Breaking Down Oklahoma Football's 2024 Schedule
The Oklahoma Sooners are set to make its SEC conference debut this fall after it was announced in February of 2023 that it will be departing from the Big12 conference at the conclusion of 2023-24 season.
The Sooners are now diving into the most dominant conference in college football - one that has produced 43 national champions over the years, along with six of the ten winners in the young college football playoff era.
Schedule
Week 1 vs. Temple - August 30, 2024
After totaling a 10-3 overall record and 7-2 conference record in their Big12 farewell tour, the Sooners look to leave a mark in their first SEC campaign which guns off on Friday, Aug. 30 with a non-conference go-around against the Temple Owls at Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. The Owls finished 3-9 overall last season and 1-7 in American conference play.
Weeks 2 and 3 vs. Houston and Tulane - Sept. 7, 2024 and Sept. 14, 2024
Before it begins its inaugural run in SEC play, Oklahoma has two more non-conference showdowns following Temple. On Sept. 7, the Houston Cougars - who finished 4-8 last season - visit the Sooners and the following week, Tulane - who rounded off its record at 11-3 last year - will do the same.
Week 4 vs. Tennessee - Sept. 21, 2024
After the first three weeks, the Sooners will host their first SEC foe, the Tennessee Volunteers on Sept. 21. The Vols are headlined by former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava who is expected to take over for Joe Milton III, the former starting quarterback who was recently drafted by the New England Patriots in the NFL Draft.
Iamaleava got some reps in the dying minutes of four games for the Vols, attempting 26 passes while completing 16 of them and throwing one touchdown. Milton III sat out of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Iowa, leaving Iamaleava to take over. In that contest, the Long Beach, Calif. native went 12/19, threw 151 passing yards and completed one touchdown pass. The Vols won that game 35-0 and Tennessee finished 9-4 on the season.
Week 5 at Auburn - Sept. 28, 2024
The following Saturday, Oklahoma hits the road for the first time as it heads to Auburn to take on the Tigers, who finished with a 6-7 overall record last season. This season, the Tigers are returning Payton Thorne, their 6-foot, 2-inch quarterback who threw 16 touchdown passes and ten interceptions last season.
Auburn also has three new wide receivers entering the jungle as Cam Coleman (freshman), KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Penn State transfer) and Robert Lewis (Georgia State transfer) are all expected to make an impact on the offensive end.
Week 6 (Bye week)
Week 7 at Texas - Oct. 12, 2024
Following the bye week, Oklahoma will travel to Texas to battle the Texas Longhorns at a neutral site. The Longhorns - who are also making the move to the SEC this season - made the college football playoffs last season as the No. 3 seed before losing to Washington in the semi-finals 37-31.
The Longhorns are safe at the quarterback position as former five-star Quinn Ewers is returning for his junior season. The Southlake, Texas native threw for 3,479 passing yards last season and strung along 22 touchdown passes.
Like Auburn, the Longhorns are housing some new weapons at the wide receiver position as Oregon State transfer Silas Bolden, Houston transfer Matthew Golden and Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond are all expected to do some damage in orange this fall.
Week 8 vs. South Carolina - Oct. 19, 2024
On Oct. 19, the South Carolina Gamecocks head to Oklahoma. The Gamecocks are going to be led by redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers who backed up Spencer Rattler last season. Rattler was recently drafted to the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Sellers got small opportunities in three games last season, going 4-4 and rushing for 51 yards and one touchdown during those contests. The Gamecocks finished 5-7, 3-5 last year.
Week 9 at Ole Miss - Oct. 26, 2024
After looking to climb over Sellers and the Cocks, the Sooners then head east to Oxford, Miss. to wrestle with Ole Miss. The Rebels are one of the scarier teams Oklahoma will face as they are returning some key offensive pieces in quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver’s Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins.
Harris led Ole Miss in receiving yards last season with 985 and also hauled in eight touchdown passes. Watkins, a former Louisville Cardinal, recorded 741 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Ole Miss rounded its record to 11-2, 6-2 last season and defeated Penn State in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl 38-25.
Week 10 vs. Maine - Nov. 2, 2024
The next opponent to enter Sooner territory is the Maine Black Bears. As a member of the CAA conference, Maine finished 2-9, 1-7 last season. The Black Bears stand as one of the lighter opponents that the Sooners will square off with.
Week 11 vs. Missouri - Nov. 9, 2024
After what should be a dandelion game against Maine, Oklahoma then hosts the Missouri Tigers who had a phenomenal season last-go-around. The Tigers finished 11-2, 6-2 last season and took down No. 7 Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic 14-3.
Missouri is returning quarterback Brady Cook who had a sensational campaign in 2023. Cook threw 21 touchdown passes and six interceptions while registering a total of 3,317 passing yards. Against Ohio State, the St. Louis, Mo native completed 11 of 18 attempted passes for 128 yards while tallying one touchdown pass.
Week 12 (Bye Week)
Week 13 vs. Alabama - Nov. 23, 2024
The Sooners' second to last game of the season kicks off on Nov. 23 against the newly coached Alabama Crimson Tide at Memorial Stadium. Following the retirement of former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide hired former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Deboer led the Washington Huskies to the National Championship last season, while motoring through the regular season without a loss. At the quarterback spot, Alabama is returning Jalen Milroe, a 6-foot, 2-inch scrambler from Katy, Texas. Milroe carried the ball 161 times last season and rounded his rushing yards total to 531.
He averaged 3.3 yards per carry. Alabama snuck into the 2023 College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed before falling to the No. 1 seeded - and eventual national champions - Michigan Wolverines in overtime 27-20.
Week 14 at LSU - Nov. 30, 2024
Finally, the Sooners close out their inaugural SEC season in “Death Valley.” The LSU Tigers will host Oklahoma at Tiger Stadium on Nov. 30. LSU has to adjust without its Heisman winning quarterback Jayden Daniels as he was drafted to the Washington Commanders second overall in the NFL Draft.
The Tigers offense will now run through Garrett Nussmeier, a 6-foot, 2-inch quarterback from Lake Charles, LA. Nussmeier has gotten some good reps throughout his college career as a backup, completing 29 passes in 2021, 52 passes in 2022 and 48 passes in 2023. The Sooners will look to end their first SEC regular season with a bang.