Looking ahead to LSU vs. Oklahoma, what it means for both football programs

Nov. 30 in Baton Rouge will not be your typical season finale. Two of college football’s premier programs will face off, with the LSU Tigers hosting the Oklahoma Sooners. In what was scheduled to be a nonconference game down the road, the two will now play as SEC members, and a lot could be on the line.

There is some history between the two schools and on the big stage. A 2004 meeting came in a national championship game, while the latest was during the College Football Playoff following the historic 2019 regular season. LSU fans will have fond memories of those games while Oklahoma fans will cringe reading those words.

“LSU has fared fairly well against OU,” Shea Dixon of On3’s The Bengal Tiger said on Tuesday’s episode of Andy Staples On3. “They’ve met in a lot of big spots — playoffs, national championships.”

As Staples mentioned, the CFP game with Joe Burrow was not particularly close. “It was over in the first five minutes” as the LSU offense excelled and the Tigers defense shut down Jalen Hurts. Complete domination en route to a national championship — but things might be different in 2023.

“Those days are gone,” Dixon said. “I think this year, we’re going to see a little bit tighter of a game between the two.”

Oklahoma win total confusing some heading into 2023

Oklahoma has been given a win total of 7.5 by the sportsbooks, a confusing number for some. If the Sooners were to go over the number but barely, it would be an 8-4 season for Brent Venables in Year One of the SEC.

Dixon points out that no big-name program inside of the SEC is going to be celebrating going 8-4. The standard at Oklahoma will be higher, even with a tougher schedule in 2024.

“Let’s be real, if you’re an upper echelon team, which Oklahoma should consider themselves,” Dixon began. “How many years do good SEC teams go 8-4 and celebrate that? Never? I mean, nobody is celebrating an 8-4 season if you’re at the middle of the pack in the SEC.”

LSU will be a part of the tough schedule and the excitement surrounding the game is certainly there. Dixon has the matchup circled on his calendar as one of the best of the season. If nothing else, playing a brand-new conference opponent is exciting.

Brian Kelly will want to keep up the tradition LSU has of getting big wins against Oklahoma, while the Sooners will want to steal one in Baton Rouge.