The Oklahoma Sooners have a daunting start to their 2026 college football season and Vegas oddsmakers are already predicting that front-loaded schedule to knock OU down early and often.
With the season still about three months away, DraftKings has already released odds for several games on the Sooners' slate, and if those early predictions are proven correct, then OU would start 2026 in a 2-3 hole with losses to Michigan, Georgia and Texas in the Red River Rivalry. You can bet the odds of head coach Brent Venables getting fired in Year 5 would also skyrocket with that start.
Oklahoma's front-loaded schedule could put Sooners in early hole
The Sooners kick off the season against UTEP on Sept. 5. FanDuel had already made clear that's a blowout waiting to happen after opening OU as a massive 39.5-point favorite at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial. DraftKings agrees with a 40.5-point spread as of Thursday. After that season opener, though, is when things get hot quick for OU.
After hosting Michigan last season, the Sooners will now travel to Ann Arbor Week 2 to play the Wolverines in what should be a top-15 battle between college football blue bloods. DraftKings has OU as a small 2.5-point underdog, with the Sooners having to go into The Big House likely swaying things in Michigan's favor despite having a new head coach.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
At 1-1, the Sooners would return to Norman for what should be another easy win against New Mexico before SEC play starts with a road trip to Georgia. That visit to Athens appears to be the Sooners' toughest challenge on their schedule as early 10-point underdogs. A loss would again knock the Sooners back down to .500 before the Red River Rivalry.
The Sooners get the advantage of a bye week to lick their wounds before the Red River Rivalry, but oddsmakers still don't believe that will make a difference with Texas as a 6-point favorite. That would be three losses in a row to the Longhorns, which would really crank up the heat of Venables' seat and get fans irritable.
Read more: Sooners post-spring 2026 schedule prediction sets up Red River Rivalry revenge
That start would have the Sooners suddenly at 2-3 and desperately fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff before the season is even halfway over. CBS Sports also already predicted this same start for OU.
There is a pro to the front-loaded schedule, though, even if it does go as poorly as possibly for the Sooners. The rest of OU's SEC slate includes vs. Kentucky, at Mississippi State, vs. South Carolina, at Florida, vs. Ole Miss, vs. Texas A&M and at Missouri. There are no gimmes in the SEC, but none of those matchups compare to what the Sooners have in the early going.
That group includes a pair of teams that made the CFP last season in Ole Miss and Texas A&M, but DraftKings has the Sooners favored in both matchups at 4 and 2.5 points, respectively.
With all that, DraftKings set the Sooners' win total at 6.5 with -300 odds of going over. The sportsbook also gave OU +1300 odds to win the SEC, behind six other teams, and +3500 odds to claim the national title.
A predicted gruesome start is what ruins the Sooners' chances for a successful ending, but if they defy those odds, then OU's schedule paves the way for a return to the CFP.
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