Now facing nine Southeastern Conference opponents as well as a non-conference game at Michigan, the Sooners' journey in 2026 could be even more daunting.

The Sooners will play six home games, as well as five true road games and the annual Red River Rivalry clash against Texas at the Cotton Bowl.

Times have changed. The eighth-ranked Sooners (10-2) feature a rugged, aggressive defense that leads the nation in tackles for loss (9.6 per game) and is tied for the nation’s lead in sacks (3.42) heading into next Friday’s first-round home game against No. 11 Alabama (10-3).

Oklahoma kept its hopes alive in the SEC race following a road upset at Alabama. Can the Sooners still make the conference title game?

This article was originally published on stormininnorman.com as All-SEC selections shine light on Oklahoma’s most underrated assets.

Earning first-team All-SEC honors were defensive end R Mason Thomas, kicker Tate Sandell, and Punter Grayson Miller. Thomas finished tied for seventh in sacks this season with 6.5, but missed the final three games due to a quadriceps injury.

Transferring into the SEC for your first year is difficult, as evidenced by former great SEC quarterbacks who struggled in their initial seasons in the conferen