John Mateer gives honest take of Oklahoma's challenging schedule in 2025

Expectations for Oklahoma‘s second season in the SEC are to improve upon their 6-7 finish from one year ago. However, the Sooners’ schedule has a few hurdles to get through to accomplish this goal.

OU’s key matchups this fall include home games against Michigan, Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU. On the road they’ll face the likes of South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. The Red River Rivalry also looms during the second Saturday of October. Incoming Washington State transfer QB John Mateer revealed his mindset in the face of what will be his toughest schedule to date as a college quarterback.

“I think it’s one day at a time, because you start a Sunday, you’ve got to recover, you know?” Mateer told On3’s Shea Dixon at the Manning Passing Academy. “And then you’ve got to get into the film. And my schedule is actually easier this year than last year — not like play schedule, weekly, like class schedule, so I’ll have more time to do recovery and watch more film, so it’s one day at a time.”

Staying focused on what’s in front of him, or controlling what he can control appears to be a theme for Mateer heading into the 2025 season. The Sooners QB admitted he fell behind in that regard during the 2024 season.

“If you get caught up in, ‘Oh, we beat one team,’ we’ve got to play another team next week,” Mateer said. “It’s not like we just have a week off or something, so that is what it is. Week after week of the same mindset, I think that’s the most important because we’re human and we’re not perfect. You can get into a lull where you just start getting lazy and you start letting your mind think different things — you don’t need to work as hard, that and that.

“I had to learn that last year. I was playing well, but it wasn’t how it should have been. I should have watched more film and obviously, learning a lot during that first season is huge. But taking all the things I learned from last season and game to game. … Football is not perfect, which is annoying, but that’s what makes it so great.”

Mateer threw for 3,139 yards on a 64.6% (224-347) clip during the 2024 season including 29 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’ll look to build on that further, this time in Norman after the success he had with the Cougars.

That effort begins in Week 1 against Illinois State. Mateer’s first test as Sooners QB1 will come the following week when the Sooners host Michigan inside Memorial Stadium.