The Oklahoma Sooners and the LSU Tigers will face off in the regular season finale for both teams this week on Owen Field in Norman. Thanksgiving weekend is absolutely loaded this year in college football, and this game is flying a bit under the radar. Oklahoma is 9-2 overall and 5-2 in the SEC heading into this week, and they need this win to likely secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. On the other hand, LSU sits at 7-4 overall and 3-4 in the SEC, and it hasn't been the season that the Tiger faithful had hoped for in 2025.
LSU is right in the thick of the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes, but they're set up to try and play spoiler in the meantime against an OU team that is where many thought the Tigers would be at this time. There's a lot to unpack for the 12th game of the year for both teams in a matchup that is a pivotal part of the storyline for Week 14 of the college football season.
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Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Taylor Wein (44) gestures to the crowd during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Missouri Tigers at Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. Oklahoma won 17-6.Oklahoma beat Missouri at home last week 17-6, taking down one of the two remaining obstacles in their path to a playoff berth. The other obstacle, LSU, was also at home last week, and they defeated Western Kentucky 13-10 in Baton Rouge.
The 2025 season
Oct 11, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn ImagesOklahoma has enjoyed a resurgent season in 2025. They beat Illinois State, Michigan, Temple, and Auburn before a bye week, beat Kent State, lost to Texas, beat South Carolina, lost to Ole Miss and beat Tennessee before the other bye week. The last two weeks have featured wins over Alabama and Missouri. Fourth-year head coach Brent Venables was on the hot seat before the year, but he's coached his way off of it.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLSU hasn't had the same success this year. They started strong with wins over Clemson, Louisiana Tech, and Southeastern Louisiana, before a loss to Ole Miss right before the bye week. A win over South Carolina was followed up by losses to Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, leading to fourth-year head coach Brian Kelly's dismissal. Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan was also shown the door, as was athletic director Scott Woodward. Frank Wilson is the interim head coach, Alex Atkins is the interim OC, and Verge Ausberry is LSU's new permanent AD.
After the other bye week, the Tigers lost to Alabama, but have rebounded to beat Arkansas and Western Kentucky over the last two weeks. They're heavily pursuing Kiffin in the coaching market, while playing out the season under Wilson.
2024's Oklahoma-LSU matchup
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 30: Jackson Arnold #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs with the ball as Whit Weeks #40 of the LSU Tigers defends during the first half at Tiger Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)Oklahoma and LSU met last year in Baton Rouge, with the Tigers winning 37-17, also in the regular season finale for both teams. The Sooners kept things close for awhile, but quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and the Tigers were able to pull away as the game wore on. It was one of the lowlights of the year for OU's defense, but it was just more of the same for Oklahoma offensively last year. Untimely turnovers and an inability to make plays when it mattered were hallmarks of that Sooner unit in 2024. LSU won to get to 8-4, while the Sooners dropped to 6-6 with the loss.
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Nov 22, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) hugs Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables after the game against the Missouri Tigers at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn ImagesThis game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
The Sooners will once again be starting John Mateer at quarterback, but his counterpart won't be who many expected when this matchup was announced preseason. The Tigers have turned to sophomore Michael Van Buren Jr. in place of Garrett Nussmeier, benching their senior captain in the Alabama loss. Van Buren played in eight games at Mississippi State a year ago.
Linebackers Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins Jr. lead an excellent LSU defense that will try and keep the unranked Tigers in the game against the No. 8 Sooners.
Two OU transfers are on LSU's roster. Wide receiver Nic Anderson got hurt against Alabama and won't suit up, but tight end Bauer Sharp will be out there for the Tigers.
It's Senior Day on Owen Field, as the Sooners will look to wrap up their home regular season slate with a win.
The Stakes
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables celebrates with fans after a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Missouri Tigers at Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. Oklahoma won 17-6.For Oklahoma, a win would get them to 10 wins for just the second time under Venables. Even more importantly, a win would very likely put the Sooners into the CFP bracket, just one year after a six-win season. That's why this game is so important, and why OU has to treat it like it's the biggest game of the year. A loss would be very disappointing, as they'd certainly be out of the playoff race, and would have to settle for a non-CFP bowl game. Saturday is a must-win game for Oklahoma, simple as that.
For LSU, they're in line to be the spoilers, but also they'll be trying to get to eight regular season wins again, which they've failed to do just twice since 2017, with one such instance being the 2020 COVID-19 impacted season. This is a talented bunch who will come out with a lot of pride and play hard for Wilson in the finale. After all, it's still LSU, one of the most recognizable brands in the SEC. They aren't just going to lay down.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn a hugely important game this weekend, Oklahoma will have to be ready for anything and everything against LSU. With so many around the country hoping the Sooners lose and open up a playoff slot, OU has got to find a way to win one more time this regular season, and if they do so, it should be enough to push them into one of the coveted CFP spots.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma and LSU square off in a must-win game for the Sooners
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