CFP Top 25 Countdown: Many Challenges Await No. 16 Oklahoma

· Aug 09 - 5 minutes read

Former top recruit Jackson Arnold takes over as the Oklahoma starting quarterback.
The Sooners jump from the Big 12 to the SEC along with rival Texas.
Oklahoma covered in nine of the 11 games in 2023 as the betting favorite.
Check out the reasons why Oklahoma is at No. 16 in the BetUS list of the Top 25 college football teams in 2024.

Oklahoma lost twice in the 2023 regular season by five and three points in its final season in the Big 12 before jumping into the deep end of the pool by joining the SEC along with Texas. Oklahoma is 3-9 against ranked teams in the last three seasons and that will need to change with the Sooners set to meet plenty of ranked foes in the SEC.

CFP Top 25 Countdown: Many Challenges Await No. 16 Oklahoma — Defensive back Key Lawrence #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners | Brian Bahr/Getty Images/AFP

Oklahoma was picked eighth in the SEC preseason poll and is No. 16 in the preseason American Football Coaches Association poll, so the Sooners look to defy the college football odds.

There was good and bad from the transfer portal. Oklahoma’s class of incoming transfers ranked 20th by the 247sports.com database, but offensive linemen Cayden Green and Savion Byrd, quarterback Dillon Gabriel and safety Key Lawrence were among the key losses.

The BetUS sportsbook odds have the Sooners ninth at +3000 in the odds of winning the SEC title. Oklahoma is currently listed as an underdog against Texas, Ole Miss and Missouri. They could be the home ‘dog versus Tennessee and Alabama as well.

Oklahoma has +500 odds of making the College Football Playoffs with +7000 odds of winning the national title.

Oklahoma Sooners at a Glance

2023 record: 10-3
2023 Big 12 record: 7-2
Head coach: Brent Venables
Odds to win SEC title: +3000

Arnold Taking Over as Oklahoma Quarterback

In the era of the transfer portal, it is easy to overlook quarterbacks who wait their turn. Jackson Arnold was the No. 10-rated prospect nationally and the No. 4 quarterback in his recruiting class. After spending the 2023 season backing up Gabriel, he has been given the keys to the offense.

Jackson Arnold keeps it and scores.

The freshman is currently 10-for-10 for 120 yards in addition to 22 rushing yards so far in his Oklahoma debut.@_JacksonArnold_ | #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/yyLsb0N8co

— 𝕺𝖐𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆 𝖛𝖘. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 (@soonergridiron) September 2, 2023

Oklahoma added Purdue receiver Deion Burks, Southeastern Louisiana tight end Bauer Sharp, UT Martin running back Sam Martin and offensive lineman Branson Hickman.

Oklahoma brings back receivers Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony and Nick Anderson while running back Gavin Sawchuk ran for more than 100 yards in each of the last five games, with six of his nine scoring runs coming during that stretch.

If the offensive line holds up its end of the bargain, this could be an explosive offense.

With the head coach for the Sooners being Brent Venables, the mastermind behind those vaunted Clemson defenses, it should not be a surprise that Oklahoma is expected to have a strong defense in 2024.

That unit will be headlined by linebacker Danny Stutsman and defensive back Billy Bowman. They were both preseason All-SEC first-team selections as 11 players who had at least 30 tackles in 2023 return.

Stutsman went over 100 tackles and Bowman picked off six passes.

“The only thing that’s going to stop us, is us.”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 » @Billy2Bowman #OUDNA | #Team130 pic.twitter.com/IduqBKZgDA

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 8, 2024

Nobody had more than 4½ sacks for the Sooners so that is an area that needs improvement.

Miami (Ohio) edge rusher Caiden Woullard had 9½ sacks so he could help in the pass-rush department. TCU’s run-stuffing defensive tackle Damonic Williams and San Diego State cornerback Dez Malone are other transfers to keep an eye on.

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Oklahoma 2024 Betting Outlook

Oklahoma showed its potential with an upset of No. 3 Texas but losses to Oklahoma State and Kansas kept the Sooners out of the Big 12 Championship Game in 2023. There will be some work to do for the Sooners to make the SEC title game with matchups against Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, and Missouri only part of the story.

The final two games of the regular season come against visiting Alabama and on the road against LSU. Even without a matchup against No. 1 Georgia, the Sooners play five of the top 15 teams in the American Football Coaches Association preseason poll. Oklahoma is no longer able to feast on a Big 12 conference lacking depth, but the Sooners only play one true road game in their first seven contests.

Oklahoma won nine of the 11 games as the favorite last season and was 6-0 at home. The Sooners covered against the college football betting line in five of the six matchups at home. Oklahoma tied for the Big 12 lead with eight games landing over the total.

Oklahoma is priced at -125 to go over 7½ wins in the regular season.

Bet on Oklahoma Sooners to win SEC title!