Oklahoma football has begun preparation for the Houston Cougars, who come to town Saturday for the Sooners’ second prime-time game in a row. It’s another opportunity to show the college football world what this team is about in 2024.
The Sooners came in at No. 13 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll and one spot higher in the AP Top 25, but one college football expert is even higher on the Oklahoma Sooners after Week 1.
In his latest power rankings for Fox Sports, college football analyst R.J. Young has the Oklahoma Sooners at No. 11, one spot behind former Big 8/12 foe turned SEC foe Missouri.
Oklahoma beat an FBS opponent 51-3. Missouri beat an FCS opponent 51-0. Still, folks are treating OU like they’d normally treat Mizzou and Mizzou like they’d normally treat OU with no regard for history. The Sooners won 10 games last year, while the Tigers won 11. Hence, the ranking here. – Young, Fox Sports
Missouri is a good team. There’s no doubt about that. But are they a better team than the Oklahoma Sooners? We’ll find out later in the season. But the Tigers could be a playoff team because they have a schedule that will allow them to reach 10 or 11 wins.
Much like the Texas Longhorns, they have a chance to have a big season because of their light schedule. Both teams will play Texas A&M, but that game doesn’t look quite as difficult after the way Notre Dame handled the Aggies in College Station in Week 1.
The Oklahoma Sooners, on the other hand, are spoken of like they’re a Group of Five program making the move to the SEC instead of one of the winningest programs in college football history.
It’s because of Oklahoma’s success over the last 10 years that it was hit with a more challenging schedule than either Texas or Missouri. But that’s the cost of doing business when you’re a blue-blood program, and the Oklahoma Sooners are ready for the challenge.
After Week 1, the ESPN matchup predictor has OU going 8-4. If that happens, it will not be because Oklahoma isn’t any good. It will be because the teams on their schedule are very good. It’s going to take very good teams to keep the Sooners out of the College Football Playoff because they themself are a very good football team.
More: SEC Power Rankings after Week 1
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