Oklahoma coach Brent Venables knew up front his Sooners would have a battle on their hands at Georgia this season.

Venables, however, couldn’t have known when the schedule came out that Oklahoma could be without two of its top linemen in what figures to one of the most physical SEC games of the season at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Sooners listed left tackle Michael Fasusi as “out” and continued to list All-American defensive tackle David Stone as “questionable” on its final SEC injury report released on Thursday.

Stone injured his knee in Oklahoma’s practice on Monday.

“You gotta embrace the fight,” said Venables, who has long been noted for elite defenses that cross-up opposing quarterbacks.

There was some optimism Fasusi might be able to play against Georgia after suffering a shoulder injury in the Sooners’ season-opening 51-0 win over UTEP.

Venables zeroed in on the pivotal nature of line play when previewing the game, saying on the SEC teleconference on Wednesday that “it’s going to take us playing our best football, clean football, being physical” to compete with the Bulldogs.

It’s a talented Oklahoma team, to be sure, as the Sooners were ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll and was at No. 11 when it fell at Michigan (17-10) on Sept. 12.

But the Sooners are not so deep as to not miss talents like Stone, a projected first-round NFL draft pick and former 5-star prospect in the 2024 class, and Fasusi, a former 5-star prospect and the No. 1-ranked offensive tackle in the 2025 class.

Venables noted how the foundation of Kirby Smart’s Georgia football teams is on the front lines where the Sooners are expected to be without the two key players.

“Lines of scrimmage is how that team has been built, it’s an incredibly physical football team,” Venables said.

“You’ve got to go for 60-plus minutes because that’s what Georgia’s going to be ready to do,” he said. “They’ve got tremendous competitive stamina, that’s who they’ve been over the last several years and national championships.

“They’re a team that plays all four quarters and they fight for every inch on that field.”

The focus on the Sooners’ injuries at the line of scrimmage has taken much of the attention off quarterback John Mateer, who ranks eighth in the SEC in QB rating after entering the season among Heisman Trophy hopefuls.

Mateer’s ability to run the ball has caught Smart’s attention, indicating the Georgia coach is expecting a true dual-threat when the Bulldogs line up on defense in what promises to be a physical game.

Oklahoma will have a much-needed bye week following the game against No. 2-ranked followed by a trip to Dallas to play currently-No. 1-ranked Texas.

The Longhorns are one of seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 that are ahead on Oklahoma’s schedule.

“We’ve known the challenge since the schedule was announced,” Venables said this week. “So, it’s a great opportunity and going to be a great venue (at Georgia).

“Just again, if you love to compete and love to be in the arena and you want to go against the best, well, you’re going to have all you can get this week.”