Oklahoma Sooners Begin 2025 Season Just Outside Preseason Coaches Poll, Fueling Motivation to Reclaim National Respect and Relevance Again
The Oklahoma Sooners are not used to being on the outside looking in. But as the 2025 season begins, they find themselves doing exactly that — sitting just outside the US LBM Coaches Poll, a rare and humbling position for a program that has long been one of college football’s most recognized and respected brands. Ranked No. 27 in the first coaches poll of the season, Oklahoma narrowly missed the cut for the Top 25. While the difference between 25th and 27th might not seem monumental, for a school with the Sooners’ pedigree, it is a clear message: national voters want to see more before extending belief.
This isn’t unfamiliar territory, but it’s uncomfortable. The Sooners haven’t missed the preseason Coaches Poll since 1999, the year before they won the national championship under Bob Stoops. That absence then was the spark of a new era. In 2025, Oklahoma hopes a similar script unfolds, albeit under different leadership and vastly different circumstances. The program is now led by Brent Venables, who enters a pivotal third year as head coach, and the Sooners are no longer playing Big 12 football — they’ve officially entered the gauntlet that is the Southeastern Conference.
That, more than anything, likely shaped the hesitation among poll voters. Oklahoma is transitioning into a far more competitive environment, one where their old dominance no longer buys them preseason clout. In the Big 12, the Sooners were perennial contenders, but the SEC brings a different challenge — deeper rosters, more physical lines of scrimmage, and relentless week-to-week matchups. While Oklahoma’s fan base is as passionate and loyal as any in the nation, the rest of the country is waiting to see whether the Sooners can adapt and thrive, or if their time among college football’s elite is fading.
Still, there are plenty of reasons to believe Oklahoma can make believers out of skeptics. While the 2024 season ended in disappointment — losses to Oklahoma State, Kansas, and a late-season slide that knocked them out of contention — there were moments of promise. The Red River victory over Texas remains a highlight and proved the Sooners could compete with top-tier talent. What followed, however, exposed issues in depth, consistency, and execution that must be resolved for the program to take the next step.
One of the biggest storylines entering the new season is the arrival of Jackson Arnold as the full-time starting quarterback. A former five-star recruit and one of the most decorated signees in recent OU history, Arnold takes over the offense with high expectations and an even higher ceiling. His limited action last year showcased a strong arm, quick feet, and leadership potential. Now, with a full offseason to prepare, the Sooners are betting big on him to stabilize and elevate an offense that sputtered down the stretch in 2024.
The supporting cast around Arnold will need to grow up quickly. The offensive line, traditionally a strength for Oklahoma, is undergoing a bit of a rebuild, though several returners bring experience and talent. The receiver corps is deep but unproven, while the backfield will lean on a committee approach early on. There’s potential, but the pieces have to mesh — and fast. The SEC won’t wait for anyone to figure it out.
Defensively, Oklahoma is further along than many realize. Brent Venables has spent the last two years reshaping the unit in his image: aggressive, gap-sound, and fast. The Sooners made real strides on that side of the ball last year, even if it didn’t always show in the win column. They held multiple teams under 24 points and were far more physical at the point of attack. The additions from the transfer portal, combined with returning veterans, give the Sooners a chance to field their best defense in several years. In the SEC, where defense still often wins championships, that could be a game-changer.
The schedule, however, offers little breathing room. In their first year in the SEC, Oklahoma draws a difficult slate that includes trips to LSU and Auburn, along with home games against Tennessee and Alabama. The Red River Rivalry with Texas remains on neutral ground, but everything else is new — the venues, the atmospheres, the expectations. For a team still trying to solidify its identity, this is a trial by fire.
Yet there’s also opportunity in that. If Oklahoma can navigate the early part of the season and steal a few key wins, the narrative will flip quickly. Teams rise and fall in the rankings every week, and the gap between being No. 27 and No. 15 can close with two strong showings. The Sooners don’t need to convince voters in August. They need to do it on Saturdays — and that’s exactly what Venables is preaching.
Internally, this unranked status might be the best thing that could have happened. For too long, Oklahoma has entered seasons with massive expectations — playoff talk, Heisman campaigns, national media coverage. That attention brings pressure, and in recent years, the Sooners haven’t always handled it well. This year, they’re being doubted. They’re being overlooked. And for a locker room filled with competitors, that might be the fuel needed to get back to basics: playing hard, smart, and physical football with a chip on their shoulder.
That’s something Venables understands deeply. His coaching style has always been built around toughness and accountability. He doesn’t care much about preseason rankings. He cares about habits, execution, and buy-in. Those elements, more than any AP or Coaches Poll slot, will determine whether the Sooners climb back into the national spotlight or spend another season in the shadows.
From a broader perspective, this moment offers a chance for Oklahoma to redefine itself. The past decade has been defined largely by offensive fireworks and quarterback-driven headlines — from Baker Mayfield to Kyler Murray to Jalen Hurts. While that identity brought success, it also left the defense neglected and the physical edge blunted. Under Venables, the shift has been toward balance, toughness, and long-term sustainability. It hasn’t produced immediate results, but it has laid a foundation. The question now is whether that foundation can support a contender.
Recruiting suggests the answer is yes. Oklahoma’s recent classes have been strong, particularly on defense. The coaching staff has focused on SEC-style players — bigger, more physical linemen, fast sideline-to-sideline linebackers, and rangy defensive backs. The pipeline is being built, even if the payoff hasn’t fully arrived yet. And in college football, trajectory often matters more than immediate results. If Oklahoma takes a step forward in 2025, the future remains bright.
Of course, none of this erases the sting of being left out of the Top 25. For fans, it’s a gut punch. For a generation that grew up with Oklahoma being a constant national force, this moment is sobering. But it’s also a reminder that greatness must be earned, not assumed. The Sooners aren’t entitled to top rankings. They must reclaim them.
This fall, they’ll have every opportunity to do just that. The schedule is brutal, but fair. The roster is flawed, but talented. The leadership is unproven, but passionate. If it all comes together, Oklahoma will be back in the Top 25 — and possibly the Playoff conversation — before long.
And if not? Then the rebuild continues. Because that’s what this season really represents: a fork in the road. One path leads back to national relevance, to competing with Georgia, Alabama, and Texas for supremacy. The other leads to a prolonged transition, where the Sooners must find a new formula and identity in an unforgiving league.
No matter what happens, the 2025 season will be one of the most defining in recent Oklahoma history. Unranked to start, with everything to prove — and that’s exactly how this team seems to like it.
