The importance of the Oklahoma Sooners' Week 2 meeting with the Michigan Wolverines just keeps growing.
ESPN on Wednesday named the swing game for every team in the outlet's post-spring top-25 ranking and deemed OU's nonconference matchup with Michigan on Sept. 6 in Norman as the Sooners' swing game. The game was already given the primetime slot on ABC at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Importance of Sooners vs. Wolverines keeps increasing
"The Sooners could build some serious momentum when Michigan comes to town for a prime-time game," ESPN's Chris Low wrote. "A win against the Wolverines would give the Sooners a real chance at a 5-0 start entering the Red River Showdown against Texas on Oct. 6."
OU kicks off its season with a home game against Illinois State on Aug. 30 before hosting Michigan the next week. The Sooners then travel to Temple for their only road game in the first five weeks of the season. OU will then welcome Auburn and Kent State with a bye week between those two games.
Michigan is clearly the Sooners' toughest task in those first five weeks unless Auburn has a massive turnaround with Jackson Arnold at quarterback. The Tigers should be OU's weakest SEC opponent on the schedule, especially being at home.
With that slate, like Low mentioned, if OU beats Michigan, then we likely get a Red River Rivalry between two undefeated teams on Oct. 11. In the same article, ESPN listed the Red River Rivalry as Texas' swing game.
"It's always Oklahoma," ESPN's Dave Wilson wrote. "It's early October. The SEC schedule is getting under way. And no what, this game ends up being unpredictable and usually a dogfight."
Based on preseason expectations, the Longhorns should be predicted to beat OU in Dallas, so an upset could derail their national title aspirations, which is why, at least in the preseason, that game has more weight for Texas. The Longhorns also start their season at Ohio State, so a loss Week 1 and a second to OU could really squander Arch Manning's welcome party. Not to mention Texas' trip to Florida the week before Red River.
The importance of other games will increase for the Sooners depending on how the season goes, but for now, Michigan is the date circled the most. When I simulated OU's season 10 times using EA Sports' College Football 26, the Michigan game was the deciding factor even in a video game. The Sooners made the College Football Playoff in four of the 10 simulated seasons and beat Michigan in every instance.
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