Editor's note: This is a series previewing each of the Sooners’ opponents in 2025. OUInsider will rank all 12 games by their significance, difficulty, and entertainment value on a 1-10 scale, publishing each installment based on which team is next in the rankings. This installment focuses on Kent State, the team ranked 12th in this series.

Oklahoma will play three games before facing its easiest competition of the season.

The Sooners will conclude non-conference play on Oct. 4, when they'll host Kent State at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Golden Flashes come into 2025 after significant upheaval during the offseason. They posted a 0-12 record in 2024, they lost most of their key contributors, then fired head coach Kenni Burns in April.

When these two teams face, it'll be interim coach Mark Carney's third career game as a head coach.

For the Sooners, it'll be about staying healthy and avoiding any potential let downs before facing the meat of their SEC schedule.

Here's a look at what the Sooners can expect from Kent State:

When: Oct. 4

Time: TBD

Where: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

Significance: 5/10

Difficulty: 3/10

Entertainment Value: 3/10

Total score: 11/30

— This game will be compelling because it's the Sooners and they're playing at home. Outside of that, it's hard to find any intriguing storylines.

The game will also certainly be broadcast on ESPN+. The Sooners will be favored by a billion points. There won't be the newness factor for OU, considering this is the fourth game of the season and they'll have already opened SEC play before Kent State comes to town.

If things go as expected, the starters likely won't play in the second half and the coaching still will have already moved onto next week. The most potentially compelling part of this game? It'll likely be an opportunity for the Sooners' young players to see some action.

QB Tommy Ulatowski (1,342 yards, 15 TD, 8 INT, 46% completion)

RB Ky Thomas (135 carries, 549 yards, 4.1 yards per carry, 1 TD)

WR Chrishon McCray (40 receptions, 705 yards, 9 TD)

WR Luke Floriea (44 receptions, 688 yards, 7 TD)

S Josh Baka (90 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 fumble recovery)

DL Stephen Daley (51 tackles, 9 TFL, 4 sacks)

DL Kameron Olds (42 tackles, 7 TFL, 6 sacks)

QB Devin Kargman (432 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 54% completion)

LB Mason Woods (68 tackles, 3.5 TFL)

No offense to Kent State, but there's just not much to see here.

The Golden Flashes didn't just go winless last season. They averaged under 14 points per game last season, lost by an average margin of over 30 points. In their only two games against Power 4 opponents last season, they lost by a combined score of 127-0. To add insult to injury, they're having to replace essentially every key starter on both sides of the ball.

The Sooners will even get a bye week before they take on Kent State. The only real significance of this game is that it comes a week before the Red River Rivalry, and it'll be the most tune-up game in the history of tune-up games.

Home games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will always have pageantry, and it'll be another sellout where the fans bring energy. This will also be only the second time these two teams have played each other, but the first meeting came in 2022. Kent State led 3-0 in the second quarter before the Sooners scored 33 unanswered points to come away with a win.

12. Kent State

11-1: ???

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