Oklahoma Returns Home to Battle Florida After Dreadful Road Trip

The Sooners are 1-2 in conference play after last week's losses, and they'll look to get back on track against Florida.

Oklahoma guard Nijel Pack dribbles against Ole Miss. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

NORMAN — Last week did not go well for the Sooners.

Oklahoma lost road games at Mississippi State and Texas A&M, dropping its conference record to 1-2. The back-to-back losses to their maroon-and-white foes followed the Sooners’ SEC-opening win against Ole Miss on Jan. 3.

This week is even more challenging.

While the Sooners are back in Norman, they’ll play host to No. 19 Florida and No. 18 Alabama. The homestand begins on Tuesday when OU will tip off against the Gators at 8 p.m.

What Went Wrong Against MSU, A&M?

Oklahoma Sooners forward Tae Davis (13) and Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee (12) fight for the jump ball during the second half at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Sooners were around in both road contests but saw the game slip away in the final minutes.

Against Mississippi State, OU went to halftime tied 27-27 despite shooting 32 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes. The Sooners’ offensive struggles continued in the second half, as they went 0-of-8 in a five-minute stretch and allowed the Bulldogs to go on a 14-1 run to put the game away.

In College Station, Oklahoma led for the majority of the second half despite committing 17 turnovers. The Sooners, however, allowed the Aggies to go on a late run and eventually earn their seven-point wins.

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How to Watch Oklahoma vs. No. 19 Florida

• Where: Lloyd Noble Center
• When: Tuesday, Jan. 13
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Channel: ESPN2
• Radio Broadcast: 107.7 FM The Franchise

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All in all, Oklahoma’s defense played fairly well in the losses. OU held Mississippi State to 2-of-15 on 3-pointers, and the Sooners kept A&M to a 42-percent clip from the field.

With 30 turnovers over the last two games, it’s OU’s offense that must improve for it to be competitive in SEC play.

A Look at the Gators

Florida forward Thomas Haugh (10) drives on Tennessee forward Nate Ament (10) during first half of an NCAA basketball at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, January 10, 2026. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida, of course, won the national championship in 2025. The Gators are 11-5 so far in 2025-26 and have won back-to-back SEC games against ranked opponents — Tennessee and Georgia — after falling to Missouri in their conference opener.

What stands out about this year’s Florida squad is its depth — the Gators have shown the ability to get quality minutes from their guards and their big men.

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Five Gators — Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Xaivian Lee, Boogie Fland and Rueben Chinyelu — are averaging double figures. Two of those players are guards, two are forwards and one is a center. 

Florida is also the conference’s best team on the glass.

The Gators are averaging 46.9 total rebounds and 17 offensive rebounds per game, both of which are conference bests. Florida’s 15.9 rebounding margin also leads the conference, as Tennessee is the next-closest SEC squad at 11.7.

An Opportunity for OU

Oklahoma guard Xzayvier Brown attempts a layup against Oklahoma State. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

While taking down the Gators will be no easy feat, the Sooners can gain a lot from a win over Florida.

OU is currently ranked No. 64 in the NET. A win over Florida would be considered a quad-one victory, and it would certainly help their position in those rankings.

Oklahoma would also return to .500 in conference play with a win. In a league as deep as the SEC, losses are inevitable.

The Sooners will very likely win games they aren’t expected to win and lose more games they aren’t expected to lose. Getting an “unexpected” win against the Gators would be massive — 2-2 looks much prettier than 1-3.