The goal for nearly every college football team is to qualify for the College Football Playoff. The introduction of the 12-team playoff format has provided more opportunities for teams to reach the postseason tournament and compete for a national championship.
Historically, since the playoff began in 2014, no team has made it in with fewer than ten wins in a season. The closest example is the Clemson Tigers from last season, who finished with a 10-3 record. They were 9-3 in the regular season but secured an automatic berth by winning the ACC Championship Game, ending up with 10 wins.
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On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum discussed the Oklahoma Sooners this season. Finebaum mentioned that he struggles to see a path for Oklahoma to achieve nine wins.
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables.Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
“I see four losses that he can’t get out of,” Finebaum said. “I’m not even talking about Missouri at home. So, he has to get to, I think, eight wins. Maybe more, but minimum. I think he can.”
The Sooners face a challenging path to achieving nine wins in the 2025 season. According to Athlon Sports, Oklahoma has the second-toughest schedule in college football for that year. Notable matchups include home games against Michigan, Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU. Additionally, the Sooners will take on Texas in a neutral-site game and will have road games against South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama.
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One advantage for Oklahoma is that it returns 69% of its production from the previous year, ranking it No. 10 in the nation. The Sooners have also made significant changes to their offensive talent this offseason, following a lackluster performance last season in which they ranked No. 113 in total offense and No. 119 in passing offense. This disappointing showing led head coach Brent Venables to fire offensive coordinator Seth Littrell during the season, and he subsequently hired Ben Arbuckle from Washington State as the new offensive coordinator.
In addition to Arbuckle’s arrival, his former quarterback at Washington State, John Mateer, is transferring to Oklahoma. Mateer, the No. 2 overall player in the transfer portal, will take over for Jackson Arnold, who transferred to Auburn after last season. Last year, Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns, while only throwing seven interceptions. He also rushed for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Furthermore, the Sooners have added former California Golden Bears star running back Jaydn Ott to their roster. Although Ott struggled with injuries last season, finishing with just 385 yards and four touchdowns, he had an impressive season in 2023 with 1,315 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns.
Oklahoma will kick off the season against Illinois State on August 30.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names Disappointing College Football Team in for a ‘Great Season’
