2 reasons Oklahoma football will win national championship this year
By John Buhler
![Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma Sooners. [Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F7a9d857559b9e65334d85aac0dc27b636216e778039bb319b2efeab767fbfcd0.jpg "Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma Sooners. [Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman]")
This could be one of the best seasons the Oklahoma football team has had in a generation.
Lincoln Riley should have his best Oklahoma football team since taking over for Bob Stoops.
The Oklahoma Sooners have won the Big 12 six years in a row. While they have had some close calls recently with the 2019 Baylor Bears and the 2020 Iowa State Cyclones, this Power Five conference runs through Norman. Though the Sooners have never won a national semifinal game, Oklahoma may have the team finally capable of winning the College Football Playoff this season.
Here are two reasons why Oklahoma can win its first national title in over a generation in 2021.
Oklahoma football: 2 reasons why Sooners will win the national championship
2. Oklahoma should be battle-tested from a much-improved Big 12
While the ACC and SEC have gotten a team into the playoff all seven seasons, only four times has the Big 12 gotten a team in with it being Oklahoma on each occasion. Given that the Sooners are 0-4 all-time in national semifinal games, one may think they won’t get the benefit of the doubt as to being the last team in, especially if Oklahoma and the other team in question are 11-1.
However, Oklahoma should have enough quality wins in conference play to potentially go 11-1 (8-1) this regular season to punch its ticket in with a seventh straight Big 12 title. While playing traditional rival Nebraska gives them a slight boost in the non-conference, having annual games vs. Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia could give them four top-25 wins.
Even if Oklahoma were to fall to a team like the Cyclones, Cowboys or Longhorns, they will almost certainly face them again in Arlington with a playoff trip on the line. Simply put, whoever wins the Big 12 this year will be battle-bested about as well as any Power Five champion would be. With upward of five top-25 victories before playoff time arrives, Oklahoma should feel very confident.
No matter how much swagger they play with, the Sooners need to overcome defensive issues.