Who will the Oklahoma Sooners face at quarterback vs. the LSU Tigers?

The Oklahoma Sooners (9-2, 5-2 SEC) will host the LSU Tigers (7-4, 3-4) in their regular season finale on Saturday in Norman. When they do, it looks like it will be Michael Van Buren starting for the Tigers when they step onto Owen Field.

According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Van Buren is expected to make his third consecutive start this week against the Sooners.

Entering the season, returning senior Garrett Nussmeier was lauded as a Heisman candidate and projected to be a first round quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL draft. This season hasn't gone the way anyone expected with LSU firing Brian Kelly and Nussmeier has been battling injuries, including an abdominal strain that has held him out of LSU's last two games.

Van Buren started against Arkansas two weeks ago, helping the Tigers earn a 23-22 win over the Razorbacks. In Week 13, the Tigers held on to beat Western Kentucky in their nonconference finale.

In five games this season, Van Buren has completed 64% of his passes for 647 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He's also carried the ball 32 times for 72 yards and a touchdown. Last week against Western Kentucky, Van Buren completed just 59.5% of his passes for 202 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He averaged just 4.8 yards per attempt in the game.

On throws more than 10 yards down the field, Van Buren was just 5 of 17 (29.4%).

The Sooners defense will pose a significant challenge for the young signal caller. He has 10 career starts to his resume, including eight in 2024 for the Mississippi State Bulldogs but he hasn't faced a defense and a pass rush as good as Oklahoma's.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Michael Van Buren to start for LSU vs. Oklahoma Sooners in finale