After months of media stories and talk-show discussion and infinitum about personnel additions and improvements to what at best was an erratic and lackluster offensive performance last season, we finally get to witness it for ourselves when the 2026 Oklahoma football season officially kicks off on Friday night against the UTEP Miners.
Oklahoma is favored by 41.5 points, per FanDuel, and is playing at home before a 168th consecutive sellout at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, so securing a season-opening win isn't really the issue. Brent Venables has won all four of his season openers as Oklahoma's head coach and is looking to make it five, and the Sooners have won nine straight and 15 of their last 16.
Moreover, Oklahoma is 5-0 all-time in games with UTEP, winning by an average score of 50-8.
Aside from the win, the most important thing to come out of the game with UTEP will be the alignment of perception with reality. Will all the changes the Sooners have made within the offense translate to better performance on the field?
The opening game of the season, against a non-conference opponent Oklahoma is projected to defeat handily, probably won't offer a solid assessment of what we can expect to see from the Sooners this season, but that will come in very short order with OU set to face three top-25 teams in its next five games, including two ranked in the top 10.
Here are four things we're hoping to see in the 2026 season opener with UTEP:
1. A clean, confident, high-efficiency performance by QB John Mateer
Everyone is anxious to see what form of John Mateer we will see in Game 1 of Season 2 in his Oklahoma career. Will it be like the healthy Mateer that started out last season, or perhaps an even better version following offseason work and adjustments? What we would like to see from Mateer against UTEP is a version that does not feel he has to make every play by himself and is more confident and competent to make good decisions with the football.
The addition of more receiving weapons should mean he doesn't have to force the ball into tight windows and should have more options as he goes through his progressions. Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris will give Mateer more deep-ball threats so he won't have to rely on Isaiah Sategna exclusively for home-run plays.
2. Domination of both sides of the line of scrimmage
Most college experts agree that the 2026 Oklahoma defensive line is one of the best, if not the best, in all of college football. What fans want to see this season is an offensive line that is a better compliment on that side of the ball in the Sooners' effort to control the line of scrimmage.
What we will be looking for right out of the gate this season is the ability of a more experienced offensive line group to protect John Mateer in the pocket and get enough push at the point of attack to open up running lanes for the Sooners' improved stable of ball carriers.
UTEP won't pose the challenge up front defensively that the Sooners' will see in the SEC, but the season opener will serve as a confidence builder for an offensive line that will need to be at its best the following week against a much tougher opponent in Michigan.
3. Broader distribution and more explosive plays in the passing game
The Sooners made a concerted effort in the offseason to strengthen the passing game with the addition of wide receiver transfers Parker Livingstone from Texas and Trell Harris from Virginia. Both were key contributors for their teams last season. OU also has beefed up its tight end capability, an area that has been virtually non-existent the past couple of years, bringing in a pair to tight ends with SEC experience in Hayden Hansen (Florida) and Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee), plus Rocky Beers (Colorado State).
The Sooners also believe returning wide receivers Elijah Thomas and Manny Choice are ready to step up and make contributions to the receiving rotation. All told, we should see a more wide open and effective passing game, which in turn should improve the run game production.
4. Better individual performances instead of covering massive spread
With all due respect to the betting community, covering the point spread in the season opener against UTEP is not nearly as important as seeing major signs of improvement in John Mateer's in-game decisions and throwing accuracy, better offensive line play and a more effective rushing attack, and what impact more receiving options will have on the overall offensive performance.
And it goes without saying, fans want to see another championship-level defensive performance, as well as a game devoid of any serious injuries. This contest should also provide the opportunity for players deeper on the depth chart to receive valuable playing time and game action.
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