Now that the rust has been knocked off after the season-opening game of the 2025 Oklahoma football season, some preseason questions have been at least partially addressed, but there are others that remain to be clarified.
There was plenty to like about the Sooners' opening game win over Illinois State, most of all coming away with the "W" in dominant fashion. But you also have to put it all in perspective and realize that Illinois State is not Michigan or any of the SEC opponents the Sooners will face over the course of the next three months.
We will learn a lot more about the character and promise of Oklahoma Team 131 after this weekend. Saturday's game with No. 15 Michigan will definitely set the tone for what the rest of the season could be like and also will have center stage nationally in Week 2 of the college football season. And if Week 1 has taught us anything, it is that the 2025 season will be filled with plenty of surprises.
For those Sooner fans who may have been expecting a more explosive performance from the Oklahoma offense going up against an FCS opponent, it's worth noting that head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle purposely kept things vanilla against Illinois State, not wanting to open up the playbook and give away too much for Michigan to prepare for.
We should get a much better read on what the new-look Oklahoma offense is all about and what it is capable of against top Power Four opponents beginning this weekend.
Until then, though, here is how I rank the top five storylines we will be watching as the 2025 season moves forward.
5. Where is the defense most vulnerable?
The Oklahoma defense played a strong game at all levels against Illinois State and probably should have pitched a shutout had it not been for an interception by John Mateer deep in Oklahoma territory that led to a field goal. But the level of competition is going to be considerably better this week and as the season goes along.
The Sooners gave up just 151 total yards of offense, the fewest by an OU defense since the season opener in 2020 against Missouri State, and just 34 through the air, the fewest passing yards the Sooners have yielded since a 2013 game against Kansas. This week against Michigan, however, and for nine of Oklahoma's 11 remaining games, the defensive challenge ramps up considerably.
If there was an area defensively to be critical of from the Illinois State game it was the Sooners' run defense. Coming into the season, the defensive line was considered the strength of the team, yet it allowed 117 rushing yards and, more importantly, 4.5 yards per attempt, against a team the OU D-line should have overpowered.
The Sooners must be able to stop the run and create constant pressure and havoc in the backfield to win games and be a better than average team in the SEC. And that starts with the defensive line. The performance against Michigan, a team with a very physical and strong offensive front, will be a good read on what we might expect in this area going forward against other good teams.
4. How much better is the offensive line?
The Oklahoma offensive line once again was not at full strength on Saturday versus Illinois State. Western Carolina transfer Derek Simmons and five-star freshman recruit Michael Fasusi, both expected to start on he offensive line this season, did not play on Saturday, and the Sooner running game, which has to be more effective than it was on Saturday, may have been a direct result of that. The guys up front performed OK on Saturday, but just OK isn't good enough to win games in the SEC.
Everyone knew coming into the 2025 season that offensive line play had to be better if the overall performance of the team was going to be better. One game into the 2025 season, that remains a concern.
3. Will John Mateer stay healthy and live up to all the expectations?
Washington State transfer quarterback John Mateer played an outstanding game for the Sooners on Saturday and appeared to be as good as advertised, touted as one of the top two quarterbacks coming out of the Transfer Portal, along with Miami's Carson Beck. Mateer threw for a career-high 392 yards, completing 30 of 37 passes with three touchdown passes. The redshirt junior also ran for 24 yards and a score. The only blemish on his performance in his Oklahoma debut was an interception thrown deep in OU territory in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the interception led directly to an Illinois State field goal, its only score in the game.
In all, Mateer accounted for four touchdowns and 416 of Oklahoma's 495 yards of offense against Illinois State. Plus, Mateer set an OU program record for most passing yards in the first game as an Oklahoma quarterback. The previous mark was 388 by Baker Mayfield -- the player to which Mateer is most compared -- in the Sooners' season-opening game in 2015.
How Mateer is able to perform against the seven or eight top-25 teams on Oklahoma's remaining schedule (the offensive line will have a lot to say about this) will be a key to the Sooners' chances of winning eight or more games this season. His ability to remain healthy will be a critical success factor, as well.
2. Are the Sooners good enough to win as many as 8 games with this schedule?
There is general consensus among college football analysts that Oklahoma will be an improved team in 2025. The problem is, in a conference as strong as the SEC, you can be a better team performance-wise and the season record may not necessarily reflect the improvement.
The Sooners' ability to finish off and win close games will be a key indicator and, of course, they must avoid the injury attrition that had such a negative impact on last season. And let's be honest, Oklahoma is going to need some good fortune and the ball to bounce its way a few times -- as every good team does in the course of a season -- if the Sooners are going to win eight or more games against the toughest schedule in the country.
1. Will Brent Venables be the Oklahoma head coach in 2026?
The biggest question of all entering this season is: Are the Sooners improved enough and will they win enough games, given the formidable level of the competition they have to go up against this season and probably every season as a member of the SEC, to save Brent Venables' job and keep him in the role beyond this season?
The 54-year-old head coach was a popular hire when he was brought in after the 2021 season, but since he has been in the role, the concern has been whether he was truly cut out to be a head coach of a blue blood program like Oklahoma. Venables' credentials as one of the best defensive minds in college football are impeccable, but exceptional coordinators don't always survive, especially at a program with Oklahoma's rich history and tradition, when elevated to the top job.
The answers to the four previous Oklahoma football storylines will largely determine the fate of the Oklahoma head coach beyond the 2025 season.
Read more about OU football