Sports

Oklahoma Finds Out Harsh Reality Of Life In The SEC With ’24 Schedule Release

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Oklahoma fans watch a football game from the stands.

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The Oklahoma Sooners are in a state of transition. Not only will they be competing in Year 2 under a new head coach this season, but the following year, they’ll be in a new league altogether.

The Sooners struggled in Brent Venables’ first season in Norman, limping to a 6-7 record. This, coming after seven consecutive Top 10 finishes under Lincoln Riley and Bob Stoops.

Oklahoma was embarrassed by rival Texas 49-0 in the Red River Rivalry before losing four of their final games by a combined 12 points.

It was certainly a season of ups and downs for Venables and Co., and it doesn’t look like the future will get any easier.

The Sooners and Longhorns will soon be off to the SEC, with the debut season set for 2024. On Wednesday, the schedules for those inaugural campaigns were released.

It was a brutal welcome for OU.

Oklahoma was dealt maybe the most difficult schedule in the conference, seeing games against Alabama, Tennessee, and LSU. That trio combined to win 32 contests and the SEC West crown last year.

The Sooners will also keep the annual rivalry matchup against Texas while facing up and coming programs like Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Auburn.

Making things a bit more difficult, they’ll only play three true home games in the SEC, as the matchup with the Longhorns will be played in Dallas.

Fans and media have been quick to react. Many feel sorry for the Sooners after seeing that ’24 slate.

Welcome to the SEC.

Maybe this was a mistake…

While Oklahoma certainly isn’t rethinking its decision to join the SEC, this schedule is just a harsh reality of life in college football’s top conference. We’ll see how they perform in their first season.