Paul Finebaum Predicts Oklahoma's Record This Season

The Oklahoma Sooners are a storied college football program. However, in 2024, the Sooners are beginning a new journey.

Oklahoma is no longer in the Big 12 conference, which the Sooners dominated since 1996. Now, the Sooners are in the SEC. In its first season in the SEC, there are many question marks. Oklahoma entered Year 3 under Brent Venables and showed major improvement last season, going 10-3 after a 6-7 first season.

Oklahoma will be replacing its starting quarterback and entire full-time starting offensive line. Despite this, ESPN's Paul Finebaum is still optimistic about the Sooners. He predicts Oklahoma will have a 9-3 season and expresses high confidence in the way things are going in Norman, Okla.

"I think Oklahoma is a 9-3 team," Finebaum said. "I've been out there a couple of times this year in April and July and had a chance to be around Coach Venables and the rest of the staff. I'm really high on what's happening out there."

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) measures a team's strength and aims to predict their future performance for the rest of the season. It slightly disagrees with Finebaum. The FPI predicts that the Sooners will have an 8-4 record in 2024.

However, the Sooners are projected to finish No. 4 in their inaugural season in the SEC. The FPI gives the Sooners a 5.1% chance to win the conference and a 36.6% chance to win the College Football Playoff.

The Sooners have one of the toughest schedules in the conference. If Oklahoma achieves a 9-3 record, as Finebaum predicted, it could return to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019.

Related: Paul Finebaum Names College Football Program Primed For Return To Greatness