The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to bounce back after a 2024 season that was well below the standard in Norman. OU went 6-7 in their first season in the SEC, and the program was left with more questions than answers after head coach Brent Venables’ third season at the helm.
The 2025 season comes with a clear challenge ahead, as the Sooners play the toughest schedule in the country, according to ESPN’s SP+ metrics. Year 4 under Venables features a home non-conference date against Michigan in addition to a very strong conference slate. If the Sooners want to have a better overall record in their second season in the SEC, they’ll have to improve mightily.
ESPN college football analyst Bill Connelly, the architect behind SP+, believes that Oklahoma might have what it takes to strike back this year. In an article where ESPN’s college football writers gave their picks for teams poised to rise this season, Connelly was high on the changes OU made this offseason.
It’s hard to say how much the record will improve considering that whole “they have the hardest schedule in the country” thing, but Oklahoma had its best defense in more than a decade and its worst offense since the 1990s last season and took big steps toward rectifying the latter with the addition of coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer from Washington State. If the offensive line improves (it was also OU’s worst since the 1990s last year), the combination of Arbuckle, Mateer and a huge load of receiving corps transfers could prompt a pretty big rebound in terms of scoring points. The defense returns quite a bit too. If the Sooners can get off to a fast start — they host both Michigan and Auburn in September — they could be a really interesting story once the schedule starts unloading on them in October and November. – Connelly, ESPN
But Connelly wasn’t done praising the Sooners, as he believes the impact Mateer will bring to the table will be big for Oklahoma.
If I’m right about OU, then Mateer’s the obvious answer here. In 12 games last season, he threw for 3,139 yards and rushed for 1,032 (not including sacks) with 44 combined touchdowns. The Sooners’ schedule will provide plenty of elite opposition, but he’s dynamite. – Connelly, ESPN
There’s been a lot of change in Norman since the Sooners last played. The additions of Arbuckle and Mateer headline an offense rebuilt at several positions through the portal. Venables lost his defensive coordinator Zac Alley to the same role at West Virginia, so he decided to take over the defensive play-calling and hire a couple of new defensive assistants in Nate Dreiling and Wes Goodwin. Factor in a reloaded special teams unit and a brand-new general manager in Jim Nagy, and Oklahoma has made plenty of moves to make sure 2024 doesn’t repeat itself.
Only time will tell if the decisions made will pay off, but after a very rough season, Oklahoma has a chance to rebound in 2025 and put the failures of last year behind them.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Bill Connelly has high hopes for Oklahoma
