Oklahoma’s first trip to Starkville now comes with a kickoff time attached, and it won’t be under the lights.
The SEC announced Monday that the Sooners and Mississippi State will meet at 2:30 p.m. CT on Oct.
- The game in Starkville will air on either ESPN or the SEC Network.
For Oklahoma, the matchup lands in the middle of a run that could keep stacking up ranked opponents. Depending on how Mississippi State handles LSU this weekend, the Sooners could be facing their fifth ranked team of the season - and possibly their fourth in a row.
Mississippi State enters this week at 4-1 and was ranked No. 16 before its matchup with Alabama two weeks ago. The Bulldogs were beaten 56-23 by the Crimson Tide in a game described as sloppy for the home team. Mississippi State kept that No. 16 spot through its bye week and now turns its attention to a road game at LSU on Saturday.
Oklahoma is coming in with momentum of its own after a 27-24 win over No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The Sooners got enough from special teams, defense and just enough offense to pull off the upset.
Before heading to Starkville, OU will return to Norman for the first time since a 14-6 win over New Mexico in Week 3. That home date comes against No. 15 Kentucky.
Kentucky arrives off a dramatic 35-34 overtime win over then-No. 10 LSU. The Wildcats sealed it with a successful two-point conversion against Lane Kiffin’s Tigers, a result that gave first-year coach Will Stein’s team a major boost.
The Wildcats’ only loss came in a 45-17 defeat at Alabama. Kentucky led 17-13 at halftime before being shut out in the second half.
This will be Kentucky’s second trip to Norman. The first came in 1980, when Oklahoma won 29-7. The schools have met three times overall, starting with the 1951 Sugar Bowl and including OU’s 29-8 win in Lexington in 1982.
There’s also a coaching connection hanging over the Mississippi State game. It will be the first time Brent Venables has faced a former assistant on the other sideline, with Jeff Lebby leading the Bulldogs. Lebby served two seasons as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator during Venables’ first two years as head coach from 2022-2023.
Lebby’s record at Mississippi State sits at 11-19 overall and 3-16 in SEC play over three seasons. He has been more effective in Starkville, where he is 7-10 at Davis Wade Stadium.
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Kentuckys report adds another layer to the matchup, with former Oklahoma wide receiver Nic Anderson listed as probable and several Wildcats also carrying injury tags of their own. For Oklahoma, the biggest immediate concern is simply how much of its depth will be available when it tries to handle a Kentucky team dealing with its own health issues. [Read more 🡒]
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Texas coach Steve Sarkisian stepped in to defend his quarterback, arguing Manning would be viewed differently if he did not carry that level of recognition. But the pushback came quickly, with ESPN analysts Paul Finebaum and Jordan Rodgers publicly disputing Sarkisians read and casting doubt on Mannings current level of play, turning one rough game into a broader debate that is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces A Big Test After The Texas Statement Win
Kentucky comes to Norman riding a four-game winning streak, and the timing makes this one feel like more than just another SEC date on the calendar. The Wildcats have already shown they can survive a tight one, including an overtime win over LSU, while Oklahoma is coming off the kind of result that can change the mood around a season in a hurry after beating then-No. 1 Texas.
The challenge for the Sooners is turning that statement win into something sustainable, because the next week always says a lot about a teams habits. Both coaches have pointed to focus and preparation as the keys here, and with Kentucky arriving confident and unbeaten in its recent run, Oklahoma will have to match the emotion of last week with the discipline required to handle the one in front of it. [Read more 🡒]