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Bowl Projections: With the regular season over, where Oklahoma is predicted to spend bowl season

The Sooners are barely bowl eligible and have multiple predictions of where they could end up.

By Dekota Gregory

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kobie McKinzie (11) celebrates after the game as Auburn Tigers take on Oklahoma Sooners at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Oklahoma Sooners defeated Auburn Tigers 27-21.
Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kobie McKinzie (11) celebrates after the game as Auburn Tigers take on Oklahoma Sooners at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Oklahoma Sooners defeated Auburn Tigers 27-21. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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December means the most wonderful time of the year: bowl season. 

Oklahoma’s 24-3 upset over mighty Alabama put the Sooners at six wins and bowl eligible for the 26th year in a row, which is the second-longest active streak in the country behind only Georgia. A 6-6 record won’t mean a glamorous bowl destination for the Sooners, but here is where the experts are predicting OU to end up for its bowl game, with a little bit about each projected matchup and destination.

Birmingham Bowl vs. NC State

The Birmingham Bowl is currently OU’s most popular bowl pick, with 247Sports’ Brad Crawford and The Sporting News’ Bill Bender both predicting the destination. Crawford has the Sooners meeting NC State in Birmingham on Dec. 27. That would at least be a unique matchup, which seems fitting after a season full of such meetings. OU and NC State have played on the gridiron only twice – both going in the Sooners’ favor – and haven’t since 1968 in Norman. 

Like OU, NC State also just barely got bowl eligible at 6-6 thanks to a win over instate rival North Carolina in the final week of the regular season. 

Birmingham Bowl vs. North Carolina 

The Sooners’ other projected opponent in Birmingham is the other school in Carolina. This is another rare series that OU has owned, going undefeated in seven meetings against the Tar Heels. The last time this happened was in 2001, when OU thumped UNC 41-27 in Norman. 

Like OU and its instate rival, UNC also finished at 6-6. That was bad enough to get head coach Mack Brown fired (maybe he should have retired, afterall), so former Cleveland Browns head coach and UNC tight ends coach and run game coordinator Freddie Kitchens will lead the Tar Heels in their bowl game as interim head coach. 

Gaspirilla Bowl vs. NC State

Another possible matchup with NC State, but this time in the Gaspirilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida and predicted by ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura. This meeting would take place before Christmas on Dec. 20 and at a much more desirable location. Plus, considering it’s on a Friday, maybe Baker Mayfield could make an appearance and inspire a season-ending win at his new home. 

Liberty Bowl vs. TCU

A not-so-old foe. ESPN’s second prediction from Mark Schlabach has a pair of old Big 12 members meeting on Dec. 17 in Memphis. In its first season out of the Big 12 and in the SEC, a win over TCU would give OU the same number of Big 12 wins as SEC wins this year. 

Frisco Bowl vs. Jacksonville State

This is definitely not an exciting matchup, but at least it’s just down the road on Dec. 17. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports predicts the Sooners to take on Jacksonville State in the Frisco Bowl. Last season was actually Jacksonville State’s first season at the FBS level, but already only in Year 2, the Gamecocks will play Western Kentucky for the Conference USA championship on Friday night. 

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