OU football bowl projections 2026: Where are Sooners after Kentucky loss?

OU football's bowl projections looked a bit different this week, after the loss to Kentucky. That is because ESPN's Mark Schlabach didn't project a bowl game for the Sooners at all.

Most platforms, including Schlabach's ESPN co-writer Kyle Bonagura, expect to see OU in the Las Vegas Bowl, while Athlon Sports sees an OU vs. West Virginia matchup in the Liberty Bowl. But one half of the ESPN duo didn't have Oklahoma's name in any of his projected matchups.

What would need to happen for the Sooners to miss out on the postseason? A series of really bad events. Out of six games left in the season, OU must win at least three to be eligible for a bowl game. Those remaining games are unranked Mississippi State, South Carolina and Texas A&M, as well as No. 20 Florida, No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 22 Missouri.

Here are the latest 2026 bowl projections for the Sooners entering Week 8:

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2026 OU football bowl projections

• Athlon Sports: Oklahoma vs. West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2
• CBS Sports: Oklahoma vs. Arizona in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31
• ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Oklahoma vs. USC in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31
• ESPN (Mark Schlabach): N/A
• Sports Illustrated: Oklahoma vs. Kansas State in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31
• College Football News: Oklahoma vs. Arizona in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31

Isa Almeida is a trending reporter for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Isa? She can be reached at ialmeida@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @ialmeidasports. Support Isa's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football bowl projections 2026: Where are Sooners after Kentucky loss?