Oklahoma’s early-season buzz took a sharp hit Sunday when the Sooners slid to No. 24 in the AP poll, a 13-spot drop after their 17-10 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines, who were unranked before Week 2, moved back into the poll at No. 19 after knocking off OU in The Big House. Oklahoma’s fall was the second-largest of the week, trailing only Oregon, which tumbled from No. 6 to No. 21 after losing to Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
For the Sooners, the problem was less a single play than a night that never really found rhythm on offense. Oklahoma (1-1) leaned away from the new-look attack that had flashed a week earlier, and the numbers told the story: the running backs combined for 13 carries, the same total as quarterback John Mateer. Mateer finished 17-of-33 for 189 yards with one touchdown, but his fourth-quarter interception in a tied game proved costly, handing Michigan the chance to grab the lead midway through the period.
Oklahoma’s defense settled in after halftime, even if the first half was shaky. The Sooners held Michigan to 75 yards of total offense in the second half, but the defensive adjustment wasn’t enough to overcome the turnovers and the sputtering offense.
The margin for error disappeared quickly. Oklahoma finished minus-2 in turnover margin, with Mateer’s interception and Parker Livingstone’s first-half fumble both undercutting scoring chances for OU.
Even with the setback, Oklahoma remains part of a crowded SEC presence in the AP rankings. Nine league teams are in the poll, including No.
1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia, No.
7 LSU, No. 8 Ole Miss, No.
9 Texas A&M, No. 10 Alabama, No.
15 Tennessee and No. 20 Missouri.
Florida, Mississippi State and South Carolina also received votes outside the top 25.
The Sooners head back home for Week 3 against New Mexico at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
CT on ESPN2. After that comes a tougher stretch: SEC play opens the following week at No.
2 Georgia, followed by a bye week and then the Red River Rivalry in Dallas against current No. 1 Texas.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Suddenly Has A Huge Test At Its Most Important Line Spot
Oklahomas offensive line is already under the microscope heading into the Michigan matchup, and the latest injury news only sharpens the focus on the left side. The Sooners are expected to be without starting left tackle Michael Fasusi, while center Jake Maikkula is back and Ryan Fodje is also returning to the mix, giving the staff at least some flexibility as it sorts out the front five.
Fodje is the name to watch because he is projected to slide over to left tackle in Fasusis absence. He has played multiple spots along the offensive line and came to Oklahoma as a highly regarded tackle recruit, but this is still a major assignment in a game where edge protection will matter from the opening series. For a team trying to settle its line before a marquee nonconference test, the timing could hardly be tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Suddenly Has A Season Long Question It Can't Ignore
Oklahomas loss to Michigan landed on a Saturday that felt unkind to a few heavyweights, with Ohio State and Oregon also taking defeats that will linger. But the Sooners setback was the one that pushed a familiar worry back into focus, because the offense never found much rhythm and the night exposed how much pressure can build when a team expected to contend is suddenly asked harder questions than it can answer.
For Oklahoma, the concern is not just the result but the way it happened. The passing game never really threatened to take off, leaving the Sooners looking stuck whenever they needed a spark through the air, and that kind of struggle tends to follow a team until it is corrected. With the loss already on the board, the bigger issue now is whether this is a one-game malfunction or the start of something more difficult to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Win Over Oklahoma Came With One Ugly Flashpoint
Saturdays Week 2 trip to Michigan Stadium had the kind of edge that can linger well beyond the final whistle, with Oklahoma and Michigan getting into a scuffle early in the third quarter. The moment briefly overshadowed a game that had already taken on real meaning for the Sooners, who were trying to measure themselves against a program they had seen get the better of them before.
Rocky Beers was in the middle of that flashpoint, and the tight end still managed to be one of Oklahomas most productive targets on the day. Michigans 17-10 win carried its own weight, too, since it was the Wolverines first victory over Oklahoma after previous losses in the 1976 Orange Bowl and last September in Norman, leaving the Sooners with another painful chapter in a matchup that has suddenly turned chippy. [Read more 🡒]