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Predicting Oklahoma's Record in 2025
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables locks arms with players before the Armed Forces Bowl. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the 2025 season now just six days away, John Hoover, Ryan Chapman and Carson Field made their predictions for OU’s 2025 record.

Hoover's Pick: 7-5

Two games. That’s what Oklahoma’s season will come down to. Against one of college football’s most daunting schedules, success or failure in 2025 could be measured by the outcome of the Sooners’ non-conference showdown with Michigan on Sept. 6 and the annual brawl with Texas on Oct. 11. Win them both and a path to the College Football Playoff opens up. Lose them both and another six-win regular season seems entirely likely. Split, and who knows? A trip to South Carolina looks daunting against the backdrop of 2024, but is also winnable. Same with a home game against Ole Miss. Back-to-back road trips to Tennessee and Alabama look potentially terrifying, but wins at home over Mizzou and LSU are not unattainable. This OU team could finish with anywhere from 5 wins to 10. I’m calling it 7 — with Michigan and Texas the pivotal toss-ups.

Chapman’s Pick: 8-4

This year, it feels like truly anything is possible for Oklahoma. The offense doesn’t have to be elite to be a massive improvement over last year’s unit. Brent Venables’ defense lost some key pieces, but the coaching staff feels good about the depth they’ve built. Opponents on OU’s schedule have changed, too. Tennessee had to find a starting quarterback after spring football concluded. Ole Miss has to replace a talented quarterback and many pieces off of last year’s “all in” roster. But Venables has to turn around a trend from his first three years to get the Sooners back to where they want to be. Oklahoma is 5-9 in one-score games under Venables, and while there have been spectacular moments like Dillon Gabriel’s pass to Nic Anderson to beat Texas in the final moments of the 2023 meeting between the Red River Rivals, Venables must prove that he can win multiple one-score games in October and Novemeber for Oklahoma to play meaningful football in December. I’ve got the Sooners dropping contests to Texas, South Carolina, Alabama and LSU, which would see OU miss the playoff again in 2025.

Read More Oklahoma 2025 Previews

Field’s Pick: 7-5

I expect Oklahoma to improve significantly in 2025. That said, I only see the Sooners getting one more win than they did last year. Oklahoma’s non-conference game against Michigan is significantly tougher than any game on last year’s non-conference slate. The Sooners have repeat opponents in conference play, and all eight SEC squads they’ll battle are ranked or receiving votes in the Preseason AP Top 25. As it stands, I have OU losing to Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama and LSU. That means the Sooners would win their conference games against Auburn, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Missouri. Some of those wins and losses can — and likely will — be reversed. But as of now, 7-5 feels like the safest bet for OU.


This article first appeared on Oklahoma Sooners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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