​The Oklahoma Sooners will face a difficult challenge trying to return to the College Football Playoff in 2026. That road starts on Sept. 4 against the UTEP Miners.After the season opener, Oklahoma’s schedule quickly becomes one of the most difficult in college football. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), which is designed to project a team’s future performance, ranks Oklahoma’s schedule as the second-toughest in the country behind only the Arkansas Razorbacks.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat challenging schedule is one of the reasons some analysts remain skeptical of Oklahoma heading into the 2026 season. The FPI predicts a 7-5 season for the Sooners. However, On3’s J.D. PicKell believes Oklahoma has the talent to overcome its schedule and remain one of the nation’s best teams.”The schedule is brutal,” PicKell said. “The schedule was brutal last year. You had a quarterback with nine fingers and no run game. Find your way to the College Football Playoff. I’m going down with the ship here. I think Oklahoma is going to be a wagon once again.”Oklahoma’s path to another playoff appearance will not be easy, but last season showed this team can overcome adversity. The Sooners navigated a difficult SEC schedule with an injured quarterback, a struggling rushing attack and one of the toughest conference transitions in college football.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith quarterback John Mateer returning healthy, a loaded defense and an improved offense expected to take a step forward, Oklahoma has the pieces to prove the schedule is not an obstacle but instead an opportunity to establish itself as a true national championship contender.Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: J.D. PicKell: ‘Oklahoma is going to be a wagon once again’