Oklahoma’s 2024 football schedule is going to be one of the most challenging they’ve seen in a while. With road trips to Auburn (AL.), Baton Rouge (LA.), Columbia (MO.), and Oxford (MS.) there’s no room to drop your guard on the road. Then there’s Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee coming to Norman. Plus, the annual Red River Rivalry game against in Dallas. That’s as difficult of a conference schedule that you’ll find, so you’ll have to excuse the Sooners if they look a little on the lighter side when it comes to non-conference opponents.
Keeping A Big 12 Connecting In A Mixed Bag Of Non-Conference Opponents
Oklahoma is remaining connected to one Big 12 opponent in 2024 (and again in 2028). Next season will officially bring about the end of the Bedlam Rivalry but Houston (new to the Big 12 in 2023) will be making an appearance in Norman as a non-conference opponent. The Cougars are the lone Power Five non-conference opponent on OU’s 2024 schedule and they’re pretty much a perfect fit in that that should provide a challenge, particularly to the defense, but the Sooners will still be a double-digit favorite.
Beyond Houston (Sept. 7), Oklahoma’s non-conference slate will include Temple (August 31), Tulane (Sept 14), and Maine (TBD). S.E.C. teams typically schedule a “soft” opponent somewhere in November, which is where I would expect Maine to fall once the conference schedule is released.
There’s nothing shocking with Oklahoma’s 2024 non-conference opponent. It’s designed to work out some of the early season issues that a team may have with a new quarterback, as well as give a little bit of a challenge. It’s also designed to provide the opportunity for the team to rest, and possibly heal up before making a push in the final week of the season.
This Might Be A Good Time To Invest In A Seat Cushion
Friday’s announcement of Houston and Maine as a part of the 2024 football schedule confirmed that there will be seven home games in 2024. It’s just the seventh time in program history that the Sooners have played in front of the home crowd seven times. Oklahoma and Texas will also continue the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in 2024 (OU is the home team), which makes the four S.E.C. away games the only true road games on the schedule.
Embrace It!
Money was the driving force behind Oklahoma making the jump to the S.E.C., but a higher level of competition is an exciting benefit. There are no S.E.C. bottom feeders on the 2024 schedule. Once the Sooners begin conference play it will be an all out brawl for survival. That’s why the fanbase should embrace a non-conference schedule that provides opportunities to secure the type of victories that would allow the coaching staff to go deep into the depth chart.
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