When a major college football analyst starts comparing your program to Michigan, Texas Tech, and Alabama, you know you've got the nation's attention. That's exactly what happened to the Oklahoma Sooners this week, as Josh Pate lumped Brent Venables' squad in with some of the sport's most intriguing—and flawed—teams ahead of the 2026 season.

Pate, speaking on "Crain & Cone," called the Sooners "properly rated" after spring ball, placing them in a group that has plenty of buzz but also significant question marks. "They're kind of in the neighborhood of Michigan, Texas Tech, Alabama," Pate explained. "I think that's proper. I think their question marks may be a little bigger, and they're one of those teams that couldn't run the ball last year."

That running game critique stings, but it's also a clear challenge for an Oklahoma program that has invested heavily in NIL and recruiting—including landing star Washington State transfer quarterback Jo. The talent is there. The expectations are sky-high. Now it's about proving it on the field.

And there's no better place to start than Ann Arbor. Oklahoma travels to the Big House in Week 2 for a return matchup against Michigan, after the Sooners took the first game of the home-and-home series 24-13 last September. This time, the Wolverines will have a new head coach in longtime Utah boss Kyle Whittingham, adding another layer of intrigue to what's already a massive early-season test.

There won't be a rematch with Alabama—who knocked OU out of the CFP—or a reunion with former Big 12 foe Texas Tech. But the Sooners have gone 2-1 against the Crimson Tide over their last three meetings, showing they can hang with the sport's elite. The question is whether they can do it consistently.

For Venables, no game looms larger than the Red River Rivalry. Oklahoma has dropped two straight to Texas, and if the Sooners can't reverse that trend—or at least make a deep CFP run—the chatter about Venables' job security will only grow louder. The talent is in place. The schedule offers opportunities. Now it's time for Oklahoma to prove they belong in that elite company.