Oklahoma enters the 2026 season with the same demand hanging over everything: a national championship, nothing less.
That hasn’t changed in 25 seasons, not since Bob Stoops stunned the sport by bringing home the Sooners’ seventh title. And even with Brent Venables working with a talented general manager, a new athletic director and a pair of recruiting classes that look strong, the standard in Norman is still measured by the sport’s biggest prize.
Venables also has a fresh contract in hand, one that pays him $63 million over the next six years and ranks 11th nationally among head coaches. The timing of the two-year extension drew immediate criticism from Sooner Nation, especially after Joe Castiglione extended Venables two years ago following a 10-win season and the team then slipped to 6-7 for the second time in three seasons.
Venables even returned $1 million to OU after that losing season, saying it was meant to help offset the rising costs of running a major college football program.
Now the Sooners are back from another 10-win year and their first playoff appearance since 2019, and the roster has the kind of ingredients that can fuel a run. Oklahoma brings a defense that wants to hunt, a quarterback with experience, an offensive line with seasoning, and enough talent at the skill spots to matter.
“Really excited about what they’re becoming and who they’re becoming in regards to their identity,” Venables said, “and really looking forward to watching them play against somebody else to see where we’re at. There’ll be plenty of things that we’ve got to get cleaned up, but really excited about the growth potential of this football team.”
The test starts quickly and it starts hard. Oklahoma has road games against No.
16 Michigan and No. 3 Georgia this month, with the annual meeting against No.
5 Texas sitting right in the middle of that stretch.
If the Sooners navigate that run with only one loss, they should be right back in the College Football Playoff in December.
But in Norman, reaching the playoff is only part of the job. It’s a good step. It’s not enough.
Last season’s loss to Alabama in Norman left fans encouraged about what was ahead, but still wanting more in the present.
Friday night against UTEP at Owen Field won’t settle the national title question. It just starts the season with that question still waiting.
In Other News...
Danny Saili Is Already Forcing His Way Into Oklahomas Plans
Danny Sailis move to Oklahoma has already started to pay off for the Sooners. The former Arkansas linebacker, now cleared by the NCAA, was on the field for Oklahomas season opener and has wasted little time getting comfortable in Brent Venables defense, a system that asks a lot from its linebackers and rewards players who can pick things up quickly.
What has stood out most inside the building is how seamlessly Saili has fit in with the group. Coaches and teammates have pointed to his experience and the way he adds competition and depth, the kind of presence that can matter over the long grind of a season. For Oklahoma, the early signs suggest this was more than just a routine transfer addition. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Is Counting On Reggie Powers In A Crucial Defensive Test
Oklahoma enters the new season facing an important adjustment on defense after losing Kendal Daniels, whose strong year ended with a draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons. The Sooners are now looking for returning talent to absorb the production gap, and Reggie Powers is a central part of that plan after spending last season in a supporting role.
Powers is expected to move into the starting cheetah spot, a bigger job on a unit that wants to stay strong without Daniels presence. He has already shown excitement about the expanded opportunity, and Oklahomas confidence in the defense will depend in part on how quickly he can translate that promise into steady play. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Season Opener Said Plenty About This Team Fast
UTEPs season opener in Norman turned into a long afternoon almost immediately, with the Miners falling behind early and never finding a way to make Oklahoma uncomfortable in a 51-0 loss to the No. 10 Sooners. Scotty Walden spent his postgame remarks sorting through the obvious setbacks, with special teams standing out as a particular problem, even as he tried to keep the bigger picture in view for a roster still trying to take shape.
There was at least some encouragement for UTEP on the offensive side, and Walden said he sees room for the group to keep developing after a game like this. The schedule does not offer much time to ease into that process, either, with Michigan, Texas Southern and Oregon State all still ahead in non-conference play, so the Miners will need whatever lessons they can carry out of Week 1. [Read more 🡒]