Amid all the confusion and noise surrounding the Big 12 Conference and its tiebreaker rules this week, the goal for Oklahoma remains the same.

The Sooners have to win out to give themselves a chance at a conference title.

That quest continues this weekend in Provo, Utah, as the Sooners travel to take on BYU, an unfamiliar opponent in an unfamiliar environment. The Sooners (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) are more than a three-touchdown betting favorite on Saturday (11 a.m. CT, ESPN).

The Cougars (5-5, 2-5 Big 12) have lost three straight games and averaged under nine points per game during that stretch. But as the Sooners have learned, they can't assume anything in a conference that's been as crazy as any other in college football.

As we look ahead, OUInsider's Jesse Crittenden and Bryan Clinton discuss the current state of the Sooners and the major keys for this weekend:

JesseL There were A LOT of positives to take away from this game. Defensively, the Sooners looked as good as they have all season and it was one of the better performances in recent memory. After the Mountaineers easily scored on the opening drive, the Sooners held them to just 13 yards and zero first downs on their next five possessions. The Kip Lewis ascension has continued, too, as he started alongside Danny Stutsman and played most of the meaningful snaps on his way to seven tackles and a tackle for loss. Also, Drake Stoops continues to prove he’s one of the top receivers in college football. Stoops — who finished the game with 10 receptions for a career-high 164 yards and three touchdowns — now leads the Big 12 in receptions (62) and receiving touchdowns (9) and ranks fifth in yards (692).

The running game also continues to be a strength for this offense after a rough start to the season. More on that later.

Bryan: Oklahoma's offensive rhythm was as good as we've seen it all season long, and much of that had to do with the success they found on the ground. Gavin Sawchuk turned in a career-best 135 yards on 22 attempts, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. That is much better than the number we were seeing from him to begin the season. The emergence of Sawchuk as a homerun hitter in the run game is going to be something that helps this offense find more fluidity when it comes to game flow. What I mean is, when No. 27 is chewing up six yards at a time, the entire playbook is open on third and fourth down. That opens up better matchups for guys like Drake Stoops and Austin Stogner, who we both saw have their best performances of the year last week.

Jesse: Unequivocally yes. Through the first seven games, Sawchuk had just 122 rushing yards on 34 carries as he attempted to bounce back from a hamstring injury. But he exploded for 111 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State and kept that going against West Virginia, finishing with a career-high 135 rushing yards. But he hasn’t just regained his explosiveness, he’s running efficiently, too. He’s averaging 7.02 yards per carry in the past two games, and as a result the OU rushing offense has looked much crisper. It’s no coincidence that the Sooners’ offense as a whole looked as good as it has all season against WVU.

Bryan: Yes. Yes, we are. It's clear that Sawchuk is finally back to full health, and when that is the case, there aren't many running backs in the league that can match his explosiveness. The reps that he put on tape last week against West Virginia were the first time this year that he consistently showed the flashes of what everyone fell in love with in Orlando last season. His patience, power, elusiveness, and top-end speed were all displayed at one point or another, and his ability to run through poor tackles is something that we've not seen from anyone other than Tawee Walker this season. If Sawchuk can be that guy going forward, there's no telling how high this offense can go to finish out the year.

Jesse: They have to continue winning the turnover battle. While there was a lot of noise about the Sooners’ back-to-back losses against Kansas and Oklahoma State, those games really came down to turnovers. The Sooners lost the turnover battle 6-3 and were outscored 23-13 off those giveaways. Against West Virginia, the Sooners played mistake-free football and won the turnover battle 1-0.

Oklahoma State, for example, committed four turnovers in its shocking 45-3 loss to UCF last Saturday. The Sooners can’t afford to give BYU or TCU extra possessions, or they run the risk of a major upset like the Cowboys. If the Sooners can stay disciplined and play smart football, they should be able to finish the regular season with a 10-2 record.

Bryan: Control the controllables. It's something we've heard Brent Venables say over and again, but in moments like this, it's especially true. Oklahoma put themselves in a hole when they lost back-to-back games that they had every chance to win. Now, they don't control their destiny and it will be up to someone else to send them where they can't get on their own. In games against Kansas and Oklahoma State, we saw road environments and external factors like weather and officiating become reasons to point to for why they lost. In reality, Oklahoma lost those games because they didn't play well enough to win, and the mistakes that they made were things they had control of. Turnovers. Penalties. Simple miscues. Those things can't show up again, even if it's against teams like BYU or TCU.

Jesse: Continue to establish the run. The Sooners have averaged 5.48 and 5.26 yards per carry, respectively, in their last two outings. That is a huge jump from how they started the season, when they failed to rush for at least 4.5 YPC in five of their first seven games. It’s been a rough season for BYU on both sides of the ball but the Cougars have particularly struggled against the run. They rank 12th in rushing defense, surrendering over 180 yards a game and 5.0 yards per carry. Despite the struggles, BYU is known for having a fierce home crowd and the Sooners have had their struggles on the road this season. The easiest way to settle in is for the Sooners to establish the run early and often. Keep feeding Sawchuk and let him carve up the Cougars’ defense.

Bryan: Start fast. Road environments have seemed to mess with the Sooners this season, and in all of their games in true road environments (Cincinnati, Kansas, Oklahoma State), the team stumbled out the gate and turned in their worst offensive performances of the year. While it is going to be a 10:00 a.m. local kick, the crowd in Provo has a reputation for being one of the best in all of college football. If that is the case, this will be a great opportunity for the Sooners to put that issue to bed moving into the 2024 season. Next year, the road environments are going to be on a whole different level, with Auburn, LSU, and Missouri all offering big-time home-field advantages. Having the composure and focus to quiet a crowd early in a ball game is something that comes with time, and this week against BYU is a perfect opportunity for this team to learn.