Can the Oklahoma Sooners end their over 25-year national championship drought in 2026? That is the big question entering this season.
The Sooners are coming off a 10-3 season last year, in which they possessed the No. 6-ranked defense and returned to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. Oklahoma ranks in the top 15 in returning production this season, meaning several key contributors from last season, both on offense and defense, are back for another year.
ESPN and former Oklahoma great Dusty Dvoracek said the Sooners have what it takes to compete at a high level this season.
"This is Brent Venables' best team from a roster perspective that he's had," Dvoracek said on ESPN's 'Get Up.' "The defense is going to be one of the
best in college football next year. The offensive line had three freshman starters a year ago; they're back, and they're going to be better. It's going to be a healthy, more seasoned, ready to take on the SEC, John Mateer... the Sooners are for real."
The goal for Oklahoma is to turn an offensive unit that struggled for stretches last season into one capable of complementing an elite defense. That's ultimately what makes Dvoracek's assessment so significant. Oklahoma doesn't need to become the highest-scoring team in the country to contend for a championship.
If the defense remains elite, the offensive line develops, and quarterback John Mateer returns to form that made him a Heisman contender early last season, the Sooners have a legitimate path back to the College Football Playoff. After years of coming up short on the biggest stage, 2026 could give Oklahoma its best opportunity yet under Venables to finally end the championship drought.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: ESPN's Dusty Dvoracek reveals why Oklahoma is 'for real' in 2026
