Sooners among CBS' second tier of national title contenders in 2026

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Last season, the Oklahoma Sooners made it to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. Despite a tough schedule in the SEC and two losses in the month of October, head coach Brent Venables led his team on a run through the month of November that resulted in a CFP berth.

In 2026, OU is thinking bigger than just a spot in the playoff, as the program looks for its first-ever CFP win and more. The Sooners believe they have the roster to make a deeper run this time around, but they aren't seen nationally as a top-flight national title contender.

CBS Sports placed its top national championship contenders into tiers for the upcoming season, and the Sooners sat right atop the second tier in writer Chip Patterson's list. A total of 12 teams were ranked in the top tier, with OU just missing the cut and being placed in Tier 2 as a dark horse.

"We could see the Sooners start as a top 10 team in 2026 after making the College Football Playoff last season, but for Brent Venables to get back and have a real shot to win it all, he's going to need a little bit more balance on offense against the best teams. John Mateer and Isaiah Sategna III can only carry so much weight in the biggest games of the season." – Chip Patterson, CBS Sports.

It's no secret that Oklahoma's defense and special teams were up to the challenge in the SEC last year, but that the offense still lagged behind. The Sooners have placed an emphasis on running the ball better this fall. Venables and general manager Jim Nagy also focused on adding more playmakers around Mateer and Sategna, which should take some pressure off of OU's two best offensive engines.

Only time will tell if OU has truly improved the offense, and if the defense and special teams will match their 2025 effectiveness. However, the expectations are high in Norman, and the folks inside the program believe they've assembled the right pieces to exceed those expectations this autumn.

National Champions since 1992

  • 1992: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 1993: Florida State Seminoles
  • 1994: Nebraska Cornhuskers
  • 1995: Nebraska Cornhuskers
  • 1996: Florida Gators
  • 1997: Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers
  • 1998: Tennessee Volunteers
  • 1999: Florida State Seminoles
  • 2000: Oklahoma Sooners
  • 2001: Miami Hurricanes
  • 2002: Ohio State Buckeyes
  • 2003: USC Trojans and LSU Tigers
  • 2004: USC Trojans
  • 2005: Texas Longhorns
  • 2006: Florida Gators
  • 2007: LSU Tigers
  • 2008: Florida Gators
  • 2009: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2010: Auburn Tigers
  • 2011: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2012: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2013: Florida State Seminoles
  • 2014: Ohio State Buckeyes
  • 2015: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2016: Clemson Tigers
  • 2017: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2018: Clemson Tigers
  • 2019: LSU Tigers
  • 2020: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2021: Georgia Bulldogs
  • 2022: Georgia Bulldogs
  • 2023: Michigan Wolverines
  • 2024: Ohio State Buckeyes
  • 2025: Indiana Hoosiers

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: CBS Sports ranks OU in second tier of national title contenders

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