Oklahoma’s rebound last season put Brent Venables back on solid ground, but not everyone is convinced the Sooners are built to stay in the national spotlight.
After a rough 6-7 finish in 2024, Oklahoma answered with a 10-3 campaign in Year 2 in the SEC and made it back to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. That turnaround looked shaky for a while.
The Sooners were sitting at 6-2 after the loss to Ole Miss, with trips to Tennessee and Alabama and home dates with Missouri and LSU still ahead. Then they ripped off four straight wins and locked in their playoff spot.
Now they enter 2026 with real buzz. Oklahoma opens at No. 10 in the AP poll and sits tied for No. 12 in returning production. Quarterback John Mateer is back, along with several important pieces from a defense that ranked No. 6 last season.
Still, the skepticism is loud. College Football HQ’s Matt De Lima has the Sooners as a team that could tumble out of the top 25 quickly, and ESPN’s Paul Finebaum went even further on “Get Up.” Finebaum called Oklahoma the top-10 team he expects to finish unranked.
"Oklahoma," Finebaum said. "They have an elite defense under Brent Venables, but I absolutely hate their schedule.
They have John Mateer back; he was banged up last year, and they went into a bit of a tailspin. Even though they made the playoffs, though they lost at home, giving up a 17-point lead to Alabama.
I think they could run into a buzzsaw."
The schedule is the big reason for the doubt. ESPN’s Football Power Index lists it as the No. 2 toughest in the country, behind Arkansas. Oklahoma’s early stretch is brutal: road games at Michigan and Georgia, plus Texas in Dallas, all in the first five games.
And it doesn’t get much kinder late. The Sooners also have Ole Miss and Texas A&M at home, along with Missouri on the road, in the final three games.
No one is questioning Oklahoma’s talent. The question is whether the Sooners can survive that kind of grind again and keep themselves in the College Football Playoff conversation.
In Other News...
Oklahomas Rushing Turnaround May Depend On One Freshman Running Back
Oklahomas push to fix its ground game has become one of the clearest priorities of the offseason after the Sooners finished near the bottom of the sport in rushing last year. A combination of new coaches, transfer additions and the return of Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson has given the room a different look, but the storyline around the position has started to center on a freshman who arrived with plenty of physical tools and has already drawn attention in camp.
Jonathan Hatton Jr. has stood out for his size and speed, traits that have made him an intriguing piece in a backfield still trying to establish its identity. The buzz around him has only grown after encouraging scrimmage work, and as Oklahoma searches for a more reliable running attack, the development of its youngest back could end up being one of the more important details to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offensive Line Plan Just Hit A Major Early Test
Oklahomas offseason pitch on the offensive line was built around continuity, but that plan has already been tested before the season can really settle in. Center Jake Maikkula is expected to miss an extended stretch after a knee injury, creating an immediate change in the middle of a group the Sooners had hoped would grow together and stay stable as the schedule tightened.
Redshirt junior Caleb Nitta looks like the next man up, while freshman Noah Best is also in the mix for the center job. However Oklahoma sorts out the spot, the timing is far from ideal with Michigan ahead on the schedule, and the Sooners now have to make the kind of adjustment teams usually hope to avoid until much later in the year. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Emerges In Key Transfer Battle Around Josh Hubbard
Tavion Banks has become one of the more interesting names on the transfer market for programs still looking to add a versatile piece, and Oklahoma is in the mix as his next stop takes shape. The Iowa guard-forward is not returning there, and his next season is now drawing interest from a group that also includes Gonzaga, LSU and Mississippi State, with each school offering a different path and a different kind of roster fit.
For the Sooners, the appeal is obvious enough: Banks brings a multi-position profile that can help fill needs as Oklahoma continues sorting out its backcourt and wing rotation. LSU and Mississippi State are being viewed as especially open doors because of the roles available, which makes this one worth watching closely as the competition for Banks narrows and the Sooners try to stay firmly in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]