Could the Oklahoma Sooners be a top 10 team again in 2026?

The Oklahoma Sooners made the College Football Playoff last year as an eight seed, earning the right to host a first round game. Though that crazy night in Norman didn't go OU's way, the 2025 season was still a massive improvement over the previous season, and it was a big step in the right direction towards defending the standard that has been set at Oklahoma.

Since that CFP game, the Sooners have lost and gained players, and they've seen many decide to return to OU as well. With spring practices and roster construction mostly set around the country, many believe that Oklahoma could be a top 10 team again this year.

That's the case at USA TODAY Sports, where Eric Smith and Paul Myerberg unveiled their too-early top 25 rankings following spring practice. They had OU at No. 7, good for third in the Southeastern Conference. That ranking is actually a one-spot drop, as the Sooners were ranked sixth in January.

"The emphasis in spring practice was improving the mechanics of quarterback John Mateer and getting better play from the offensive line – two significant hurdles in last year’s three losses. The results of that work will likely dictate whether the Sooners are playoff contenders or potentially title contenders because the rest of the skill positions should be productive. The defense got a major boost with linebacker Owen Heinecke earning an extra year of eligibility. It has tackles David Stone and Jayden Jackson anchoring the middle and a veteran secondary that might be the best in the SEC." - Erick Smith and Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports.

One of the deciding factors for the Sooners might be the very tough schedule they'll have to face in 2026. After hosting UTEP in the season-opener, Oklahoma will travel to play Michigan in a huge non-conference game. A home date with New Mexico will give the Sooners a bit of a breather before another huge road game, this one against Georgia.

After the only bye week of the season, Oklahoma will get right back to it, heading to Dallas for the annual neutral-site Red River Rivalry matchup against Texas. A home game against Kentucky, a road game against Mississippi State, and a home game against South Carolina will follow, before a tough final month of the season that includes a trip to Florida, back-to-back home contests against Ole Miss and Texas A&M, and a road date with Missouri to close out the regular season.

In all, OU faces five teams that land in the top 13 of Smith and Myerberg's list, in Texas (3rd), Georgia (4th), Ole Miss (9th), Texas A&M (11th), and Michigan (13th). Multiple other SEC schools were ranked in the top 20, with Alabama (12th), LSU (17th), and Tennessee (20th) also making the list.

Oklahoma feels that its done an excellent job of building the roster this season, navigating the offseason very well to this point. However, it may come down to that extremely tough schedule, once again one of the most difficult in the entire country, that could determine if Brent Venables' squad is a top 10 outfit again in 2026.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Could the Sooners wind up as a top 10 team again this year?