Just a Fact to keep in mind

[WishBone]

Strength of Schedule so far among several Top 10 teams.....................
Miami...64th
Oregon...94th
Penn State...95th
Texas ...101st
Ohio State...109th


Guess this is the "Easy Path" to the CFP?

[TropicalSooner]

Just out of curiosity, what is ours?

[waddy's ghost]

Just out of curiosity, what is ours?

according to college fpptball network #6

[WishBone]

6) Oklahoma
Preseason Projected Win-Loss Record: 6.8-5.2
Preseason Strength of Schedule Rank: 2
Week 7 Projected Win-Loss Record: 6.7-5.3
Remaining Strength of Schedule Rank: 6

Easiest Game Remaining: Oklahoma (-32.5) vs. Maine (Projection: W)
Toughest Game Remaining: Oklahoma (13.5) vs. Texas (Projection: L)

FRom CFB Network

[StatesEye]

According to ESPN's College Football Power Resume Ratings, Oklahoma has currently played the 35th most difficult schedule. Texas has played the 101st most difficult schedule.

According to FEI (https://www.bcftoys.com/2024-fei/), Oklahoma has currently played anywhere from the 27th to 38th most difficult schedule while Texas has played anywhere from the 66th to 98th most difficult schedule.

With the above stated, FEI has Texas rated as an "elite" team with an FEI rating that is at least two standard deviations above the average at 1.25. Currently, there are only four elite teams according to FEI. In order they are tOSU (1.49), Georgia (1.30) tied with Oregon (1.30) and Texas (1.25).

There are 17 "good" teams with FEI ratings of at least one standard deviation above the average. These teams include Alabama (1.10) at the top of this group and Kentucky (0.59) at the bottom. Oklahoma has a rating of 0.66. Considering FEI rating ties, Oklahoma's rating is one spot better than Kentucky's and 11 spots worse than Alabama's.

Oklahoma is currently rated higher than Missouri (0.37) and SoCar (0.36) and lower than Alabama (1.10), Ole Miss (1.00) and LSU (0.81).

Stats like these begin to mean something after about five games into the season. Accordingly, the most likely outcome of Saturdays game is a loss for Oklahoma. Simply put, Texas is a better team than Oklahoma. However, the better team frequently loses this game...especially when the better team looks past the underdog, and Georgia must loom large on the whorn's horizon. Just keep that in mind. Of course, I don't need to tell any of y'all this.

[RussC]

Scattershotting from me here:

This past weekend results demonstrated a degree of parity I did not see coming. I’d been thinking that NIL would result in less parity, but maybe the Transfer Portal results in more QB parity by spreading the talent around more.

I’m hoping that OU will be on a better trend line than our remaining opponents due to QB switch and OL getting past the early season blahs (inconsistent lineups).

[WishBone]

Agree Russ.....we will know a lot more after this week.

[Echo]

I have a dumb question....who decides the schedules?

[TropicalSooner]

The SEC decides the conference schedule wouldn't they?
And I suspect Brent and Joe C collaborate on the OOC games.

[Bixby_Sooner]

The SEC decides the conference schedule wouldn't they?
And I suspect Brent and Joe C collaborate on the OOC games.

... and if you are thinking ahead to next year's SEC schedule, don't forget we will be playing the same teams that we play this year, just reversing home teams for those games. So, we will have Auburn, LSU, Missouri, 'Ol Miss and of course the RRS in Dallas at home, and will travel to Tennessee, 'Bama, South Carolina. I guess that gives the SEC another year to play with the 9 team pods or whatever other format they decide to use in order to establish "new" rivalries.

[StatesEye]

I have a dumb question....who decides the schedules?

Not dumb at all. All that is provided form official SEC statements is that scheduling is voted upon by the Presidents and Chancellors of all SEC member schools. Then there is this bit....

The 2024 Southeastern Conference (SEC) football schedules were decided by eliminating divisions and including the new members, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas:
No divisions: The SEC eliminated divisions for the first time since 1991. Each SEC team plays one of Oklahoma or Texas, but not both.
Eight conference games: Each SEC team plays eight conference games.
One additional opponent: Each SEC team plays at least one opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, or major independent.
Two open dates: Each SEC team has two open dates.
Championship game: The top two teams in the league standings play in the SEC Football Championship Game on December 7 in Atlanta.

It's obvious the SEC shafted OU in scheduling as compared to Texas. The reasons for this are historical. The SEC views Oklahoma (not Texas) as one of those "peripheral" programs that has a historical resume that dwarfs all SEC teams but one. The complaint from just about every single SEC team not named Alabama has been "Yeah, but if OU played in the SEC they wouldn't be all of that", and this whine has been ever present since the 1950's. Hell, we've recently seen this BS with the "Georgia regular season winning streak" garbage pumped by ESPN. Until Georgia recently lost, the MAGIC NUMBER was 45 REGULAR SEASON WINS (an OU record, btw) coming from ESPN. Well, we don't celebrate 45. We celebrate 47.....47 STRAIGHT, whether regular season or bowls games determining national champions. Ask any SEC fan about the 47 straight. The first things they'll say is, "Well, if they'd played in the SEC.....". They don't like us for the 47. They don't like us for Bob Stoops backing up his words with the whipping of mighty Bama is the Sugar Bowl. Simply put....they want to make us an example. Let them try. Perhaps they'll get a couple of years of snickers.

But I tell you this..... Right now the SEC is looking at Texas and are probably somewhat surprised that Texas is playing with the SEC BIG BOYS. Hell, Texas might win the conference. But by Gawd....what must also be in the back of their little SEC minds is that anything Texas does, Oklahoma eventually does a hell of a lot BETTER. Freaking 70 years of precedent shows this.

From my childhood I've always regarded Bama as a near peer to Oklahoma. Over the last decade, I have to admit they had taken the lead by a quarter length. What the SEC doesn't know yet, although the subconscious fear lurks, there are now two Crimson Beasts in Dixie. Just a matter of time.

[AllSooner]

Then a plausible SEC schedule for year after next is that the Sooners and the whorns swap SEC oppenents for two years so that the "get to know" the SEC for both teams will be complete.

[Brisket]

I thought I had read somewhere that the SEC used some kind of formula of each team's record over the previous 4 seasons to determine their opponents in 24 & 25. The better the team's record, the more difficult opponents they face. GA, Bama, OU all had very strong records over that time period, so they were slotted in the "tougher" matchups. , as we all know, suck all the time, but especially so for the past 10 or so years. Hence, they received easier matchups. Same with Mizzou.

[TropicalSooner]

Then a plausible SEC schedule for year after next is that the Sooners and the whorns swap SEC oppenents for two years so that the "get to know" the SEC for both teams will be complete.

Yeah...I think that's the plan.

[RussC]

Then a plausible SEC schedule for year after next is that the Sooners and the whorns swap SEC oppenents for two years so that the "get to know" the SEC for both teams will be complete.

Yeah...I think that's the plan.

But someone on the internet was trying to read the tea leaves of non-conference schedules for ‘26:

“Nine-game SEC football schedule looking more likely in 2026. With Vandy’s games vs. CSU canceled, plus the Ole Miss-USC cancellation and UGA-UCLA cancellation, only three SEC teams have four non-conference games scheduled in 2026, including Missouri”