Saturday night marks the first time in the history of the sport that the Michigan Wolverines will make the trip to Norman. The only other time the two sides met was in the 1975 Orange Bowl, which concluded the 1974 season. The Sooners won a defensive battle, earning Barry Switzer a second straight national championship. This week is another top 25 showdown between the two blue bloods.
At the start of the 2025 season, neither program is considered a national title contender. Still, it’s a top 25 matchup between two of the winningest programs in college football history.
Week 1 marked a historic debut performance for new starting quarterback John Mateer. Mateer threw for 392 yards, setting a new program record in an OU debut, and added four total touchdowns. He was quick and decisive with the football, and he’ll need to be against the Wolverines under the lights.
On the defensive side of the ball, it was a strong performance for Brent Venables’ crew. The only points they allowed came after Mateer’s interception. Though the OU defense allowed some yardage in the ground game, they held the Illinois State Red Birds to 1 of 11 on third down in the game and 34 yards passing. The Sooners will need to be better against Justice Haynes and the Michigan rushing attack this weekend to secure a victory, but Oklahoma was one of the better run defenses in the nation in 2025.
Ahead of Oklahoma and Michigan’s primetime showdown, here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.
Sooners must run the ball effectively
Saturday night’s game against Michigan should be an absolute treat in all the ways OU’s opener wasn’t. Coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle should open the offense far more than they did in Week 1 and the Sooners’ defense will likely take pride in showing they’re one of the best in the SEC. If both things happen, Oklahoma wins. But to make it work, the running game must get going and the ‘D’ needs to grade out at at least a B.
Oklahoma 27, Michigan 24
Eric Bolin, Sooners Wire Contributor
Oklahoma wins Defensive Ballgame
Both of these teams still aren’t sure what they have yet with new starting quarterbacks and new offensive play-callers. With both teams sporting defenses they think are in line for a big year, it feels like a recipe for a low-scoring game. I’ll take a Brent Venables defense against a true freshman making his first road start. He’s one of the best defensive minds in the game, and he has a chance to show the entire country how good he is and how good the defense he’s worked so hard to build is on Saturday night.
Oklahoma 17, Michigan 14
Aaron Gelvin, Sooners Wire Contributor
Oklahoma wins physical game
The Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan Wolverines will play a tight ball game for much of this game. Brent Venables’ defense will keep true freshman Bryce Underwood contained in the quarterback run game and the pressure packages will keep him off balance. The return of running back Jaydn Ott, along with offensive tackles Michael Fasusi and Derek Simmons, sparks the run game, and the Sooners, led by John Mateer, grind out a tough, physical win.
Oklahoma 23, Michigan 17
John Williams, Sooners Wire Lead Writer
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