Oklahoma, sitting at No. 8 in the new CFP rankings, is looking at a possible home playoff game in Norman and carrying the swagger of a team that has defeated Michigan and Tennessee on the road. And while surviving the weekly grind of the SEC feels like a program on the verge of something huge after that crazy road victory at Alabama. The Sooners have every reason to be optimistic on paper. Yet, despite all of that momentum, there is an odd little hesitation that looms over the committee room. This subtle, persistent concern puts OU firmly behind the contenders above them.

If OU defeats Missouri on Saturday and takes on LSU next week, the Sooners will be able to secure their first postseason berth since 2019. With victories at Alabama and Tennessee, Michigan at home, and defeats only to Ole Miss and Texas, the resume is strong enough to make an impression in any selection room. And yet, despite all of that, there was this tiny shift in the air when CFP chair Hunter Yurachek spoke Monday morning.

Because, while praising Oregon as “a very strong team on both sides of the ball,” Yurachek changed course and subtly hinted at the things that continue to hinder OU in the same comparisons. No talk about the strength of the schedule. No questions about résumé gaps.

The CFP Committee has consistently told us that they don’t think OU’s offence is very good.

It’s up to the Sooners’ offence to do something about it. Great opportunity to change the narrative against a really good Missouri defence on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/f2NB6lrtRP

— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) November 19, 2025

It was as simple as this: Oklahoma’s apparent lack of offensive strength is the anchor pulling them below the teams grouped above them. The true tension starts there because Brent Venables’ offence is struggling into November while his defence is performing like a playoff squad.

And that’s why it’s stinngs, John Mateer is making $3 million this year and Ben Arbuckle is making $1.5 million. The $4.5 million duo is now being labelled as the very liability that could cost OU a playoff berth.

John Mateer’s average passing yards over the last five games have decreased from 304 before his hand surgery to 174. He only hit for 138 against Alabama. Arbuckle says, “He hasn’t changed the way he’s been at practice. He hasn’t changed his process throughout the week, going into it. So he is a special kid; he’s a talented kid. And ultimately, on every single play, he’s trying to put the team in the best position to be successful.”

But stats don’t lie. The committee is obviously aware of this as well. And what annoys OU fans? Despite this, they continue to win. In Alabama, they forced three turnovers. Because their defence is unbreakable, they have survived back-to-back SEC clashes.

But the offence with Arbuckle’s play-calling, Mateer’s inconsistency, the dead runs, and the lack of explosive plays continue to leave the door open for uncertainty. Mateer was clear when he said, “We need to get in the end zone more. And it starts with me just being more efficient, pulling the trigger.”

OU no longer has a margin for error. The CFP chair basically revealed to the nation where the Sooners’ weakness is. If OU wants to shut him, or if they want Missouri and LSU to seem like stepping stones rather than landmines, then the offence must finally turn up.

OU’s gritty win over Alabama

Oklahoma entered Tuscaloosa and ripped off the vibe in Bryant-Denny. A 17-game home streak was gone. While OU’s defence continued to punch, stealing the ball three times and stopping the Tide on their last drive, Alabama fans stood there, dead frozen. The wild part? This was not an offensive breakthrough.

Brent Venables had already decided that this game would be played on his terms, even though the Sooners finished with just 212 yards, their lowest in a victory since 2001. “They were putting five guys on the line… then bringing two off the edge,” as Ty Simpson described it, and that confusion was the whole plan.

Even Brent Venables sounded like a man who had just come out successful in a chess match that no one else could see. He stated, “There’s not a more important stat in football than turnovers,” and OU experienced this reality. The pressure that seemed to be emerging from the ground was the source of the pick-six, the strip sack, and the blocked field goal. Also, the defence shut down every door Alabama attempted to open as John Mateer struggled with grounding calls and halted drives.

After all was said and done, it seemed like OU had paved the way for the playoffs. “Something special about it… they like to work, they like to compete, they like each other,” Venables raved of his team’s resilience. And the Sooners emerged with their largest road victory since 2017.

It was fierce, relentless, and whatever Venables promises, this team is capable of. And if this is the version of the Sooners that shows up the next two weeks, with Mateer and the offence buckling up the playoff door might stand wide open for Oklahoma.