Oklahoma Sooners and Brent Venables might have a surprise in store for fans amid Michael Hawkins’ start against Auburn

Much has been made about the Oklahoma Sooners' decision to bench Jackson Arnold in favor of Michael Hawkins for the foreseeable future. However, it was a necessary move that simply had to happen for the team to reorganize mentally on offense.

Now with a full week for Hawkins to get ready to play, the Sooners are likely gearing down the offense for Hawkins, a move that seems wise given their issues with the execution of their offense to start the season.

Following their Week 4 loss to Tennessee, Brent Venables spoke about the benefits of just letting players play and not think. Give them a concept and let them run it instead of trying to worry about multiple different things going on during the play.

Let's look at this play for an in-game example of what Venables is talking about.

The score is 12-3 with roughly 5:30 left in the second quarter. Oklahoma just got the ball at the Tennessee 33-yard line after forcing a Nico Iamaleava fumble. It's 1st-and-10 with the opportunity to make it a one-score game before halftime.

The Sooners call a slant-bubble RPO at the bottom of the screen. The motion man runs the bubble, while the outside receiver either runs a slant route or blocks for the bubble, depending on what the defense does.

The receiver should be keying on the crashing linebacker. That space becomes voided when the LB dips up to play the run, and the slant should be wide open. The problem? Thompson doesn't run the slant. He just stays to block for the bubble and doesn't even seem like he looks to the play to see the linebacker.

Jackson Arnold makes the correct read here to pull it and gear up to throw the slant. With Thompson not running the slant route, however, his timing is messed up. He has to reset to hit the bubble, but by that point, a free rusher is coming up, he gets hit as he throws, and it goes awry.

The pass becomes a backwards pass lateral that Tennessee recovers, the Vols go score on a short field, and the score becomes 19-3. Arnold gets subsequently benched on this play.

Is this Jackson Arnold's fault? I'd argue no, it isn't. He makes the correct decision here, but because Thompson doesn't run the right route, the play gets blown up and it counts as his third turnover.

When the Sooners put in Michael Hawkins, they had enough of the RPOs. They called just four for Hawkins when he played for the last ~35 in-game minutes against Tennessee, compared to 11 for Arnold in the first half. All four of Hawkins' RPOs were run plays, as well, taking advantage of his legs and the ability to add a +1 in the run game.

Oklahoma ran "normal" concepts in the second half and Hawkins worked his way into a rhythm, leading two touchdown drives late to make the final score more respectable.

Now with pressure mounting to get right offensively, the Sooners are hoping simplifying the offense will begin turning the offense around. We'll see how effective it will be against Auburn.