College football conference realignment kicked off way back in 2021 with Oklahoma and Texas agreeing to take their talents to the SEC, leaving the Big 12. At the time, it felt incredibly far away and a decision that wouldn’t matter for quite some time.
This left a couple of college football dominos to fall. First, Lincoln Riley left Norman and the Sooners to head off to Los Angeles, where he still currently coaches USC. Then, the Trojans, UCLA, Washington and Oregon all announced their departure from the Pac-12 to head to the Big Ten.
The dominos didn’t stop there. Arizona State, Arizona, Utah and Colorado also left the Pac-12 — killing the conference — to head to the Big 12 to make up for Oklahoma and Texas leaving.
For the Sooners, though, they’ve since been a different program while the sport of college football has been changing rapidly. They’re headed into the toughest league in the sport, and it’s going to be an intriguing transition to follow.
Sooners “a wild card” heading into SEC
Again, the SEC is a true gauntlet. Brent Venables has got a lot to prove. He’s heading into his third season as the program’s head coach. In year one, he posted a 6-7 record. Last season, he finished with a 10-3 record, showing plenty of promise. The program hasn’t lost a step in recruiting, either.
Venables seems to be the guy heading into the new conference, but he’s still got to prove such. On3’s Andy Staples still pins the Sooners as a “mystery” team heading into the new season which will see college football change plenty.
“Oklahoma is a big mystery right now,” Staples said. “Defensively, probably the deepest they’ve been in years. They love their quarterback in Jackson Arnold. They let Dillon Gabriel walk. I understand why.”
Venables has reloaded the defense. They’ve got all the talented needed combined with the right system in place to take a leap in that department. On the other side of the football, Jackson Arnold looks more than primed to take a leap.
“My floor is actually still 6-6,” Staples said. “I don’t think there is a world that they don’t make a bowl game. But my ceiling is a CFP [College Football Playoff] berth, and I believe anything in between because I don’t know.”
This team is hard to project. Arnold was a true freshman last season. There’s new coordinators on both sides of the football. They’ve got a tough schedule. But still, this is Oklahoma. The Sooners are true blue blood. The SEC is tough, and we’ve yet to see them compete in the league, but it’s hard to imagine a blue blood won’t find success.
Oklahoma given 7.5 over/under win total
Given Staples’ prediction, claiming a CFP berth or 6-6 season could both be realistic, a 7.5 over/under win total technically makes sense. Oddsmakers are having just as tough of a time trying to project what this team could truly be. The ceiling is infinitely high. They could also be a fringe bowl team.
Most sportsbooks land with the Sooners having a 7.5 over/under win total, and it makes sense. It’s hard to see a world where they hit the under. At the end of the day, though, it’s up to Oklahoma to declare what their first season and SEC tenure could look like.
READ MORE: OU Football: Sooners ‘Trending’ For Key 2025 Prospects
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