Oklahoma
Can Missouri football get revenge on Oklahoma? How Sooners shape up
These old rivals are all tied up since their reunion.
Missouri football and Oklahoma, the former Big 12 foes now duking it out in the SEC, are going to meet regularly as ‘permanent’ rivals, meaning the Tigers get the Sooners on the schedule for at least the next four years.
This season, the matchup is moving to the last weekend of the regular season. Oklahoma will visit Mizzou for a Nov. 28 game in Columbia.
In their first matchup back together in the SEC, Mizzou staged a stunning comeback on Faurot Field. The Tigers were largely uncompetitive but kept it respectable in an 11-point loss in Norman last year. It’s tied at 1-1 since the reunion.
Who’s going to take the edge?
The Tribune is analyzing the offseason of each of Mizzou’s 2026 opponents to get you up to speed with the new rosters and coaches after a busy offseason.
Here’s what to know about Oklahoma this season, including key additions, coaching changes and playmakers to keep an eye on when the Tigers face the Sooners:
Who are opposing names to know when Missouri football faces Oklahoma?
Quarterback: John Mateer is back for his second season as OU’s starting quarterback. After transferring in from Washington State as one of the top-ranked portal prospects in the country, he didn’t quite see the preseason Heisman Trophy hype materialize as he battled injuries and acclimatized to SEC play. Mateer threw for 240.4 yards per game, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and he rushed for eight more scores and 35.9 yards per outing.
Offensive playmaker: Trell Harris had an excellent season with Virginia last year, picking up All-ACC honors after catching 59 passes for 847 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll almost certainly be Mateer’s most-used receiver in an offense that could use a spark after a so-so 2025 campaign.
Defensive playmaker: Defensive end Taylor Wein is a 6-foot-4, 266-pound wrecking ball off the edge. He had seven sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss, and there’s every reason to believe those numbers could climb this upcoming season as he likely takes on the lead pass rushing role after R Mason Thomas went to the NFL as a second-round pick.
What did the offseason look like for the Sooners?
Key additions: Harris (WR, Virginia); Parker Livingstone (WR, Texas); E’Marion Harris (RT, Arkansas); Hayden Hansen (TE, Florida); Cole Sullivan (LB, Michigan); Kenny Ozuwalu (DE, UTSA)
Notable losses: Mason Thomas (DE, NFL Draft); Febechi Nwaiwu (OG, NFL Draft); Gracen Helton (DT, NFL Draft); Kendal Daniels (LB, NFL Draft); Robert Spears-Jennings (S, NFL Draft); Jaren Kanak (TE, NFL Draft); Deion Burks (WR, NFL Draft); Sammy Omoshigo (LB, UCLA); Kobie McKinzie (LB, Northwestern); Jovantae Barnes (RB, Kentucky); Michael Hawkins (QB, West Virginia)
New coaches: N/A
The No. 1 reason to believe Oklahoma can repeat as a College Football Playoff team is its defense.
The Sooners were elite on that side of the ball in 2025 and bring back a number of key starters, including their top-two tacklers, sacks leader, and two of the three players who recorded multiple interceptions over the course of the season.
This is almost certainly going to be another strong OU defense.
The major weakness on the Sooners’ offense last season was their ability to run the ball. OU had a bottom-four mark in the SEC with 118.5 rushing yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry. The Sooners are changing up the depth chart with a couple of returners, including Xavier Robinson, the likely No. 1 option out of the backfield.
Venables said in the offseason that he believes this is his best offensive line, which includes a top-ranked addition in Harris from Arkansas and one-time Mizzou target Michael Fasusi at the tackle spots.
Early forecast for Mizzou vs Oklahoma
This game is so far away. There is a lot of football between now and this regular-season finale. Who knows where these two teams will be by then and what stakes will be at play as the Tigers welcome the Sooners back to Columbia for the second time since they both became SEC members.
From nearly four months away, this looks like one of the tougher games on Mizzou’s schedule.
The Sooners have a lot of continuity in areas where they were strong last season. We’ll see if the offense can take a step forward in Year 2 of the OC Arbuckle/QB Mateer pairing. If it does, this is probably a CFP team.
Even last season, though, Missouri had its chances in Norman to spring an upset. If Mizzou’s special teams were operating at even a remotely acceptable level, this could have been a game.
In Columbia, we’d be surprised if this year’s game wasn’t competitive. The last meeting between these two teams on Faurot Field was an all-timer.
But, this appears to be one of MU’s sterner tests. The Sooners are a tough outfit, and it would not be a surprise to see a team one win away from sealing a playoff spot come to CoMo on Nov. 28.