Aug 217 min read

Predicting the Outcomes of Oklahoma Sooners Games in 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners embark on a new journey through the treacherous waters of the Southeastern Conference.

Head coach Brent Venables feels he has the Sooners poised to compete and thrive in the SEC. The key to the Sooners' season is Jackson Arnold's play at quarterback and whether the defense can live up to the hype of being a good squad.

Week 1: Temple Owls

The series is tied 1-1 with Temple winning the last game 14-7 in 1942. The Owls are the Sooners' first official opponent as an SEC member. Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, also known as "The Palace on the Prairie," will be rocking on that Friday night.

On paper, this matchup looks like the Sooners should roll out and dominate. That will happen as Oklahoma will prove to be too much for Temple. The Sooners' offense and defense will play well and get a comfortable lead. This will allow for backups and younger players to get some game time.

Record: 1-0.

Week 2: Houston Cougars

It's not a storied tradition for these 2 teams to play. The Sooners and Houston Cougars have only met 4 times with Oklahoma holding a 3-1 advantage. The last matchup resulted in Oklahoma winning 49-31 victory before the Cougars joined the Big 12 Conference. Both schools never met as conference foes.

Willie Fritz left Tulane to take over at Houston for Dana Holgorsen. He's trying to bring his winning culture that he established at Tulane to Houston. The Sooners will have no problem moving the ball on a defense that only returns 2 starters. Former Sooner defensive back Latrell McCutchin returns to Norman, Okla., after an unceremonious departure. The Sooners win the game handily in front of a happy home crowd.

Record: 2-0.

Week 3: Tulane Green Wave

The Tulane Green Wave and Sooners have only met twice; Oklahoma holds a 2-0 lead. They were supposed to play in New Orleans. But a hurricane and another surge of COVID-19 moved the game to Norman. The Green Wave had the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to win. But the Sooners stopped them for a 40-35 victory.

Jon Sumrall takes over as head coach. Tulane also has the American Athletic Conference's leading rusher returning in Makhi Huges. The Green Wave also has a new quarterback in Oregon transfer Ty Thompson. Thompson has former Sooner receiver Mario Williams and Alabama transfer Shazz Preston on offense. This game will be like their last meeting. It will be a close, hard-fought battle to the end. Oklahoma will make enough plays on both sides of the ball to secure a victory and move to 3-0.

Record: 3-0.

Week 4: Tennessee Volunteers

The Sooners hold a 3-1 advantage on new conference foe Tennessee. Oklahoma came to Knoxville in 2015. Quarterback Baker Mayfield pulled victory from the jaws of defeat after trailing 17-0 to win 31-24 in double overtime.

This is the Sooners' first official SEC game. Nostalgia will be thick with former Sooners national championship quarterback Josh Heupel coming in as Tennessee's head coach. Joey Halzle, another former Sooners quarterback, comes in as the Volunteers' offensive coordinator. That home crowd will be electric as Oklahoma's defense flexes and frustrates young Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The Sooner game plan to stay away from James Pearce Jr. helps them pull out a close one-score victory for Oklahoma's first conference win.

Record: 4-0.

Week 5: at Auburn Tigers

The Sooners and Tigers have only met twice, both times in the Sugar Bowl. Both times, the Sooners came out victorious. This is Oklahoma's first official SEC road game. The Sooners enter Jordan-Hare Stadium, a challenging place for opposing teams to play. This is especially true if you have never been there.

On paper, Oklahoma should be the better team and win. However, they don't play the game on paper. The Sooners will feel good after their Tennessee. But they enter a hostile environment where the strange is always possible. Costly mistakes at the wrong time spell doom for the Sooners. It's a close game, but the Sooners lose for the first time in the season.

Record: 4-1.

Week 6: Bye

The bye week comes at the perfect time for Oklahoma. Coming off their first loss, the Sooners are trying to prepare for the Red River Rivalry against the Texas Longhorns next week. The Sooners' players and staff will be re-evaluating some things and preparing for a tough stretch in the SEC.

Week 7: Texas Longhorns

The Red River Rivalry is one of college football's biggest rivalries. Factors like the game, location and atmosphere all play a part. Just imagine being at Cotton Bowl Stadium on this early October day. You get a seat, have your corn dog and beer from the Texas State Fair in hand. And, you have a view of seeing Texas and Oklahoma fans split right along the 50-yard line. This makes the clash one of the top football bucket list games. The Longhorns hold a 63-51-5 series advantage, but Oklahoma won last year in a thrilling game 34-30.

The Longhorns took that loss and it fueled them to a Big 12 Conference title and College Football Playoff spot. Texas lost talented running back CJ Baxter for the season in fall camp. The Longhorns have been rotating players to find the best fit for their ground game. Like so many of these historic matchups have been, this is a back-and-forth game. Texas makes the plays late to squeak out a victory and give the Sooners back-to-back losses.

Record: 4-2.

Week 8: South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina and Oklahoma have never met in football. Former Sooners assistant head coach Shane Beamer returns for an SEC game. The Gamecocks will travel well. It's the first time their fans can come to Norman for a game and visit one of college football's cathedrals.

The Gamecocks are investing in young quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers will have Nyck Harbor to throw the ball to and he's got world-class speed. The Gamecocks need to shore up their offensive line, but it will be problematic in this game. A relentless Sooner defense helps propel Oklahoma to break the two-game losing streak and get back on track. The Sooners will cover and may do it comfortably.

Record: 5-2.

Week 9: at Ole Miss Rebels

The Sooners and Rebels have only met once in football. In the 1999 Independence Bowl, Ole Miss won 27-25. Depending on what the SEC does with its schedules moving forward, both teams may very well meet yearly.

Ole Miss is a solid team as head coach Lane Kiffin has gone all in with NIL and the Transfer Portal. The Rebels have Jaxon Dart, a very skilled quarterback, and home-field advantage for this game. You better believe that Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, one of college football's oldest stadiums, will be electric that Saturday. With the crowd behind their Rebels, Oklahoma makes some mistakes and loses a close game.

Record: 5-3.

Week 10: Maine Black Bears

The Sooners will finally see a let-up in their schedule with the Maine Black Bears coming into town to kick off November. The two teams have never met in football, and this is a mismatch of significant populations.

The Black Bears are returning a solid defense and decent running game. However, this one is over before the team gets off the bus. This game gives the Sooners a chance to win and get some younger guys action in front of the home crowd. It happens before their brutal end-of-year 3-game stretch. Oklahoma wins this one in leisurely fashion, and Maine will gladly take the giant check that comes along with the loss.

Record: 6-3.

Week 11: at Missouri Tigers

These teams are now conference foes who have a long history. The Sooners hold a 67-24-5 advantage over the Tigers. Their last meeting was in 2011, when Oklahoma won 38-28. Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC. Now, and now the Sooners have joined them.

Missouri came into the year with high expectations due to a veteran offense led by quarterback Brady Cook and wide receiver Luther Burden III. Even with this game in Missouri, Oklahoma is the better team and will show it on the field with a convincing victory.

Record: 7-3.

Week 12: Bye

This last bye week comes at a crucial time for the Sooners. They will have time to recharge and game plan for one of the best teams in the country, the Alabama Crimson Tide, who come to town the following week.

Week 13: Alabama Crimson Tide

The Sooners and Crimson Tide have played 6 times with the Sooners holding a slight advantage at 3-2-1. Alabama beat Oklahoma in a CFP game at the Orange Bowl in 2018, 45-34. The Sooners won 3 straight before the Orange Bowl matchup. These proud programs mirror each other in so many ways. This conference game will be good for college football as a whole.

Jalen Milroe and the Crimson Tide come in like a well-oiled machine, and even with the Sooners playing up to their competition, Alabama is simply a better team in the end. This is not to say that the Sooners won't compete and make it interesting. It will be a close one-possession game that comes down to the wire. But Alabama pulls it out in the end to secure a spot in the SEC Championship game.

Record: 7-4.

Week 14: at LSU Tigers

LSU and the Sooners have met three times in their history, with the Tigers holding a 2-1 advantage. The most recent matchup was at the Peach Bowl in the CFP. It was during LSU quarterback Joe Burrow's historic run and the Tigers' offense that couldn't be stopped. LSU won easily, 63-28.

In the final regular-season game, the Sooners will travel to Tiger Stadium, also khown as "Death Valley," to play LSU. LSU struggles during the year and Brian Kelly will be on the hot seat as the Sooners come to town. Garrett Nussmeier is not the guy to replace Jayden Daniels. Even though the crowd will be amped, the Sooners will come to town and make enough plays to come away with a close victory. It will help Oklahoma secure a decent bowl berth.

Record: 8-4.

Oklahoma Postseason

With their first SEC season in the books at 8-4, the Sooners will miss the CFP but be in line for a solid bowl game. Oklahoma proved it could compete and worthy of being in the SEC as games were close and competitive.

The Sooners may have 2 landing spots with the first being the Citrus Bowl against a Big 10 Conference foe. The Citrus Bowl has the first selection after the playoffs are announced. The second option may be the Texas Bowl against a Big 12 team. Oklahoma should be favored in their bowl game and come away with a good season-ending win to take momentum into the next season.

Record: 9-4.