ESPN SP+ rankings reveal another tough road for Oklahoma in 2026
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The Oklahoma Sooners rank favorably in the 2026 spring SP+ rankings created by analytics expert Bill Connelly. The Sooners come in at No. 12 overall, five months ahead of the 2026 season.
SP+ takes into account returning production, recent history, recent recruiting, and coaching changes. The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the better rosters in college football and hope to make it back to the College Football Playoff again in 2026.
Coming in at No. 12, the Sooners are sixth among SEC teams in spring SP+. Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, and Alabama rank ahead of the Sooners in overall SP+. LSU is the only team from that group that didn’t make the playoff in 2025, but expectations are high for Lane Kiffin and the Tigers in year one to make a return to the CFP.
The Sooners are one of five teams with a defense that ranks in the top 10 in SP+, with Oklahoma coming in at No. 10. The Sooners bring back one of the best secondaries in college football, led by Peyton Bowen, Eli Bowen, and Courtland Guillory. 2025 sack leader Taylor Wein is back, along with defensive line standouts David Stone and Jayden Jackson. At linebacker, the Sooners return one of the best in the nation in senior Kip Lewis.
Despite losses to the NFL, it’s still an absolutely loaded defensive unit with one of the best defensive playcallers in football in Brent Venables.
The Sooners’ offense ranks No. 9 in the SEC. It’s a unit that is expected to drastically improve this season with the return of quarterback John Mateer, a number of starters coming back along the offensive line, leading receiver Isaiah Sategna, the addition of playmakers Trell Harris and Parker Livingston, and a retooled tight end room that will help make a difference in the running game.
If the offense takes the step that’s expected, they’ll be in the mix for a playoff spot with a chance to compete for a national championship in 2026. But they’ll have to overcome a difficult schedule once again.
In 2026, the Sooners will face three top 10 SP+ teams in Georgia, Texas, and Texas A&M, and eight teams in the top 25. Only two teams rank in the top 10 in both offense and defense SP+, and both are on Oklahoma’s schedule: Georgia and Texas.
For Oklahoma to make the playoff they’ll need to come up with significant road wins once again. They’ll travel to face Michigan (No. 14 in SP+), Georgia (No. 4), Florida (No. 19), Missouri (No. 20). That doesn’t include the neutral site game against No. 6 Texas in the Red River Showdown.
Oklahoma is a veteran team with leadership that knows what it takes to win tough games in hostile environments. They did it in 2025 when they went on the road to beat South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. They’ll have the opportunity to prove to be “road dawgs” once again this season with a tough slate away from Owen Field.
The road ahead is difficult, but the Sooners have developed a formula for success that relies on a defense that ranked among the best in the nation in 2025. If the offense is better able to pull its weight, the Sooners will be one of the more formidable teams in the country this season.
SEC SP+ Rankings
| Rank (Overall) | Offense Rank | Defense Rank | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Georgia (4) | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| 2. Texas (6) | 7 | 8 | 31 |
| 3. Texas A&M (9) | 10 | 14 | 99 |
| 4. LSU (10) | 21 | 2 | 53 |
| 5. Alabama (11) | 32 | 4 | 109 |
| 6. Oklahoma (12) | 27 | 10 | 33 |
| 7. Tennessee (15) | 4 | 50 | 34 |
| 8. Ole Miss (16) | 11 | 25 | 1 |
| 9. Florida (19) | 39 | 12 | 17 |
| 10. Missouri (20) | 24 | 15 | 118 |
| 11. South Carolina (24) | 44 | 21 | 19 |
| 12. Auburn (26) | 55 | 18 | 51 |
| 13. Vanderbilt (31) | 15 | 56 | 7 |
| 14. Arkansas (47) | 13 | 91 | 44 |
| 15. Mississippi State (52) | 41 | 76 | 21 |
| 16. Kentucky (53) | 75 | 36 | 75 |
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma faces 8 teams in the ESPN SP+ top 25 in 2026
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