NORMAN — It's crazy how much can change in a week. Oklahoma appeared doomed to finish the year 5-7 and miss the postseason for the first time in 25 years.

But after last Saturday's win over Alabama, the Sooners have real momentum. A 7-5 regular-season record, with a chance at an eighth win in a bowl game, is suddenly attainable.

But it's not going to be easy, even against an LSU team that has felt some disappointment this year.

The Tigers (7-4, 4-3 SEC) got back on track with a 24-17 win over Vanderbilt last weekend, which snapped a three-game losing streak. They were outscored 107-52 over those three games, as their explosive offense was largely limited.

Still, the Tigers are looking to end their season on a high note in front of over 102,000 fans in Death Valley. OU coach Brent Venables knows what the Sooners are getting into.

"Listen, I’ve heard from every coach that I love and respect that’s been in the biggest venues, the best of the best and everybody points to Death Valley, Baton Rouge, night game," Venables said. "Hope that your team doesn’t get scheduled, because that’s the toughest challenge there is in college football.

"I know we’re going to get the best out of the LSU faithful. It’s something that we’re really looking forward to as well. You love a challenge and you know that that’s going to be a real thing. You tell your players that external factors don’t win — the execution, the physicality, effort — do the things that you can control.”

Here's a look at things to watch this weekend:

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Tiger Stadium

TV: ESPN

Radio: 107.7 FM

1. The Xavier Robinson, Jovantae Barnes dilemma

Just like Gavin Sawchuk last season, it appeared that Barnes was finally the first running back to find a rhythm over the second half of the season. Barnes totaled at least 67 yards and averaged over four yards per carry over three straight games, including his 203-yard performance against Maine.

When Barnes was ruled out against Missouri, that appeared to be a death blow to OU's already-struggling offense. Instead, true freshman Xavier Robinson proved he might be Oklahoma's best offensive player with 56 yards on nine carries.

Barnes' absence against Alabama was almost an afterthought. Robinson ran for 107 yards on 18 carries (nearly six yards per carry) and scored both of OU's rushing touchdowns. It was a huge reason why OU rushed for 257 yards and shockingly dominated 'Bama by 21 points.

But Barnes is expected back this weekend, and was listed as "probable" on Wednesday and Thursday's availability reports. Barnes has more experience and has also proven he can be productive this season.

But how do the Sooners sideline Robinson, who is a difference maker and has had the best two-game stretch of any OU offensive player this season? Plus, Jackson Arnold also put up a career-best 131 rushing yards on 25 attempts against Alabama, and he's also proven he needs to be involved in the running game.

That gives the Sooners plenty of options, but also plenty of decisions to make, as they head into a matchup against an LSU team that ranks 60th nationally and 14th in the SEC in rushing defense. The Sooners ran the ball on 52 of their 63 plays last weekend, and that ratio could be similar on Saturday.

Does Barnes reclaim his spot atop the depth chart, or has Robinson solidified it? How do the Sooners split the backfield work, and where does that leave Arnold, or even other running backs like Sawchuk or Taylor Tatum?

2. Garrett Nussmeier's explosive passing game

Nussmeier has been prone to some backbreaking turnovers this season. In addition to throwing 11 interceptions, which is tied for the 11th most in FBS, he's also fumbled four times and lost two of them.

But he's offset that with explosive passing plays. He's thrown for 3,458 passing yards, which ranks seventh nationally, and he's averaging nearly 12 yards per completion. That's where the Sooners have struggled a bit this season — they've given up 37 passing plays of 20 yards or more, which ranks 92nd nationally.

The Sooners were able to slow down Jalen Milroe through the air last weekend, limiting him to 168 yards on 11 of 26 passing, and a big reason for the constant pressure they generated. That might be a bit more difficult against LSU, which is surrendering an SEC-low 1.18 sacks per game.

The Sooners are going to need to generate pressure on Nussmeier, who is a pure pocket passer that has -38 rushing yards on the year. If they can't, that puts pressure on OU's cornerbacks and safeties.

Eli Bowen has proven he's a lock-down corner, but it'll be interesting to see what the rest of the rotation looks like. It was Jacobe Johnson who started against Maine and Missouri, but Dez Malone saw the bulk of the reps against Alabama.

3. The wide receiver rotation

Deion Burks and Jalil Farooq have already been ruled out for this weekend. But Andrel Anthony continues to be listed as questionable, as well as Brenen Thompson.

That leaves a lot of questions about how things will look this weekend, even if the Sooners continue to lean heavily on the running game.

Thompson hasn't posted a ton of production, but he's fifth on the team in snaps. Anthony has played just eight snaps and hasn't played since the season opener, making his questionable tag notable.

Without Farooq and Burks, the Sooners are likely to feature sets with JJ Hester and Jacob Jordan. But could Anthony really suit up? And if he does, how much will he play?

Plus, if Thompson can't play, that would turn the reps to a few other options. Zion Kearney saw 36 snaps against Alabama, per Pro Football Focus, while others like Zion Ragins and Ivan Carreon haven't played much recently. Jaquaize Pettaway has essentially been a non-factor since early October.

It'll be interesting to see if Anthony or Thompson plays, and what the rotation looks like at wideout.

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