Can John Mateer lead the Oklahoma Sooners to a College Football Playoff Berth?
The Sooners' best chance to make the playoff came in 2021, but a loss to Oklahoma State in the Bedlam regular-season finale knocked them out of the Big 12 title discussion and College Football Playoff race. In 2020 and 2023, back-to-back Big 12 losses stunned their playoff hopes. In 2022 and 2024, the Sooners weren't anywhere close to playoff contention.
But USA TODAY Sports College Football analyst Matt Hayes thinks the Sooners could be heading back to the playoff. Hayes included OU in his early College Football Playoff projection for 2025 as the No. 9 seed in the bracket.
What's good: John Mateer, the difference between an ugly first season in the SEC, and a CFP run in 2025. The transfer quarterback from Washington State was the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, and is a dynamic dual threat (44 total TDs). The Sooners couldn't get first downs in 2024; they'll score in bunches with Mateer and transfer wideout Isaiah Sategna (Arkansas), and high-volume Championship Subdivision transfer receivers Keontez Lewis and Javonnie Gibson. - Matt Hayes, USA TODAY Sports Network
As John Mateer goes in 2025, so will the Oklahoma Sooners. He has the ability to threaten defenses as a true dual-threat option in the offense. His familiarity with new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle's system could create a similar offensive efficiency as we saw with Dillon Gabriel and Jeff Lebby.
But it isn't all on Mateer. The rest of the offense has to be good around him as well, which wasn't the case in 2024. The offensive line took a while to get going in the run game and it was a roller coaster ride in pass protection. Bill Bedenbaugh's unit played better as the season went along, and they had more consistency up front, the offensive line play better. That group played great against Alabama in the Sooners 24-3 win over the Crimson Tide. And if they can build upon that with better health and better depth, the offensive line should be in a better spot than it was to start the 2024 season.
If there's an issue that Hayes has with the Sooners it's the schedule. It's brutal like it was a year ago. But the saving grace is the relative inexperience of the quarterbacks they'll be facing. Missouri, Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama, and maybe even Michigan will all have first-time starters at quarterback. Only LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Auburn bring back quarterbacks with significant starting experience in Garrett Nussmeier, Nico Iamaleava, LaNorris Sellers, and Jackson Arnold.
The Sooners' defense will be a problem for SEC signal-callers in 2025. If the offense can return to respectability, the Sooners will be in a good spot to contend for a College Football Playoff berth this season.
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