The Oklahoma Sooners are hungry to end a near three-decade-long national championship drought. This is the longest drought in program history since winning their first one in 1950.
Head coach Brent Venables has built a defense ready to compete for a title. The Sooners ranked in the top 10 in several major categories, including defensive efficiency and total defense. The offense is where Oklahoma has to take a major step. The Sooners ranked No. 92 in total offense last season. However, there are some reasons to believe that Oklahoma will be much better in 2026.
The Sooners enter Year 2 under offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. They also return quarterback John Mateer, running backs Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson, star wide receiver Isaiah Sategna
and four of their five starting offensive linemen. Oklahoma also added Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone to bolster the wide receiver room.
ESPN's Greg McElroy believes if the Sooners' offense makes major improvements, Oklahoma is a legit national title contender.
"If that offense climbs from just enough to really good, then Oklahoma is not just going back to the playoff," McElroy said on 'Always College Football.' "Oklahoma has a real chance of competing for a national championship here in 2026."
McElroy's assessment highlights just how narrow the gap may be between Oklahoma and the nation's elite. The Sooners have already proven they can field a championship-level defense, and they return far more continuity on offense than they had a year ago.
If Arbuckle's unit develops into one of the SEC's better offenses, Oklahoma won't be viewed just as a playoff team; it could enter the conversation as one of the top contenders to bring a national championship back to Norman for the first time since 2000.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: ESPN's Greg McElroy reveals how OU can win a national championship
