Dave: Offense the key question for ’26 Sooners
The 2025 Oklahoma Football season ended in disappointment for Sooner fans to the tune of a 34-24 first round playoff loss to Alabama in Norman last December.
What made it sting more was the 17-0 lead Oklahoma built to start the game. However, looking back on the season as a whole, you would have to say it was a very successful campaign and shows the program Brent Venables is building moving in the right direction.
A home college football playoff game is a big accomplishment. And even though we have a monster of a schedule to contend with in 2026, there is reason to believe a bigger jump could be expected this year.
The defense will continue to be the hallmark of Oklahoma football. With David Stone and Taylor Wien manning the line and the Bowen brothers along with Kip Lewis patrolling the second level, this unit could be even better than before.
And don’t forget returning Lou Groza award winner Tate Sandel. Reports from pre-season practices are saying he is hitting from over 60 yards out. A reliable place kicker is a huge weapon.
Mike: Expect a 9-3 Sooners repeat
I can happily say that I underestimated Coach Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners last year.
I predicted an 8-4 regular season finish in 2025. The Sooners finished 10-2, beating Alabama and Tennessee on the road and LSU at home – outcomes I had not thought possible this time last year.
John Mateer’s mid-season thumb injury had me thinking I was going to be right. I was wrong.
So, will the OU overachieving last year impact my predictions for 2026? Let’s see.
Game by game:
The Easy Non-Conference games: UTEP and New Mexico. Count them as wins. No need to discuss.
The Difficult Non-Conference game: At Michigan’s Big House. This is the third largest stadium in the world. And the Wolverines are hoping to avenge a loss in Norman last year. A very talented QB … has a year’s experience under his belt. Oklahoma won last year 24-13. This will be a tight one, but Michigan’s best unit (offense) is going against OU’s best unit (defense). And I’ll take the Sooners in that scenario every time.