​The Oklahoma Sooners’ offense has to be better than what it’s been the last two seasons. The offensive improvement is going to be a key storyline this year. In Oklahoma’s first season in the SEC in 2024, the Sooners ranked No. 113 in total offense, No. 119 in passing offense, No. 76 in rushing offense and No. 97 in scoring offense. That resulted in offensive coordinator Seth Littrell being fired midseason, and the Sooners parting ways with former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold.The Sooners brought in Washington State Cougars offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and star quarterback John Mateer in hopes of changing that. While the offense improved, it didn’t make as big of a jump as many hoped. The Sooners ranked No. 92 in total offense, No. 60 in passing offense, No. 113 in rushing offense and No. 79 in scoring offense. Former Oklahoma All-American center Gabe Ikard said on “The Oklahoma Breakdown with Ikard and Lehman” that the reason the Sooners aren’t respected as much as they should be is due to the offense. “That’s the easy thing to point to,” Ikard said. “People are just going to have to see it before they believe it with OU’s offense.”Oklahoma has already shown it can win with an elite defense, but championship teams rarely rely on one side of the ball alone. The Sooners have invested heavily in rebuilding the offense, and 2026 is the season those changes must produce results.As Ikard noted, the skepticism surrounding Oklahoma won’t disappear until the offense consistently proves it belongs among the nation’s best. 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: Gabe Ikard believes Oklahoma’s offense must earn belief in 2026