It's barely even May, and rankings are already revealing what kind of gauntlet the Oklahoma Sooners will have to endure again during the 2026 college football season.
USA Today this week released a re-rank of all 138 FBS teams after most programs have wrapped up spring camp and transfer additions have settled in. The Sooners came in at No. 7 to maintain expectations of returning to the College Football Playoff, but the most revealing part of the rankings was how tough the road will be for OU to get back there and accomplish another 10-win season.
It's already clear the Sooners will have to get through another gauntlet in 2026
Based on USA Today's most recent rankings, the average ranking for an opponent on OU's schedule heading into the season is 42. That number is inflated thanks to a season opener against No. 131 UTEP, but a loaded SEC slate that now includes nine games negates any nonconference cupcake the Sooners face. Against SEC opponents, the average ranking is 34.5, basically pitting the Sooners against a top-30 foe on almost a weekly basis.
OU also won't play an FCS team for a win that essentially wouldn't count and travels to No. 20 Michigan in Week 2 for a massive nonconference clash between two blue bloods. The Sooners' third non-con pairing with New Mexico also isn't as friendly as it seems, with the Lobos at No. 42 as one of the best Group of Five teams in the country.
Read more: A way-too-early 2026 Oklahoma depth chart prediction after spring camp
After three nonconference matchups to kick off the season, the Sooners then have back-to-back top-5 clashes away from Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. OU travels to No. 4 Georgia, then has No. 3 Texas in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas.
In all, based on USA Today's preseason rankings, eight of the Sooners' 12 regular-season opponents are in the top 50, including No. 20 Michigan, No. 42 New Mexico, No. 4 Georgia, No. 3 Texas, No. 38 Florida, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 9 Texas A&M and No. 43 Missouri.
The Sooners are staring down a treacherous road, but they also had one of the toughest schedules in the country last season and came out on the other side at 10-2.
2026 OU football schedule
Opponent | Ranking |
|---|---|
UTEP | 131 |
at Michigan | 20 |
New Mexico | 42 |
at Georgia | 4 |
Texas (in Dallas) | 3 |
Kentucky | 94 |
at Mississippi State | 52 |
South Carolina | 55 |
at Florida | 38 |
Ole Miss | 13 |
Texas A&M | 9 |
at Missouri | 43 |
Add us as a preferred source on Google