Ranking teams before the season is particularly challenging this year due to significant realignment in college football. With teams facing opponents they’ve never encountered on a regular basis, such as the Oklahoma Sooners joining the SEC, it complicates the assessment.
Joel Klatt of Fox Sports, for instance, ranks Oklahoma at No. 17 primarily due to their daunting schedule. He emphasizes the difficulty, especially with matchups against formidable SEC teams like Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU on the road, as well as home games against Tennessee and Alabama, plus a neutral-site showdown with Texas.
Klatt underscores that Oklahoma will face four of his top 10 teams and six of his top 16 teams in the last nine games alone, making their schedule arguably the toughest in the nation. It’s a new reality for Oklahoma, transitioning from the Big 12 to the SEC, where every week will present a tough challenge.
Some consider a 9-3 season a significant achievement given the circumstances. However, it’s important to note that preseason assessments of schedules can be speculative, as the true strength of teams remains uncertain until games are played.
