Oklahoma’s first two years in the SEC have done little to shake its place near the top of the conference hierarchy.
That’s the takeaway from USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer, who ranked the SEC’s 16 programs and put the Sooners at No. 2, trailing only Alabama. For a program that heard plenty of “The next Nebraska,” talk when it announced the move to the league, that’s a pretty firm rebuttal.
The 2024 season gave critics something to point to. Oklahoma finished 6-6 in the regular season, and that kind of record doesn’t sit right in Norman. But the source of the trouble was more about injuries than a lack of talent, and once the roster was healthier, the Sooners looked a lot more like themselves.
With a more functional offense, Oklahoma finished 10-2 and punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff. Along the way, the Sooners won road games at South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, and they also handled Michigan in nonconference play. The year still ended with a letdown in a playoff loss to Alabama, but it also served as a reminder of what Oklahoma can be when things are clicking.
Toppmeyer’s ranking leaned heavily on the program’s history, and there’s no shortage of it. “The crimson and cream have blue blood.
Among SEC schools, Oklahoma trails only Alabama for all-time winning percentage. Double-digit win seasons remain the standard, although the 2000 Sooners remain OU's last national champion.
Oklahoma ruled the 1950s under Bud Wilkinson, then ran back their dominance with Barry Switzer’s wishbone in the 1970s and 80s. Seven Heisman winners point to the program’s star power. - Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Sports”
Even with two 6-7 seasons in the last four years, Oklahoma’s standing hasn’t really budged. The Sooners remain one of the winningest programs in college football, with historic and recent Heismans, 50 conference championships and seven national championships on the résumé.
That title drought is still there, but the expectation around the program hasn’t changed. According to the source, Brent Venables has assembled a team that could finally deliver No. 8 this year.
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Venables now heads into a schedule that can tighten the screws quickly, with road trips to Michigan, Georgia and Texas all looming. His standing has improved from where it was a year ago, but the broader lesson around college football is clear enough for Oklahoma fans to recognize, especially after watching other coaches lose their footing soon after promising runs. [Read more 🡒]