Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Oklahoma vs. Florida

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Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Oklahoma vs. Florida

John Williams, Aaron Gelvin, Jaron Spor and James D. Jackson, Sooners Wire · Sooners Wire

Fri, November 6, 2026 at 8:00 PM UTC ·

3 min read

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The Oklahoma Sooners are heading down to Gainesville, Fla., for the first time ever to take on the Florida Gators . The Sooners need to win two of their final four to earn bowl eligibility . With a new voice leading the offense, the Sooners are hoping for a turnaround to end the 2026 season.

Jason Witten takes over an offense that has underachieved this season, given the number of returning starters along the offensive line and the weapons at returning quarterback John Mateer. How much better can Oklahoma be in a week is the question on everyone's minds. It's unlikely the Sooners will suddenly erupt on offense, but if they find more consistency, they'll have a chance to finish the season on a high note.

So how will the Sooners perform in "The Swamp?" Our staff here at Sooners Wire picked this week's showdown between the Sooners and the Gators.

Too Many Questions

Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten, left, talks with coach Brent Venables during a Sooners football spring practice in Norman, Okla., Thursday, April 9, 2026.

There are just too many moving parts for Oklahoma to reliably believe the Sooners could win a road game in the swamp. The Sooners have made a change at offensive coordinator and the availability of a bunch of notable players on both sides of the ball are still in question. There's also the question of how Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer will play without Ben Arbuckle on the sideline for the first time in years. Even though Florida has a few issues to worry about as well, they're certainly not as dire as Oklahoma's at the moment.

Florida 21, Oklahoma 10

James D. Jackson, Contributor

Improved Sooners

Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. South Carolina won 42-25.

Touchdowns? Touchdowns. Oklahoma made a huge move this week by letting go of Ben Arbuckle and having Jason Witten call plays. Witten called plays as a high school head coach and had a ton of success doing it. I think the offense will play with a fire we haven't seen this year, and the defense will return to its dominant ways. Because of that, I've got OU winning and the offense scoring three touchdowns. OU 27, Florida 17

Oklahoma 27, Florida 17

Jaron Spor, Contributor

Defense gives Oklahoma a chance

Sep 4, 2026; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; UTEP Miners quarterback EJ Colson Jr. (1) throws as Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman David Stone (0) chases during the game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Last week's disaster set in motion a sequence of events that should end with Brent Venables' team having a new offensive coaching staff, a new starting QB, and new faces up and down the offensive depth chart. For now, though, the only change is the absence of OC Ben Arbuckle, so all of Oklahoma's other offensive problems remain. Expect OU's defense to bounce back against Florida, but expect the offense to continue faltering for the remainder of this season.

Florida 16, Oklahoma 7

Aaron Gelvin, Contributor

Promising, but Sooners struggle

Oct 31, 2026; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) throws during the first quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

As much as I'd like to believe that things are going to magically turn around, it's hard to create that expectation. Jason Witten may be the answer to what ails John Mateer and the Oklahoma Sooners offense. However, until we see it, there's no telling what you'll get from Witten's crew. Expect the defense to bounce back and play well against Jaden Baugh and the Gators' rushing attack, but with injury concerns in the secondary, the Sooners may have a hard time slowing down Tramell Jones.

Florida 20, Oklahoma 17

John Williams, Lead Writer

Tight end coach Jason Witten walks on the field during an Oklahoma (OU) football practice in Norman, Okla., on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
(NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten wears the Golden Hat following the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct., 10, 2026.
(SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Oct 10, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners tight ends coach Jason Witten wears the Golden hat and celebrates with Oklahoma Sooners tight end Hayden Hansen (89) after the game against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
(Kevin Jairaj, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 4, 2026; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners tight end coach Jason Witten reacts during the game against the UTEP Miners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
(Kevin Jairaj, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 4, 2026; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables (right) speaks with tight ends coach Jason Witten before the game against the UTEP Miners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
(Kevin Jairaj, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten runs a drill with Jacob Jordan, left, during football practice for the OU Sooners at the stadium practice fields in Norman, Okla., Friday, August 7, 2026.
(NATE BILLINGS/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten is pictured during the University of Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game at the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday April 18, 2026.
(SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Apr 18, 2026; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners tight ends coach Jason Witten watches during the Oklahoma Spring Game at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
(Kevin Jairaj, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Apr 18, 2026; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners tight ends coach Jason Witten greets wide receiver Eli Merck (89) during the Oklahoma Spring Game at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
(Kevin Jairaj, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten works with players during a Sooners football spring practice in Norman, Okla., Thursday, April 9, 2026.
(BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

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 John on X @john9williams .

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Oklahoma vs. Florida

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