The Oklahoma Sooners don’t have the highest expectations nationally in 2025. After a very disappointing season that saw OU go 6-7 in 2024, there isn’t much hope nationally that the Sooners could make the College Football Playoff. That has plenty to do with the fact that Oklahoma plays the nation’s toughest schedule in 2025.
However, with some of Oklahoma’s personnel moves and the aggressive nature of general manager Jim Nagy and head coach Brent Venables in the transfer portal, there are the beginnings of some more optimism around the team this year.
That includes ESPN, where staff writer Mark Schlabach released his post-spring Top 25 rankings for 2025. The Sooners were not previously in the top 25, but they just made the cut this time around. Schlabach has Oklahoma as the No. 25 team in the country, noting that they were quite busy in the portal.
“The Sooners didn’t have much to cheer about in their first season in the SEC, finishing 6-7 for the second time in three years,” Schlabach said. “Coach Brent Venables needs a bounce-back season in a big way, and he has transformed his offense to try to make it happen. John Mateer threw for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, while rushing for 826 and 15 scores. Jaydn Ott was one of the top runners in the FBS with 1,305 yards in 2023, but he limped through an injury-plagued season last year.”
Schlabach wasn’t done complimenting OU’s roster but lamented the difficulty of the Sooners’ schedule in 2025. In the always brutal SEC, Schlabach has Oklahoma as the league’s ninth-best team right now.
“Javonnie Gibson, an FCS All-American in 2024, broke his right leg during spring practice, but Venables says he is hopeful he’ll be back before the start of the season,” Schlabach said. “The Sooners were pretty sound on defense last season, and R Mason Thomas, Damonic Williams and Jayden Jackson are an imposing front. The secondary should be good again with Robert Spears-Jennings and both Bowens (Peyton and Eli) returning. With home games against Michigan, Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU, and road games against Texas (in Dallas), South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, Oklahoma will have to be much better to be a surprise.”
OU’s schedule is quickly becoming one of the great caveats when it comes to previewing the 2025 team. The Sooners will likely be better than they were a year ago, but the schedule is even more difficult than it was in 2024. How much Oklahoma improves in the span of one year will determine so much about the state of the program moving forward.
Here’s a look at the rest of ESPN’s top 25 and how it compared to Joel Klatt’s top 25 released earlier in the week.
1. Penn State Nittany Lions
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 1
2. Clemson Tigers
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 5
3. Texas Longhorns
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 2
4. Georgia Bulldogs
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 8
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 3
Joel Klatt’s Top 25:
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 6
8. Oregon Ducks
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 4
9. Alabama Crimson Tide
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 9
10. BYU Cougars
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 14
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 10
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 15
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 11
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 17
15. SMU Mustangs
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: UNRANKED
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: UNRANKED
17. Indiana Hoosiers
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 21
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 16
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 13
20. Michigan Wolverines
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 12
21. Miami Hurricanes
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 18
22. Louisville Cardinals
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: UNRANKED
23. Texas A&M Aggies
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 19
24. Ole Miss Rebels
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 20
25. Oklahoma Sooners
Joel Klatt’s Top 25: 25
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