With the release of the 2017 Big 12 football schedule, OU’s schedule for next season is now set in stone.
SCHEDULE ALERT #Sooners 2017 schedule finalized with the release of the @Big12Conference
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 13, 2016
slate.
➡️ https://t.co/VoPZ1UL7kJ pic.twitter.com/lrv7a4ygqi
Complete 2017 Schedule:
Sept. 2 - UTEP
Sept. 9 - at Ohio State
Sept. 16 - Tulane
Sept. 23 - at Baylor
Sept. 30 - Bye
Oct. 7 - Iowa State
Oct. 14 - vs. Texas in Dallas
Oct. 21 - at Kansas State
Oct. 28 - Texas Tech
Nov. 4 - at Oklahoma State
Nov. 11 - TCU
Nov. 18 - at Kansas
Nov. 25 - West Virginia
Complete Big 12 Conference Schedule
The most notable development in the schedule is the decision to not have the Bedlam game take place during the final weekend of the regular season. Instead, Oklahoma will host West Virginia on Nov. 25. We now know that there’s no potential for Bedlam in back-to-back weeks, but there’s a very realistic chance of Oklahoma playing the Mountaineers twice in a row. Will Grier will step in at QB for WVU, and he should be an improvement over Skyler Howard. They’re losing quite a few starters elsewhere, but the Mountaineers could challenge for a spot in the top 2 with an explosive offense.
Over the last few years, Oklahoma has been slated for a potential “trap game” the week before the OU-Texas game. That shouldn’t be the case in 2017, as OU is scheduled to face Iowa State on Oct. 7. I know the Cyclones showed signs of life later in the year under first-year coach Matt Campbell, but OU should be able to handle them pretty easily in Norman.
OU doesn’t really have any stretch during the season that looks particularly daunting, and I think it’s very reasonable to expect the Sooners to make it to the Big 12 Championship Game in 2017.