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It’s an exciting time to be a college football fan, and one fan base that is excited for the season is Oklahoma football fans. The Sooners have a good amount of hype coming into the 2024 season after a 10-win season a year ago, and they are hoping for a successful first year in the SEC.
We're almost there. Another long college football offseason is almost over as the calendar now reads August, and the first games will begin on the 24th. College football fans everywhere are eager for the new beginning. College football fever is rampant across the country as we get closer to the season, but this offseason was a bit easier than others because of the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game that just came out in mid July.
First off, there are going to be some rules changes this year in college football, and some fans aren’t going to like them. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the two-minute warning, like in the NFL. If you are like most college football fans, you're getting sick of the amount of commercials that we see during games. Well, the two-minute warning is just another way for TV Networks to pack another break into the action.
There are more changes, however, and these are ones that more fans are in favor of, but some still don't like them. College football is going to look completely different next year because of expansion to the College Football Playoff to 12 teams and conference realignment. California schools playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yeah, things are changing.
Conference realignment has made things look a lot different. The power five is no longer a thing as the Pac-12 is essentially dead. Every team left for a new conference except for Oregon State and Washington State. Those two teams have scheduling alliances with the Mountain West, but they aren't actually in the conference.
Every other Pac-12 school found a new home. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State are now in the Big 12. Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. Lastly, Cal and Stanford joined the ACC (makes a ton of sense, right?).
The other big change with conferences comes in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 and they will join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC are loaded with good teams, and some think that things could be heading in the direction of two super conferences.
This season, we will also see 12 teams make the College Football Playoff instead of just four. For about a month, the College Football Playoff will be happening. Some people aren’t in favor of the big expansion, but there will be more marquee college football games, and it’s hard to be too upset about that.
All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest college football seasons of all time. The game is changing, and this is the start of a new era.
Can Oklahoma football make the CFP?
All eyes will be on Oklahoma football this season as they are one of the strongest programs that is making a move to a new conference. The Sooners are joining rival Texas in the SEC as both programs are moving on from the Big 12. However, the Longhorns are getting a lot more attention about their move than Oklahoma is. Both teams had good years in the Big 12 last year, and the Sooners actually won the matchup between the two, but it is Texas that is expected to have a big 2024 campaign in the SEC.
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After Oklahoma beat Texas last year, it looked like the Sooners were going to coast to the Big 12 title game and likely have a rematch with the Longhorns with a College Football Playoff spot on the line. Their toughest games were behind them, and they were undefeated. However, the Sooners stumbled twice in games that they were expected to win, and they finished the regular season 10-2, missing the Big 12 title game.
Oklahoma football went on to lose in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona to end the season, and they finished with a 10-3 overall record. The season had a ton of promise after that win against Texas, but the Sooners kind of fell apart to close the year, and now they don't have a ton of momentum heading into this crucial first year in the SEC.
The Sooners are ranked number 16 to start the season, but their goal is to end up ranked in the top-12 and in the College Football Playoff field. It is a realistic goal, but here is one thing that might stop it from happening.
Oklahoma’s move to the SEC
Ok, this obviously isn’t an actual flaw with the Oklahoma football team, but this is the reason why the Sooners will not make the College Football Playoff this year.
Oklahoma is now in the SEC, and their road to the 12-team playoff is extremely difficult now that they are no longer in the Big 12. If the Sooners were still in the Big 12, they would probably be expected to win the conference, and a conference championship would send them to the playoff. Unfortunately for the Sooners, the road to the playoff will look a lot different in the SEC.
In conference play, Oklahoma has to play #15 Tennessee, #4 Texas, #6 Ole Miss, #11 Missouri, #5 Alabama and #13 LSU. Good luck Sooners!
The target for Oklahoma is 10 wins, but with a schedule that tough, there is a chance that they could squeak into the playoff with nine wins. Still, winning nine games with that conference slate is going to be an extremely tough task.
The good news for the Sooners is that their non-conference slate consists of four guaranteed wins. Still, if they want to feel comfortable on selection Sunday, Oklahoma needs to win four out of six of those previously mentioned matchups with no other slip ups. This schedule is extremely difficult and it is going to hold them back from making the playoff.
