The Oklahoma Sooners have been having a rough time under coach Brent Venables. Aside from their 2023 Big 12 season, making the jump to the SEC has been pretty tough for them. They ended up with a 6-7 record last year, and their offense, with Jackson Arnold at the helm, didn’t meet expectations. But it’s worth mentioning that Venables had a lot on his plate during that first season in the SEC—it wasn’t just about the losses; he was dealing with multiple challenges.

Last year, being their first season in the SEC, they were still learning the fundamentals of the conference. And at an unexpected time, they were hit with one of the most difficult schedules in CFB. It was ranked 3rd nationally in difficulty, with games against programs like Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Alabama and Auburn lined up. But in contrast to their rivals, the Texas Longhorns, who were sitting comfortably in the SEC, didn’t have that much difficulty in their schedule.

Their schedule was ranked 12th nationally with major games against Michigan, Oklahoma, and Georgia. But apart from these games, the rest of the games were manageable, and they benefited and went deep into the playoffs. That’s not to say that the Longhorns didn’t have the quality, but still, the relatively easier schedule helped. However, coming to the 2025 season, the same story seems to be in the pipeline.

Kelly Ford joined the June 15th episode of ‘That SEC Football Podcast’ and raised a similar concern regarding SEC bias towards Oklahoma. “I’m Oklahoma, I’m looking and saying, “Guys, conference office, help me out here because this is two years in a row that my schedule’s really tough. And hey, you’re in the SEC, you should expect that,’ but here’s my beef: I look south a little bit down across the Red River, and I see in Austin, two years in a row, they’ve had a pretty favorable schedule, relatively speaking.” It may be luck or the alleged SEC bias, but Oklahoma again has one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Oklahoma has the fifth-toughest schedule in the country, with games against top opponents lined up. For instance, in just week 2, they will face Michigan, and then face Auburn in week 4. Both of these games could be extremely difficult, with Hugh Freeze having lined up an 8th-ranked class and probably being on a hot seat. As for Michigan? Stopping Bryce Underwood coming full throttle will be difficult.

Then, Oklahoma’s other games are against Texas, followed by South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, and finally culminating at LSU on 28th November. All of these teams are world-class opponents, and Oklahoma will have to be on their toes every second of each game. As for Texas’s schedule, apart from their games against Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, and Georgia, they will not face difficulty in any other game.

John Mateer set to save Brent Venables in the 2025 season?

Considering the strength of the schedule Brent Venables has this season, the head coach has brought in some reinforcements. These include Jaydyn Ott, coming from Cal after producing 1,700+ rushing yards over the course of two seasons. Then there is wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, coming from Arkansas after receiving 491 yards last year. However, the most anticipated prospect for them is undoubtedly John Mateer, who will start in place of Jackson Arnold. And he looks like the real deal!

“When you mentioned Mateer, like, this dude has experience, and he’s a baller. He’s going to Oklahoma, and he reminds me of Baker Mayfield. Also, he’s got that ability to scramble. He’s not the number-one pick like Mayfield. But he’s got the ability to scramble and extend plays; he throws on the run at an elite level, like a really good big-time playmaker coming in with his offensive coordinator, coming in with more talent now, and health at receiver in Oklahoma,” said David Pollack on the Crain and Company podcast.

Undoubtedly, Mateer is incredibly talented, having come to Oklahoma after passing for 3,139 yards for 29 TDs at Washington State. May circles have already touted him to be a Heisman finalist, and many are predicting him to be a top 10 pick in the NFL draft. All in all, the chances for Oklahoma are looking good this season. But with one of the toughest schedules coming for them, maybe 8 wins will also be a massive achievement for them.