In April 2015, Oklahoma added a non-conference opponent, Florida Atlantic, to their 2018 schedule. The news was buried beneath NFL Draft and spring practice chatter. Three years later, the once-dismissed news is now huge news.
Florida Atlantic won three games in 2014 and had 23 combined wins over the last six seasons. The Owls were on their third head coach (fourth including interim) since 2011 and were arguably as irrelevant of an FBS program as there could be in college football.
Well, well, well, how the turntables…
Suddenly, Florida Atlantic's visit to Oklahoma on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, is the best Group of 5 vs. Power 5 game in Week 1 and one of the more intriguing non-conference games of the entire season. Despite losing Baker Mayfield and other key pieces, second-year head coach Lincoln Riley has the Sooners as Big 12 favorites and College Football Playoff contenders. Meanwhile, fellow second-year head coach Lane Kiffin and running back Devin Singletary lead a team that averaged 40 points per game last year and set the program record for wins (11).
Oklahoma will be double-digit favorites and should win but what was scheduled as a cupcake opener three years ago is now a tricky start vs. a Florida Atlantic team that will contend for a New Year's Six bowl.
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