The NCAA Division I FBS level of college football is up to 138 teams in 2026. A total of 68 teams (those in the SEC, the Big Ten, the ACC, and the Big 12, plus Notre Dame) make up the Power Four schools, while the remaining 70 teams (those in the American, Conference USA, the MAC, the Mountain West, the Pac-12, and the Sun Belt, plus UConn) make of the Group of Six schools.
Part of the allure of college football lies in the unknown that is present each and every Saturday in the fall. So, ranking all 138 FBS teams before the games even start is no easy task. However, that's exactly what CBS Sports and writer Chip Patterson did, with just over two weeks to go until the season's first games.
The Oklahoma Soonerschecked in at No. 9 on the list, which is good for third-best in the SEC. OU was ranked directly above four other SEC schools, and there were 10 total schools from the 16-team league that made the top 25.
Oklahoma will start the season at home against UTEP (No. 129), but there's a big game lurking in the second game of the year. The Sooners will travel to Michigan (No. 15) for a huge contest that could shape both teams' seasons. After one more non-league game, a home date with New Mexico (No. 68), the Sooners will have a marquee start to SEC play.
OU travels to face Georgia (No. 5) for the conference opener. After a bye week, it's off to the Cotton Bowl for the annual neutral-site game with Texas (No. 4) in the Red River Rivalry. October concludes with a home game against Kentucky (No. 55), a road date with Mississippi State (No. 51), and a tricky game back home against South Carolina (No. 28) on the month's final day.
Once again in 2026, November brings a very tough slate. A trip to Florida (No. 22) gets things started, before back-to-back home contests against Ole Miss (No. 12) and Texas A&M (No. 11). The regular-season finale will see the Sooners go back on the road for a date with Missouri (No. 23) to close out what is a very tough schedule.
Head coach Brent Venables and the Sooners have not shied away from the challenges of very strong schedules for each of their seasons in the SEC, instead embracing the challenge and reminding everyone that those teams have to play OU too. This season is no different, but Oklahoma will not have to wait long to see if it has what it takes to be good enough to navigate that schedule and make a return trip to the College Football Playoff in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Where does CBS Sports rank OU ahead of 2026 season?