The Oklahoma Sooners appear to have many of the ingredients needed to contend for a national championship. After going 10-3 and returning to the College Football Playoff last season, expectations are rising in Norman. Oklahoma also returns much of its core, tying for No. 12 nationally in returning production.
Those factors typically give teams a legitimate opportunity to compete for a national title. The biggest obstacle is Oklahoma’s schedule, which ranks as the second-toughest in college football, trailing only the Arkansas Razorbacks. Some of the key games include road games against the Michigan Wolverines and the Georgia Bulldogs, a neutral-site game against the Texas Longhorns, and home games against the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas A&M Aggies.
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Those are all teams that have College Football Playoff aspirations, and three of them made the field last season. So, the question now is what chances does Oklahoma have at winning its eighth national championship? ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), a measure of a team’s strength meant to be the best predictor of its performance going forward for the rest of the season, gives the Sooners a 2% chance to win it all.
How does the SEC stack up in ESPN Football Power Index rankings?
That ranks Oklahoma No. 12 in college football and No. 6 in the SEC, behind Texas, Georgia, the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, and Texas A&M. Three of which the Sooners play. Despite Oklahoma’s returning production and momentum from last season, ESPN’s projection suggests the Sooners remain a tier below the sport’s top championship favorites entering 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: ESPN reveals Oklahoma’s national championship odds for 2026
