NORMAN — OU’s schedule isn’t lacking in important matchups.
The Sooners’ inaugural ride through the SEC includes matchups vs. powers Alabama and LSU as well as upstarts Ole Miss and Missouri. It’s got a showdown with Josh Heupel’s Tennessee squad and a first-ever visit to Auburn.
There’s also the always-important showdown with Texas in the Cotton Bowl and a nonconference game against Tulane that could be sneakily dangerous.
ESPN’s strength-of-schedule metrics put OU’s as the seventh-toughest in the country. But all of the tougher schedules are also in the SEC so the Sooners are just in the middle of the pack in the conference.
The SEC is plenty deep this season, leaving predictions about the Sooners’ fate all over the place, from beyond in College Football Playoff contention to fighting for a bowl berth.
Here’s a look at the OU scheduling, ranking the games in order of importance:
More: OU football adds Utah State to 2027 nonconference schedule
1. vs. Texas in Dallas (2:30 p.m. Oct. 12, ABC or ESPN)
The take: Could it be anything different? OU-Texas is at the top of the importance list every season but this season it takes on an even greater importance. The Longhorns have the makings of a playoff contender and a top-flight quarterback in Quinn Ewers. The Sooners’ win over Texas last season was the highlight of their season. Best case for OU, it comes into this game undefeated and looking for a win to strengthen its bid for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Worst case, the Sooners might need a win here to stay afloat after a tough start to SEC play. Either way or anything in the middle, the Red River Rivalry is at the top of the list of important matchups for OU this season.
2. vs. Tennessee (2:30-3:30 or 5-7 p.m., Sept. 21)
The take: This game has plenty of importance that goes beyond the surface. First, it’s OU’s SEC opener and it comes at home. The Sooners need a strong start to conference play with a tough slate upcoming and after going through an early slate without much juice. It’s also Josh Heupel’s return to Norman for the first time since he was fired following the 2014 season. Heupel, the quarterback for OU’s 2000 national championship team, has said all the right things about his return but there’s no doubt there will be a little extra emotion on both sides of this matchup.
3. at LSU (2:30-3:30 or 5-7 p.m., Nov. 30)
The take: The most important game during the most critical stretch of the Sooners’ season. This one ends OU’s inaugural run through the regular-season SEC gauntlet and it figures to have heavy implications regardless. On the lofty side of things, it could be for a playoff spot. If things are rocky, it could be for a bowl appearance. Or it could be the difference between a high-level bowl game and a ho-hum postseason assignment.
More: Where does OU football stack up in SEC strength of schedule for 2024 season?
4. vs. Alabama (2:30-3:30 or 5-7 p.m. Nov. 23)
The take: This is the kind of game that OU fans excited about the move to the SEC had in mind as the big difference between the Big 12 schedule and the SEC slate. The Crimson Tide will be formidable under Kalen DeBoar but the game looks more winnable than if Nick Saban was still running the ship in Tuscaloosa. As the only home game during the closing stretch, this one takes on an even greater importance.
5. at Missouri (2:30-3:30 or 5-7 p.m. Nov. 9)
The take: Cayden Green’s transfer to Missouri after a successful freshman season at OU added an element of intrigue to this one, as did the Tigers beating the Sooners in the Williams Nwaneri sweepstakes. This game kicks off a brutal three-game stretch that also includes a home game against Alabama and the road matchup against LSU.
6. at Auburn (2:30-3:30 p.m. Sept. 28)
The take: OU’s first SEC road game has all the trappings of a, well, trap game. The Sooners look like the better team on paper but Jordan-Hare Stadium is a difficult place to play and OU could still be working through some things by the fifth game of the season. Winning on the road in the SEC is a difficult proposition most anywhere. It seems a win here is crucial for the Sooners turning in a successful season.
7. at Ole Miss (11-Noon Oct. 26)
The take: The Grove will be rocking beforehand, though the early start might tamp down the enthusiasm just a bit for the Sooners’ first-ever game in the state of Mississippi. Jaxson Dart vs. Jackson Arnold will make this one a marquee game regardless. If Brent Venables’ defense can contain Dart, a win is much easier to see and a win here could be the key to keeping the Sooners in the playoff conversation ahead of their brutal November stretch.
8. vs. Tulane (2:30 p.m. Sept. 14, ESPN or ESPN2)
The take: When discussing the expected competitiveness of OU’s nonconference slate, the meeting with the Green Wave is far and away the most dangerous of the four. Tulane has won a combined 23 games over…
The Oklahoman
