Oklahoma fans were blindsided when news leaked that Ole Miss would be one of the Sooners' three annual opponents, and Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, known to speak his mind, was apparently just as confused.
With the move of switching to nine conference games starting in 2026, the SEC set three annual opponents to help maintain and create new rivalries, while every other conference opponent will rotate on the schedule every other year. The Sooners' three rivals became official Tuesday evening with Texas, Missouri and Ole Miss. The Rebels got OU, Mississippi State and LSU.