ESPN Analyst Casts Doubt on Sooners’ 2025 Season
Not everyone is buying into Oklahoma’s potential bounce-back in 2025—and ESPN’s Pamela Maldonado made that clear in her recent breakdown of college football season win totals.
As part of her advice on eight trending programs, Maldonado urged bettors to take the under on the Sooners’ 6.5-win projection. Her skepticism comes after OU’s 6–7 campaign in 2024 and what she views as unresolved concerns despite key transfer additions.
Maldonado pointed to Cal transfer Jaydn Ott and Washington State transfer John Mateer as intriguing names, but far from sure bets. Ott, she noted, struggled with injuries last season and failed to notch a 100-yard rushing performance, while Mateer now faces the challenge of operating behind a line that surrendered 50 sacks.
“For a team that went 2–6 in the SEC last season and still lacks proven playmakers,” Maldonado concluded, “seven wins feels like a reach.”
But that pessimism isn’t universal. Nationally, expectations for OU vary widely. On3’s Ari Wasserman recently included the Sooners in his projected College Football Playoff field, reflecting a far more optimistic outlook. Even locally, predictions trend higher—forecasts around 9–3 don’t feel outlandish given the talent infusion and potential for improvement.
Whether Maldonado’s caution proves prophetic or overly gloomy, one thing is certain: Oklahoma’s 2025 season will be under the microscope as the program looks to reassert itself in the SEC.