NORMAN — With college football less than three months away, sportsbooks have released their team win numbers for the 2024 season.
BetMGM online sportsbook has OU football at 7.5 odds to win, lower than the other eight schools in the SEC and tied with Auburn University. The sportsbook also has the Sooners at +4000 odds to win the conference.
Texas, which will join OU in the SEC, has set its win total at 10.5 after winning the Big 12 in 2023 and with star quarterback Quinn Ewers back in the mix. The Sooners will be led by a new offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and quarterback in 2024.
Below are The Oklahoman's premature predictions for every game on OU's schedule.
more:Oklahoma football announces opening dates and kickoff times for 2024 SEC games
Against Temple
August 30, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Aba: This game will be more about OU than it will be about the opponent. How will Jackson Arnold lead the offense after a complete offseason as the starting quarterback? How well will the offensive line protect him against a lesser opponent? What will the defensive line rotation be? What will happen at home on Friday night in Norman? The Sooners will win this game handily, but how they win will be the biggest indicator of how the rest of the season will unfold.
Sally: Friday night's game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium won't be much of a contest for the Sooners. Temple went 3-9 for the second straight year in 2023. OU avoided the 11 a.m. kickoff at the end of the summer, but it remains to be seen how many fans and students will show up for a 6 p.m. start on the Friday before Labor Day, especially considering last season's game against Arkansas State was a near sellout. Also, the school won't be able to hold classes that day. What I'm most interested in is what the atmosphere will be like on game day, kicking off their first season in the SEC.
vs. Houston
September 7th, 6:45pm (SEC Network)
Aba: I like the Willie Fritz hire. Very much. But the Cougars have a lot to rebuild with the transition from Dana Holgorsen to Fritz. Expect Danny Stutzman to be the key here, piling up a ton of tackles behind a strengthened defensive line. It would have been nice if the Sooners had a featured non-conference game (they were scheduled to play Georgia in this slot, but the game was canceled when OU moved to the SEC), but the Sooners could have done a lot worse than to schedule Houston that late.
Sally: Willie Fritz delivered a scathing attack on then-No. 2 ranked OU during his time as Tulane's head coach in 2021. Don't expect a repeat as Fritz begins his Houston rebuild. The Sooners should handily beat the Cougars in their second straight night game to open the season.
more:Rating each SEC team's chances of making the College Football Playoff | Toppmeyer
vs. Tulane
September 14, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
Aba: A non-conference schedule that doesn't kick off at 11 a.m. (well, an early non-conference schedule, but more on that later)? I'm worried. The biggest test here will be the Green Wave defense now that John Sumrall is the head coach at Tulane. The Sooners are expected to win on the road, but Arnold will have to play sharp here and avoid big turnovers so the Green Wave don't feel like they have a chance late in the game. No one on OU's side wants a game as tight down the stretch as Tulane gave the Sooners in 2021.
Sally: One thing is certain for the Sooners: they must win all four of their non-conference games if they want to have a chance in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. This should be another easy win for OU, but it could be one of the more important games with a matchup against Tennessee coming up the following week. The Sooners will want to avoid a lackluster game the week before facing the Vols.
v. Tennessee
September 21
Aba: Now, the Sooners' move to the SEC is becoming a reality. Josh Heupel's return to Norman won't be all fun and games as he leads a powerhouse team against the Sooners in their first SEC game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Jackson Arnold will lead the Sooners and carry the momentum as the team is in transition and facing its first major test.
Sally: Josh Heupel's return to Norman and OU's first conference matchup in the SEC will not be easy. Two of the top quarterback prospects in the 2023 class will face off in a matchup between Jackson Arnold and Niko Iamareva. It's still early, but I expect the home team to win a close game. It will be intriguing to see how both teams' lines stack up against each other.
Auburn
September 28
Aba: Playing an SEC game at home is one thing, but playing league games on the road is another story. This is a near perfect scenario for the Sooners. A true SEC road game (sorry Vanderbilt), but a winnable game. The Tigers averaged just 351 yards of offense last season. They should be reasonably good this season, but not good enough to beat the Sooners.
Sally: The first road test won't be easy for OU either, but I think the Sooners have the advantage because they have depth and I expect Jackson Arnold to get the better of Payton Thorne.
vs. Texas (Dallas)
October 12th, 2:30pm (ABC or ESPN)
Aba: As we've seen in recent years, you can't completely write off the Sooners in the Cotton Bowl, but this Texas team will likely put up another strong fight for a playoff spot. OU put up a good fight this time around, but Quinn Ewers ultimately led the Longhorns to victory.
Sally: This game, as always, will tell us what we need to know about what OU will do next season. Texas, which will be in the playoffs in 2023, has a well-stocked roster with returning quarterback Quinn Ewers. The Red River rivalry is always 50-50, but the Longhorns look to be a good team in 2024. Overall, we're excited to have a 2:30 PM kickoff for the first time since 2017.
vs. South Carolina
October 19
Aba: Josh Heupel's return will obviously get more attention, but Shane Beamer's return to Norman will also be a big draw. Beamer has done a great job with the Gamecocks, but winning at OU will be a tough task for Beamer's team. This is a must-win game for the Sooners, and they will win.
Sally: I would put this game in the same league as the Tennessee-Auburn game. It's not the toughest game on the schedule, but it's a must-win game for the Sooners if they want to achieve their ultimate goal. OU is the better team and should win at home.
Mississippi
October 26
Aba: Has any coach rehabilitated his image the way Lane Kiffin did during his tenure at Ole Miss? Kiffin's coaching acumen was rightly questioned early in his career, but he's blossomed into one of the best coaches in the game, and his personality fits well with the current state of the sports world. The Rebels strengthened in the transfer portal and beat the Sooners in Oxford. They also showed OU fans what SEC tailgating is all about.
Sally: Here's where it gets interesting: Mississippi is currently ranked at 9.5 wins, and while I would rank Lane Kiffin's team higher for now, my opinion on this game may change as the season gets closer.
Against Main
Nov. 2, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN+, SEC Network+)
Aba: While the SEC's November non-conference cupcake games will garner a lot of attention, the Sooners will likely appreciate the respite given what they've been through and what they still have to go through, and OU will use the game to get healthy and see if any of their young players can take on bigger roles down the stretch.
Sally: OU needs this traditional late-season non-conference game the SEC has had for years, and the Sooners couldn't have come at a better time on the schedule to face Maine — an easy win.
Missouri
November 9
Aba: Do you think the Sooners defensive line will be fired up by having Kayden Green on the other team? This game will be a tight contest with quarterback Brady Cook, receiver Luther Burden and former Sooner Theo Wease leading the offense. But OU found a way to close this one out late, setting the stage for a two-game series to close out the season.
Sally: This is one of many games to have circled on your calendar. Missouri is coming off a 10 win season and made some great offseason additions. I think the Sooners' added depth makes them a sure bet to win. But I'm not so confident in my predictions. I also feel like a new rivalry is brewing.
vs. Alabama
November 23
Aba: The Crimson Tide may be down a bit with the switch from Nick Saban to Cullen DeBoer, but Alabama is still a powerhouse and will escape Norman with a win. The Sooners will attack Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe often and show off an improved defensive line, but Milroe will play well enough to lead Alabama to the win.
Sally: Along with the Texas game, this will be OU's toughest game, and while a win against the Tide at home would favor the Sooners, Alabama's talent and Jalen Milroe's big-game experience should give them a win.
At LSU
November 30
Aba: Jackson Arnold and the Sooners offense should be able to move the ball against a defense that was pretty suspect last year. But even though the Tigers are missing Jayden Daniels, their offense should still be plenty strong with Garrett Nussmeyer under center. A win in Death Valley will be tough, and with so much at stake in the regular season finale, it won't get any easier. The Sooners kept it close in the second half, but LSU pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Sally: I'm most looking forward to the road game. Let's hope it's at night in Death Valley. This game will be tough to win just for the atmosphere, but I think OU has the better team so far. I'm excited to see how the Tigers perform with Brian Kelly in his third season and new quarterback Garrett Nussmeyer.
Overall Record
Aba: As for the Sooners' overall record, I'm less optimistic than Colton, projecting them to finish 8-4. But that doesn't mean OU hasn't improved from last year's team, it's just that the level of competition has increased. OU will be better in the long run, but there will be growing pains as the Sooners transition to the SEC.
Sally: For now, I expect the Sooners to finish the season 9-3, which to me would be a successful season. If I were to do this again preseason, my predictions would inevitably be different. Many of the SEC games should be close, so I expect OU to finish somewhere between 7-5 and 10-2.
