Predicting how Oklahoma's 2023 season will go

For one final season, the Oklahoma Sooners will line up against Big 12 opponents. Head coach Brent Venables will lead them into the SEC for the 2024 season, with a ton of hype involving the move. Taking care of business in 2023 is the first priority though, wanting to respond to the program’s first losing season since 1998.

Oklahoma has an interesting schedule, one that looked different even a year ago. Georgia was supposed to come to Norman for a big nonconference game. Due to the SEC move, Greg Sankey said to cut the game out, with SMU coming to town instead. OU-UGA will take place down the road, being a conference matchup for both programs.

Three of the new Big 12 opponents will be on there as well, with the Sooners going on the road to face two of them. And then, of course, the rivalry games against Texas and (potentially for the final time) Oklahoma State stand out.

On3’s J.D. PicKell decided to predict every game on Oklahoma’s 2023 schedule. He thinks highly of how Venables’ team will play out this year, only seeing two losses on the cards.

• 9/2 vs. Arkansas State – Win
• 9/9 vs. SMU – Win
• 9/15 at Tulsa – Win
• 9/23 at Cincinnati – Win
• 9/30 vs. Iowa State – Win
• 10/7 vs. Texas (Dallas) – Loss
• 10/14 – BYE
• 10/21 vs. UCF – Win
• 10/28 at Kansas – Win
• 11/04 at Oklahoma State – Win
• 11/11 vs. West Virginia – Win
• 11/18 at BYU – Loss
• 11/24 vs. TCU – Win

Now, when saying the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl would be a loss, there was something PicKell added in there. He believes Oklahoma “may see (Texas) again” later in the season, referencing the Big 12 Championship game.

A 10-2 record would be more than enough to send the Sooners to Arlington. Since the Big 12 Championship game’s rebirth, a 7-2 conference record has continually been good enough to compete for the title. In fact, teams can usually fall to 6-3 and be alright as well.

Oklahoma has dominated the Big 12 Championship game throughout its history. In their 12 appearances, all but one have resulted in wins. Kansas State took down the Sooners in 2003 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Over the last two years, they have been absent, though. Before bolting off to the SEC, making one more trip to AT&T Stadium, especially if Texas is the rival, would be the perfect ending to an era for Oklahoma.