College Football Playoff & Bowl Projections: Where The Oklahoma Sooners Stand After Week 13

Tyler Jones

Nov 27, 2025

Nov 27, 2025

Latest Bowl Projections for the Sooners from key sources including CFP Rankings, ESPN, CBS Sports, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, On3, The Athletic, Athlon Sports, and Saturday Down South

As the regular season winds down in this thrilling 2025 campaign, all eyes in Norman are on the Oklahoma Sooners' postseason destiny.

After a gritty 17-6 defensive masterclass over No. 22 Missouri on November 22—capping a three-game win streak that included road triumphs against Tennessee and No. 4 Alabama—the Sooners sit at 9-2 (5-2 in SEC play).

This surge has catapulted them into prime College Football Playoff contention, with their final regular-season test looming: a home clash against LSU on November 29.

A victory there would seal a 10-2 record, all but guaranteeing a spot in the expanded 12-team CFP field.

Projections from across the media landscape are aligning, painting a picture of Oklahoma not just making the playoff, but hosting in the first round.

The consensus is crystal clear: With a win over LSU, the Sooners are playoff-bound, likely as a No. 8 seed hosting in Norman.

Notably, the official CFP rankings released on November 25 slotted Oklahoma at No. 8 overall—the highest two-loss team in the poll.

This positions them perfectly for a home first-round game, assuming they handle LSU. The lone dissenter in the bunch?

Sports Illustrated's Bryan Fischer, who controversially seeds OU at No. 9, sending them to South Bend for a road tilt against Notre Dame.

Of all these projections, the Sooners are tabbed to face either the Notre Dame Fighting Irish or the Alabama Crimson Tide in the opener—a nod to the playoff's bracket structure, where No. 8 hosts No. 9.

This near-unanimity underscores Oklahoma's elite defensive profile (allowing just 15.1 points per game, sixth in the FBS) and their home-field advantage in a stadium that's become a fortress under Venables.

Whichever foe emerges, the historical subplots promise fireworks.

Start with Notre Dame: The Sooners and Fighting Irish share a storied rivalry dating back to 1910, but the modern era (post-1950) sees the Irish holding an 8-2 edge.

Their most recent chapter unfolded in a home-and-home series during the 2012-13 seasons.

On October 27, 2012, in Norman, Notre Dame delivered a stinging 30-13 defeat, powered by a swarming defense that sacked Landry Jones five times.

The night couldn't get much worse for Sooner Nation—during the game, the Oklahoma City Thunder shockingly traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets, plunging the state into collective mourning.

Fast-forward to September 28, 2013, in South Bend: Oklahoma flipped the script with a commanding 35-21 victory. Behind "The Belldozer" Blake Bell's two rushing touchdowns and a suffocating defense that forced three turnovers, the Sooners evened the home-and-home series score.

Flip to Alabama, and it's pure SEC fire: A potential rematch of their November 15, 2025, classic, where Oklahoma stunned the then-No. 4 Tide 23-21 in Tuscaloosa.

The game was a defensive clinic, with OU's secondary picking off two passes and their D-line sacking Ty Simspon four times.

Tide QB Ty Simpson—then a Heisman frontrunner—entered as a favorite but exited shell-shocked, his unit managing just 57 yards on their last four possessions.

This victory wasn't a fluke; it's part of Venables' perfect 2-0 mark against Alabama. Recall their last Norman meeting on November 23, 2024: The Sooners orchestrated a 24-3 upset.

All-time, Oklahoma leads the series 5-2-1, a rarity against the Crimson Tide's dynasty.

A playoff rematch would be electric—Alabama limping in with revenge on their mind, but facing a Sooners defense that's forced eight turnovers in their last three games.

College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections

CFB Playoff Selection Committee:

CFP 1st Round

Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Norman)