only Ikard and QB Landry Jones, but also for the rest of the offensive line who will have to make up for losing Ikard at the guard position.

Things to look for from Ikard will be clean snaps to Jones without procedure penalties, and his ability to help Jones orchestrate the quick tempo of the Oklahoma offense. He should be fine considering he does have some experience filling in at center.

How Will Landry Jones Look Now That Both Big Time Receivers Are Healthy?

Considering the fact that Jones has not had WR Kenny Stills and WR Ryan Broyles on the field together at full health, he has been pretty impressive.

In the season opener against Tulsa, Stills sat out due to a one-game suspension. Stills would also be forced to sit out last week against Missouri after suffering an apparent concussion in the Florida State game.

Seminoles fans weren't the only ones with their stomach's turning in Tallahassee two weeks ago. Broyles was also sick with a stomach virus which seemed to limit his efficiency.

Having both weapons together and healthy is huge for Jones. Broyles is always a threat, but especially in the short passing game. The only way to slow him down is to double team him or cheat to his side with the safety.

Stills makes that hard. He is a deep threat and sure handed. The sophomore wideout would be a No. 1 receiver on most teams in the country. His presence alone opens up the playbook for offensive coordinator Josh Heupel. It will also mean more one-on-one coverage for Broyles, which also equates to big numbers for Jones.

For the first time this season, we will see just how dynamic the Sooners' passing game can be.

Will Dominique Whaley Finally Get More Carries?

When walk-on RB Dominique Whaley was announced as a co-starter before the season opener, many were surprised and thought it was just Heupel making a statement to the other running backs.

Through three games, Whaley has proven to be Oklahoma's best rusher. Fans are wondering why this hasn't resulted in more carries for the junior.

Whaley has shared time with sophomore Brennan Clay. Carries have been pretty evenly split with Whaley getting 55 touches and Clay carrying the ball 41 times.

Whaley has clearly shown he is more of a threat rushing for a yard per carry more (4.9) than Clay (3.9), while also proving to be a strong presence in the passing game with his five catches for 82 yards against Missouri.

For the Sooners to feel good about making a national championship run, they will need to show more in the running game—giving Whaley the majority of the carries could be the key.

Can the Defense Regain Its Dominant Form

After holding Florida State to 246 yards and 13 points on the road, Oklahoma's defense was looking like the dominant defensive unit of the early 2000s when Stoops first arrived with brother Mike Stoops.

Mental mistakes and a lack of focus seemed to hurt the Sooners defense in the first and fourth quarters against Missouri. The Tigers were able to rack up 532 yards of offense against Oklahoma. That's not the type of defense that will win championships.

Would a dominant performance against an out-matched Ball State team mean the defense is back?

Not necessarily. But, great defenses shut down teams like Ball State. If the Cardinals are able to put up some big numbers in Norman, it would be pretty safe to say the defense is a major weak spot for this team.

The biggest thing to look for from this defensive unit on Saturday is if LB Travis Lewis can get the defense to bring some intensity to the game. With a big game looming next week against rival Texas, the defense needs to show they have the maturity and focus that Stoops thought they had before the Missouri game by not looking ahead to next week's trip to Dallas.

Holding Ball State under 100 yards rushing for the game would be a nice goal for the Oklahoma defense.

Can Roy Finch Find a Role?

After a strong freshman campaign, Roy Finch figured to be a major player in the Sooners' running attack. The emergence of Whaley combined with an unimpressive offseason has led to a loss of playing time for the sophomore.

Stoops has made it clear that the coaching staff was not upset with Finch and that he would get more playing time moving forward. Finch has also spent some time as the slot receiver, but has not really been a factor. More recently, Finch has been assigned kickoff-return duties.

Finch has proven to be a big offensive threat when given the opportunity. If Heupel is able to find a way to get the ball to Finch without taking carries away from Whaley, the Sooners could add yet another dimension to it's already explosive offense.

Look for Jones to find Finch on some screen passes out of the back field to get him in open space. He can also be a huge weapon on the occasional reverse. The last thing Texas wants to see this week from Oklahoma is for Finch to find a niche in the offense.