Where does Oklahoma land in CBS Sports post-spring bowl projections?
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The Oklahoma Sooners are expected to be one of the better teams in the country in 2026, according to a number of post-spring power rankings. After a 10-2 season and College Football Playoff appearance, Oklahoma improved on its roster through the transfer portal, and there are big expectations for 2026. However, not everyone's a believer in the Sooners returning to the playoff. CBS Sports released its bowl projections for 2026, and the Sooners are on the outside looking in of the CFP.
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford is projecting the Oklahoma Sooners to make the Gator Bowl and face Brent Venables old team, the Clemson Tigers. Last year, it was Virginia, which went 10-3 and lost in the ACC championship game against Missouri, which went 8-4 during the regular season. The year before, it was Ole Miss playing in the Gator Bowl with a 9-3 record.
The Oklahoma Sooners play one of the toughest schedules in the country and will start the season with games against Michigan (Week 2), Georgia (Week 4), and Texas (Week 6). That's a rough start to the season by any measure and Oklahoma will need to go at least 2-1 against those three teams to have a shot to make the playoff.
In the second half of the season, they'll face Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida, Missouri, and South Carolina. Not to mention games against Kentucky and Mississippi State, a pair of teams that nearly upset the Texas Longhorns last season.
Making the playoff in Crawford's projections are Texas, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss. He also has Notre Dame, ACC squads Miami and SMU, Texas Tech from the Big 12, and UNLV as the Group of Six representative.
Missing the College Football Playoff would be disappointing, but with the schedule the Sooners face, going 9-3 wouldn't be a bad season by any stretch. Every game on the Sooners' schedule is winnable, but there's certainly the possibility that OU takes a step back in 2026.
Oklahoma Sooners 2026 Schedule
- Week 1 Sat, Sep 5 vs UTEP Miners
- Week 2 Sat, Sep 12 @ Michigan Wolverines
- Week 3 Sat, Sep 19 vs New Mexico Lobos
- Week 4 Sat, Sep 26 @ Georgia Bulldogs
- Week 5 BYE WEEK
- Week 6 Sat, Oct 10 vs Texas Longhorns
- Week 7 Sat, Oct 17 vs Kentucky Wildcats
- Week 8 Sat, Oct 24 @ Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Week 9 Sat, Oct 31 vs South Carolina Gamecocks
- Week 10 Sat, Nov 7 @ Florida Gators
- Week 11 Sat, Nov 14 vs Ole Miss Rebels
- Week 12 Sat, Nov 21 vs Texas A&M Aggies
- Week 13 Sat, Nov 28 @ Missouri Tigers
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma to the Gator Bowl in CBS Sports post-spring bowl projections
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