4 Oklahoma Sooners to watch in Week 8 against Mississippi State

The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to get back over .500 this week, as they'll hit the road to Starkville to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Week 8. OU is coming off of a disappointing loss against Kentucky last week, and Saturday afternoon presents an opportunity to bounce back.

As the Sooners continue to deal with widespread injuries, especially on their beleaguered offense, head coach Brent Venables and his staff will ask the entire roster to step up to offset those losses. The Bulldogs are also coming off a disappointing performance, so this weekend will be a matchup of hungry, desperate teams.

Here are four players to watch for Oklahoma against Mississippi State.

1. The entire offensive line

Of Oklahoma's many problems, the offensive line is arguably the biggest issue. Injuries have hit the position group hardest, and last week's game left the Sooners with third- and fourth-stringers up front. This week, both Eddy Pierre-Louis and Ryan Fodje will miss the game against the Bulldogs, and the statuses of Michael Fasusi and Heath Ozaeta are up in the air.

That means that Jake Maikkula, Noah Best, and E'Marion Harris should be the for-sure starters in Starkvegas, but the other two spots are anybody's guess. Peyton Joseph would figure to see a lot of time, and the Sooners can pick between Caleb Nitta, Deacon Schmitt, and Fred Hinton to fill out the starting five, depending on what they still need. The bottom line is, OU's offensive line isn't giving the offense a chance to have success right now, and it doesn't look like its getting better anytime soon.

2. Manny Choice, WR

Injuries have also hit the wide receiver room hard, as the Sooners continue to lose rotational wideouts. This week, Trell Harris will not play, and its unsure whether Parker Livingstone and Elijah Thomas will be able to suit up. As Oklahoma looks for a complement to Isaiah Sategna III, there's one player in particular to keep an eye on.

Manny Choice had a breakout game against Kentucky last week, catching five passes for 98 yards in the loss. If he can continue that kind of production, he's going to get a lot more targets, and he's going to be a much bigger part of the offense than he's been. If the injured players can't go, Oklahoma will also need more from players like Mackenzie Alleyne, Jer'Michael Carter, and Jacob Jordan against Mississippi State. The tight end position is also much healthier this week for the Sooners, with only Trynae Washington out for this game. The trio of Rocky Beers, Hayden Hansen, and Jack Van Dorselaer is available in Starkville.

3. Jonathan Hatton Jr., RB

Behind lead back Lloyd Avant, the Sooners are also banged-up at running back. Tory Blaylock isn't guaranteed to play this week, and neither is Xavier Robinson, who hasn't suited up in a few weeks. That means Oklahoma could give Jonathan Hatton Jr. a lot more carries against the Dawgs, and he's shown some promise when he's gotten opportunities.

The Sooners have to establish the run and keep running the ball if they want to succeed in the SEC, but they haven't done that during their time in the conference. Hatton represents the possible future of the OU running game, and he's definitely a player who could be seeing more touches as the season moves along.

4. Trystan Haynes, DB

On the other side of the ball, OU's defense is much healthier. Aside from linebacker Taylor Heim's season-ending spring ball injury, the only real health concern is cornerback. Jacobe Johnson is still out, and starter Eli Bowen's status for this week is still undecided. That could mean another start for Trystan Haynes, who has been impressive in heavier duty over the last two weeks.

Haynes and the defensive backfield will face a very good Mississippi State passing game that loves to take shots and go vertical. It'll be a test for the entire secondary, but Haynes, playing opposite Courtland Guillory, will be targeted a lot if Bowen cannot go. Dakoda Fields could also see more time due to the cornerback injuries, but Haynes is the guy to watch in the DB room again this week.