Overview
- The season opener is set for Friday, Sept. 4, at Gaylord Family‑Oklahoma Memorial Stadium with kickoff at 8 p.m. ET and live streaming only on SEC Network+/ESPN+.
- Betting markets make Oklahoma an overwhelming favorite, with spreads around 41.5 points that reflect widespread expectations of a one‑sided game.
- John Mateer will start at quarterback for the Sooners, who return multiple defensive starters from a College Football Playoff team and hope that experience carries over.
- Head coach Brent Venables added Jason Witten and running backs coach Deland McCullough in the offseason to revive a rushing attack that ranked near the bottom of the SEC last year and to improve yards‑after‑contact.
- UTEP arrives in its first Mountain West season as a heavy underdog, opening with transfer QB EJ Colson Jr. and replacing every offensive starter while Norman braces for large crowds and traffic impacts.