Who will Oklahoma play next? Updated schedule, opponent for 2025 College Football Playoffs bracket originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For the first time since 2019, the Oklahoma Sooners are in the College Football Playoff. Brent Venables, John Mateer, and the SEC’s No. 1 defense have finally delivered on the promise of the program’s transition, navigating the brutal gauntlet of their first season in the league to clinch a 10-2 record and a coveted spot in the expanded field.
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This success was built on a stifling defense that ranked top-five nationally, and first in the SEC, in opponent points per game and boasted an impressive number of takeaways. The pivotal moment came in a massive upset victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where the Sooners forced three turnovers on the Tide’s high-flying offense to shock the college football world.
Quarterback John Mateer, the junior transfer, complemented the elite defense with (literal) surgical efficiency, managing the game perfectly while throwing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns on the season. His mobility and leadership were crucial in guiding the Sooners to a 6-2 conference record, placing them tied for third in the brutal SEC standings.
Though the Sooners did not make the SEC championship, Brett Venables’ squad has made the Playoff for the first time in his Norman tenure. Here’s who Oklahoma will play next.
LIVE:Updated College Football Playoff bracket revealed in final rankings
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College Football Playoff bracket
Here is a look at the full CFP bracket:
Who will Oklahoma play next?
The Committee gave Oklahoma the No. 8 seed, so the Sooners will host a game against No. 9 Alabama in the first round of the Playoff. This will be a rematch of an earlier game, when the Sooners beat the Crimson Tide, 23-21 on Nov. 15.
When does Oklahoma play again?
Oklahoma will play at 8:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. CT, on Friday, Dec. 19 to open the College Football Playoff this year.
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NEWS:
College Football Playoff 2025 schedule
|
Date |
Round |
Matchup |
Time |
TV Channel |
|
Dec. 19 |
First Round |
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama |
8:00 p.m. ET |
ABC/ESPN |
|
Dec. 20 |
First Round |
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No 10 Miami |
12:00 p.m. ET |
ABC/ESPN |
|
Dec. 20 |
First Round |
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane |
3:30 p.m. ET |
TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
|
Dec. 20 |
First Round |
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison |
7:30 p.m. ET |
TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
|
Dec. 31 |
Quarterfinal (Cotton Bowl) |
No. 2 Ohio State vs. TBD |
7:30 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
Jan. 1 |
Quarterfinal (Orange Bowl) |
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. TBD |
12:00 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
Jan. 1 |
Quarterfinal (Rose Bowl) |
No. 1 Indiana vs. TBD |
4:00 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
Jan. 1 |
Quarterfinal (Sugar Bowl) |
No. 3 Georgia vs. TBD |
8:00 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
Jan. 8 |
Semifinal (Fiesta Bowl) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
|
Jan. 9 |
Semifinal (Peach Bowl) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
|
Jan. 19 |
National Championship |
7:30 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
