The Oklahoma Sooners fell to 3-1 and 0-1 in the SEC on Saturday night after a 25-15 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers, as the offense squandered a strong defense with three turnovers in the first half.
But Oklahoma, led by Michael Hawkins, came storming back in the fourth quarter, with two scoring drives coming as the Tennessee defense tried to protect its streak of quarters without allowing a touchdown.
Looking ahead, the Sooners leave Norman for their first SEC trip to face the Auburn Tigers this afternoon. The Tigers boast a strong defense and will be a tough opponent for the starting quarterback this week.
After the loss, the Sooners aren’t rated very highly in ESPN’s matchup projections. So how does the computer predict OU will fare at the end of the season? Let’s take a look.
Predicted to win: Oklahoma
Sooners chance of winning: 57.3% (up from 55.5%)
All-time series: Oklahoma leads 2-0
Predicted result: 4-1
Get more Auburn Tigers news, analysis and opinion at Auburn Wire.
Heading into the bye week at 4-1 will leave them feeling much better than they would at 3-2 heading into the Red River Showdown, providing a great opportunity to reset and get healthy as they prepare to face Dallas, the potential No. 1 team in the nation.
Predicted to win: Texas
Sooners chance of winning: 12.9% (down from 15.1%)
Lifetime series: Texas leads 63-51-5
Predicted result: 4-2
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Predicted to win: Oklahoma
Sooners chance of winning: 67.6% (down from 75.9%)
All-Time Series: No previous matches
Predicted result: 5-2
Predicted team to win: Ole Miss
Sooners chance of winning: 14.7% (down from 18.8%)
All-time series: Ole Miss leads 1-0
Predicted result: 5-3
Predicted to win: Oklahoma
Sooners chances of winning: 99% (no change)
All-Time Series: No previous matches
Predicted result: 6-3
Predicted winner: Missouri
Sooners chances of winning: 32.5% (up from 30.6%)
All-time series: Oklahoma leads 67-24-5
Projected result: 6-4
The Oklahoma Sooners will need to find a way to pull off an upset in one of these games. Missouri looked like they were going to lose against Vanderbilt, but they are still a talented team that could give the Sooners a hard time. The Sooners are facing a tough season as their final two games are against Alabama and on the road against LSU.
Predicted to win: Alabama
Sooners chance of winning: 21.3% (down from 22.9%)
All-time series: Oklahoma leads 3-2-1
Projected result: 6-5
Get more Alabama Crimson Tide news, analysis and opinion on Roll Tide Wire.
Predicted winner: LSU
Sooners chance of winning: 45.9% (down from 51.9%)
All-time series: LSU leads 2-1
Predicted result: 6-6
Get more LSU Tigers news, analysis and opinion at LSU Tigers Wire.
That’s the lowest ESPN Matchup Predictor has projected for the Oklahoma Sooners this season. Before the season, OU was projected to go 9-3 and compete for a playoff spot. Now, the computer thinks they’ll be lucky to even make a bowl game.
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