The Oklahoma Sooners 2025 schedule is one of the most challenging schedules in the nation. After a 6-7 season, Oklahoma is entering a massive year for the coaching staff and the program. The Sooners have to be in playoff contention, or there could be a reset with the program.
As we learned in 2024, every week in the SEC is going to be a dog fight, especially when you’re playing the Sooners schedule. Each game throughout the season takes on its own level of importance, either because of who Oklahoma is playing or because of where it falls on the schedule.
So how does each game on the Sooners 2025 schedule stack up in order of importance? Let’s take a look.
When: Saturday, Oct. 11, in Dallas Cotton Bowl
It’s the game of games. No other game in any season matters more than OU-Texas. It’s the greatest rivalry in college football in the best neutral site venue in the sport. Oklahoma will get its first real look at Arch Manning, a player who is expected to contend for the Heisman in 2025 and put the Longhorns in the national title picture. Oklahoma needs to avenge what happened last season and reset the narrative against their Red River Rivals.
2. Michigan Wolverines
When: Saturday, Sept. 6, in Norman
In week two, the Oklahoma Sooners will take on the Michigan Wolverines in a critical nonconference matchup. Want to find out what this Sooners team is going to be about in 2025, this game will tell the tale. Michigan may not be the team we saw go win the national title in 2023, but they’ll be really good in the trenches, which should provide a good indicator to Oklahoma’s chances in the SEC this season.
More: Early SEC Quarterback Rankings for 2025
3. Tennessee Volunteers
When: Saturday, Nov. 1, in Knoxville
When the Oklahoma Sooners face the Tennessee Volunteers, it’ll be at the end of five straight games, including games against Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and culminating in the road trip to Neyland Stadium to take on the Volunteers. That’s a tough run of games leading into Oklahoma’s second bye week. Go into the bye week with a road win, and the Sooners’ confidence level will be sky-high. Take a loss into the bye, and the pressure will be on with three weeks to go.
When: Saturday, Nov. 15, in Tuscaloosa
Coming out of Oklahoma’s second bye week of the season, the Sooners will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Oklahoma dominated Bama in 2024. It was an embarrassingly dreadful performance as a matter of fact. And you know that one’s going to sit in the craw of the Crimson Tide when the Sooners make the trip in mid-November. If Oklahoma wants to make the College Football Playoff, they’ll need to steal one on the road.
When: Saturday, Nov. 29, in Norman
The Oklahoma Sooners had LSU on the ropes until a kickoff return went for a touchdown and completely changed the momentum in the 2024 regular-season finale. Oklahoma will welcome the Tigers to town hoping to return the favor. More than it was last season, OU vs. LSU could be a College Football Playoff play-in game at the end of the regular season.
6. South Carolina Gamecocks
When: Saturday, Oct. 18, in Columbia, South Carolina
LaNorris Sellers is one of my darkhorse Heisman contenders in 2025. If he takes a step in his development, South Carolina could be dangerous. The Sooners go on the road to face the Gamecocks a week after the Red River Showdown. That makes this one a critical matchup for Oklahoma.
7. Missouri Tigers
When: Saturday, Nov. 22, in Norman
It’s not a rivalry. It’s not. At the same time, it’s a regional opponent that recruits some of the same midwestern areas that you do. You can’t let Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers come into your building and steal a win. Oklahoma gave that one away in 2024. That won’t happen again.
8. Ole Miss Rebels
When: Saturday, Oct. 25, in Norman
Ole Miss is going to look vastly different than the team the Sooners lost to in 2024. Though it ended as a loss, Oklahoma held a halftime lead in this one. Offensively, Oklahoma should be better in 2025 while Ole Miss could take a bit of a step back.
When: Saturday, Sept. 20, in Norman
Jackson Arnold returns to Norman for the first time since transferring to be the starting quarterback for the Tigers. It’s the first SEC game on the schedule, and OU will want to get off on the right foot, but this one doesn’t carry as much weight as the games coming down the line.
10. Kent State Golden Flashes
When: Saturday, Oct. 4, in Norman
Kent State is coming off a 0-12 season in 2024. They likely won’t repeat that level of futility, but they won’t be on Oklahoma’s level. The only concern here is that OU plays Texas the next week, which could lead to overlooking the Golden Flashes a bit.
11. Temple Owls
When: Saturday, Sept. 13 in Philadelphia
In one of the worst offensive seasons in Oklahoma Sooners history, OU beat Temple 51-3 to open the 2024 season. Could the Sooners get to 70?
12. Indiana State Red Birds
When: Saturday, Aug. 30, in Norman
Indiana State went 4-8 in 2024, and the Sooners are entering the season with something to prove. Hide your kids. This one could get brutal.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: How does each game on Oklahoma’s 2025 schedule ranks in importance?
