Sooners blindsided as SEC hands them bizarre new conference rival

Oklahoma fans and media have been trying to predict the Sooners’ three permanent conference opponents ever since the SEC announced the new future format, and while two seemed obvious, no one predicted OU’s new forced rival.

On3’s Chris Low on Monday morning leaked all of the SEC permanent pairings ahead of Tuesday evening’s show that was supposed to reveal it all. The Sooners’ three opponents they’ll face every season include Texas, Missouri and Ole Miss.

College football expert leaks three permanent SEC opponents

It was well-known Texas would be one of the annual matchups to maintain one of the biggest rivalries in college football. The secret was the other two opponents.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said there would be an emphasis on geography when choosing these opponents, so Missouri and Arkansas immediately came to mind for Oklahoma. Much of Sooner Nation wanted Arkansas, but Mizzou got its wish in becoming a rival to the Sooners as old Big 12 foes.

As for the third slot, common predictions included LSU, Florida, Alabama and Texas A&M. However, no one saw Ole Miss coming, mainly because there’s no reason to create a rivalry between the Sooners and Rebels.

The Sooners played Ole Miss for just the second time when they traveled to Oxford, Mississippi, last season. It was a trip OU fans enjoyed for those who went, but of the matchups on OU’s first SEC slate, it certainly wasn’t one that was highly anticipated.

The only other time the two programs met was in the 1999 Independence Bowl. The Rebels will also visit Norman for the first time this season on Oct. 25.

The Rebels won both previous meetings, however, both times were in down years for the Sooners. Historically, OU is a far superior program with seven national championships, while Ole Miss has three and hasn’t won one since 1962.

Lane Kiffin has recently made the Rebels relevant again, but Kiffin gets linked to nearly every major job opening, so that run will eventually end sooner than later. It will likely be at least a top-20 clash this season, but if it's not a ranked meeting in the future, it won't be a game that creates any buzz among fan bases.

The SEC was supposed to use this new format to keep or ignite new rivalries to keep fans engaged, but for the Sooners, that second weekend of October for the Red River Rivalry will remain as the only consistently important date on the schedule.

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