Oklahoma football: OU’s 3 toughest SEC opponents in near term

January 1, 2018; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (9) catches a pass against Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tyrique McGhee (26) during the second half in the 2018 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
January 1, 2018; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (9) catches a pass against Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tyrique McGhee (26) during the second half in the 2018 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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MIAMI GARDENS, FL – Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide on the sideline prior to the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide on the sideline prior to the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

With the move to the SEC official, Oklahoma football fans have a whole new group of opponents and iconic football venues to get used to.

The Sooners already have a heated history with some of them. While with others, Oklahoma will look to build new rivalries and stories.

The relocation of OU and Texas to the SEC will change the landscape of college football, and for the Sooners, it will change the landscape of their entire program. Taking on these new teams, several of which are among the very best in the college game, will present a definite competitive challenge for the program, one that Lincoln Riley and the Sooners  will need to be prepared to handle.

The SEC is much more competitive football conference than the BIG 12, with teams that have better recruiting and richer histories.

However, iron sharpens iron, and this will only make Oklahoma better and, in turn, bolster the SEC’s reputation as strongest football conference.

Here are the three teams, in ascending order, that will cause problems and represent the biggest challenges for Oklahoma in the near future as the Sooners transition into the SEC.