Stormin in Norman
Fansided

College GameDay headed to Norman in obvious choice for Oklahoma football

A no-brainer decision by ESPN.
ByBraulio Perez|
Oklahoma's John Mateer throws a pass during football practice for the University of Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, Aug., 6, 2025.
Oklahoma's John Mateer throws a pass during football practice for the University of Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, Aug., 6, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Was there ever a doubt? Maybe, but it's not going to take long for Oklahoma football to take center stage for college football fans across the country. The Sooners are opening the season on Saturday against Illinois State and this team should have no issues moving to 1-0.

Then, all of the focus will be on trying to slow down 5-star phenom Bryce Underwood and the Michigan Wolverines. There's a Top 25 matchup on the way in Week 2 and things are going to be made even more intriguing thanks to the ESPN cameras being on campus. In a nice surprise, Kirk Herbstreit announced on Friday that College GameDay will be Norman-bound next week for that matchup with the Wolverines:

College GameDay will be on hand for Oklahoma football vs. Michigan in Week 2

Norman is going to be ROCKING for this one and now the excitement surrounding this contest has reached a new level. On one side of things, it will be the second start for Underwood, but there's another big-name QB people are going to be watching closely.

Yeah, that'd be John Mateer, who is getting ready to make his Oklahoma debut against Illinois State. Mateer is coming off a huge year with Washington State, which opened the door for him to enter the transfer portal. Several powerhouses were after him, but the idea of reuniting with Ben Arbuckle was too much for the dual-threat signal-caller to pass up on.

With Mateer now running the offense for the Sooners, the expectation is that Oklahoma will flirt with 10 wins and push for a trip to the College Football Playoff. Mateer is only one of many huge additions Brent Venables brought in via the portal.

All in all, it's looking to be a huge year for the Sooners and the hype surrounding this team is fun for everyone to see. Mateer and his teammates will look to back things up with a hot start to the new season, which now features a College GameDay showdown against the 2023 national champs. Get your popcorn ready for what should be a thrilling meeting between the two sides.

Home/OU Football