Where does Oklahoma land in CBS Sports post-spring bowl projections?

Yahoo Sports3h ago20 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Oklahoma Sooners are projected to play in the Gator Bowl in 2026, according to CBS Sports. Despite a strong 10-2 season and roster improvements, they are not expected to return to the College Football Playoff.

Key points

Oklahoma Sooners projected for Gator Bowl in 2026
Team had a 10-2 record last season
Roster improved through the transfer portal
Oklahoma faces tough early schedule
Not expected to return to College Football Playoff

Oklahoma SoonersClemson TigersGator Bowl

Where does Oklahoma land in CBS Sports post-spring bowl projections?

The Oklahoma Sooners are expected to be one of the better teams in the country in 2026, according to a number of post-spring power rankings. After a 10-2 season and College Football Playoff appearance, Oklahoma improved on its roster through the transfer portal, and there are big expectations for 2026. However, not everyone's a believer in the Sooners returning to the playoff. CBS Sports released its bowl projections for 2026, and the Sooners are on the outside looking in of the CFP.

CBS Sports' Brad Crawford is projecting the Oklahoma Sooners to make the Gator Bowl and face Brent Venables old team, the Clemson Tigers. Last year, it was Virginia, which went 10-3 and lost in the ACC championship game against Missouri, which went 8-4 during the regular season. The year before, it was Ole Miss playing in the Gator Bowl with a 9-3 record.

The Oklahoma Sooners play one of the toughest schedules in the country and will start the season with games against Michigan (Week 2), Georgia (Week 4), and Texas (Week 6). That's a rough start to the season by any measure and Oklahoma will need to go at least 2-1 against those three teams to have a shot to make the playoff.

In the second half of the season, they'll face Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida, Missouri, and South Carolina. Not to mention games against Kentucky and Mississippi State, a pair of teams that nearly upset the Texas Longhorns last season.

Making the playoff in Crawford's projections are Texas, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss. He also has Notre Dame, ACC squads Miami and SMU, Texas Tech from the Big 12, and UNLV as the Group of Six representative.

Missing the College Football Playoff would be disappointing, but with the schedule the Sooners face, going 9-3 wouldn't be a bad season by any stretch. Every game on the Sooners' schedule is winnable, but there's certainly the possibility that OU takes a step back in 2026.