CFB Analyst Makes 3 Bold Predictions For Oklahoma Football in 2024

In every sense, the Oklahoma Sooners are under the microscope heading into the 2024 college football season. Officially a member of the SEC, third-year head coach Brent Venables is set for a defining season.

After going 10-3 in the program’s final season in the Big 12, Venables seems to be the right man as the head coach. So much so, the Sooners extended his contract. He’s got to prove it in the SEC, though, as the program’s future lies within their success in the juggernaut of the conference.

Pundits believe Oklahoma will land somewhere around mid-table in the SEC in their inaugural season within the conference. However, Sports News’ Tyler Brooke made three bold predictions for the Sooners next season.

3 bold predictions for Oklahoma’s first season in the SEC

Again, pundits and analysts, for the most part, haven’t been optimistic as to how the Sooners will fare in year one in the SEC. The narrative surrounding them compared to Texas is quite interesting, given Oklahoma’s Red River Rivalry victory a season ago. The two don’t seem too far off.

READ MORE: Popular CFB Analyst Claims Five SEC Teams Will Make 2024 College Football Playoffs

Either way, Brooke wrote three bold predictions for Oklahoma next season. The first of those predictions was Jackson Arnold making a potential All-SEC campaign. The sophomore quarterback is taking over under center after Dillon Gabriel led the offense for two seasons.

Seth Littrell is taking over as the team’s offensive coordinator and will establish an air raid offense — which is very beneficial for Arnold, who has an elite arm. The strong wide receiver corps also adds to a potential breakout season, with the only hold-up being offensive line performance and facing SEC defenses as a young quarterback.

Arnold putting together an elite season wouldn’t come as a shock whatsoever.

Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold throws a pass during the University of Oklahoma (OU) spring football practice at the Everest Training Center in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Next, Brooke claimed the Sooners will win the Red River Rivalry for a second-straight season and for the first time in the SEC.

“The Texas Longhorns may be getting all of the preseason love. However, it’s the Sooners who should come away with a win this year, even if it’s projected to be an upset,” Brooke wrote. “…Expect a big step back from Texas this year, and for the Sooners to come out swinging early against their bitter rival.”

Again, this wouldn’t come as much of a shock. The Sooners took the rivalry game a season ago — even though it was an upset. Still, it’s one of the most storied rivalry games in the history of college football, and anything can truthfully happen. With the Sooners projected to take a step forward, they could very well trump the Longhorns in the first season in the new conference.

With the final of the three predictions, Brooke predicted the Sooners to lead the SEC in scoring. This might be the boldest of the predictions. The Sooners’ bread and butter for the past decade has been the offense, but Venables’ arrival and future joining of the SEC has the program making defense a focus once again.

While Oklahoma’s stout defense will make a return, their offense is going nowhere. As mentioned, Littrell is taking over as the offensive coordinator with the correct tools to have a thriving offense. Brooke cited LSU’s step back without Jayden Daniels as a potential reason the Sooners can lead the conference in scoring.

“Oklahoma averaged an impressive 41.7 points per game last season. That was the fourth-best mark in the FBS, and behind only the LSU Tigers for any current SEC teams,” Brooke wrote. “…With so much talent and a blue-chip quarterback running the show, there’s no reason why the Sooners shouldn’t be able to lead the conference in scoring this year.”

Watching Oklahoma in their first SEC campaign will be one of the strongest storylines during the 2024 college football season.

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Follow Kade Kimble on Twitter.