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In 2025, the Oklahoma Sooners embraced the mantra "Hard to Kill," representing a team that consistently found ways to overcome adversity and prove doubters wrong.
The Sooners entered the season with low expectations following a disappointing 6-7 campaign, and head coach Brent Venables faced significant pressure to turn the program around. Even after a promising start, Oklahoma was doubted again following a home loss to Ole Miss that dropped the Sooners to 6-2. The remaining schedule provided little room for error, with road trips to the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide and home matchups against the Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers.
To reach the College Football Playoff, Oklahoma needed to win all four remaining games. That is exactly what the Sooners accomplished. Oklahoma finished the regular season 10-2 and earned its first College Football Playoff berth since 2019.
While "Hard to Kill" perfectly represented last year's team, Oklahoma is entering 2026 with a new standard and a new goal. General manager Jim Nagy revealed the program's new mantra during SEC media days in an interview with On3's J.D. PicKell.
"The mantra in the building right now is going from good to great," Nagy said. "We had a good team last year. Love those guys. The goal is to, you know, take the next step. A lot of things we can improve upon."
Oklahoma's transformation under Venables has been about changing expectations. Last season, the Sooners proved they could overcome adversity and return to the College Football Playoff. Now, the standard has changed.
The goal is no longer just to surprise people or prove the doubters wrong. Oklahoma wants to become one of the best teams in college football, and the new "Good to Great" mantra reflects that championship mindset.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma adopts new mantra ahead of 2026 season
