A peek at the Oklahoma Sooners' 2025 football schedule is like a scary movie preview.
As the college football season nears, more preseason analysis and stats keep coming out that prove the Sooners will have to endure one of the toughest schedules in the country. Most recently, ESPN's updated computer-generated Football Power Index not only had OU surprisingly high at No. 16, but also revealed how loaded its future slate is.
ESPN's computer-generated FPI backs up Sooners' strength of schedule
ESPN's FPI uses a computer system to estimate the strength of college football teams and project how they will performance against other teams. Based on this model, even after a 6-7 season in 2024, the Sooners are a top-20 team heading into 2025 at No. 16.
The Sooners are one of a whopping 13 SEC teams included in the FPI's top 25. That's the biggest influence for OU's daunting schedule during its second season in the SEC.
Of the 12 teams on OU's schedule, nine were included in ESPN's initial FPI top 25 for the upcoming season. That means only nonconference cupcakes Illinois State, Temple and Kent State weren't included. The Sooners' other nonconference game will be Week 2 against the No. 17 Michigan Wolverines.
The Sooners' SEC schedule will include No. 1 Texas, No. 3 Alabama, No. 10 Tennessee, No. 12 LSU, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 14 Auburn, No. 15 South Carolina and No. 23 Missouri. Starting with the Red River Rivalry on Oct. 11, the Sooners will play seven straight top-25 teams based on ESPN's FPI, including six in the top 15 and two in the top 5, neither of which will come to Norman.
Times and TV info for OU's nonconference games and the Red River Rivalry were recently revealed. The Sooners' 2025 season will kick off against Illinois State at 5 p.m. CT Aug. 30 on ESPN+ and SEC Network+. OU's big-time matchup with Michigan got a primetime slot at 6:30 p.m. CT Sept. 6 on ABC.
For the second year in a row, the Red River Rivalry will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT Oct. 11 as opposed to its usual 11 a.m. slot while in the Big 12.
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