Oklahoma Enters Red River With More Pressure Than Fans Wanted

Discover how Oklahoma's standing shifted in the 247Sports SEC poll as the competition heats up during their bye week, and find out how these pivotal matchups have influenced the rankings.

Oklahoma spent Week 5 on the sideline, but the Sooners still slipped one spot in the latest 247Sports SEC poll.

After the bye, Oklahoma landed at No. 12 heading into Saturday’s showdown with No. 2 Texas at the Cotton Bowl, set for 2:30 p.m.

CT on ABC. The Sooners are trying to climb back up after a week that saw movement all over the league, even with several teams not taking the field.

At the top, Georgia stayed No. 1.

Texas remained right behind at No. 2, holding steady ahead of the Red River Rivalry. Alabama sat at No. 3 again, while Ole Miss moved up to No. 4 and LSU nudged into the top five.

The biggest jump in the poll came from Missouri, which surged three spots to No. 6 after a blowout win over Florida. The Gators took the corresponding fall, dropping three places to No. 7.

Week 5 also featured Alabama’s dominant win over Mississippi State, a result that cooled off the Bulldogs and quarterback Kamario Taylor after their hot start. Kentucky kept rolling by outlasting South Carolina in overtime, and Tennessee handled Auburn at Neyland Stadium in Alex Golesh’s return to Knoxville, where he had previously worked on Josh Heupel’s staff.

Those results helped reshape the middle of the SEC pecking order, and Oklahoma was part of the shuffle even while idle. The Sooners’ drop to No. 12 leaves them with work to do as the season moves deeper into October and SEC play keeps tightening the race.

Each week, reporters from 247Sports’ SEC sites rank the league’s 16 teams from 1 to 16 as the conference battle continues toward Atlanta in December and the College Football Playoff picture takes shape.

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Oklahomas Early Losses Are Raising An Even Bigger 2026 Fear

The early part of Oklahomas 2026 season already looked shaky, and it has only gotten harder to frame those losses in a flattering way. The Sooners lone notable win was a shutout of UTEP, but that result has lost some shine as the Miners have continued to struggle and have been beaten by wide margins on average.

More troubling for Oklahoma is what the rest of the schedule is saying about those defeats to Michigan, Georgia and New Mexico. As those teams have shown their own flaws since facing the Sooners, the concern around Norman is not just about a rough start, but about what those games might be revealing about Oklahomas level of competitiveness this fall. [Read more 🡒]

Ben Arbuckle May Need A Drastic OU Offensive Rethink

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For Oklahoma, that kind of flexibility is the conversation point around Ben Arbuckle. John Mateers struggles have left the Sooners searching for a cleaner path on offense, and the Tennessee example is a reminder that a coordinator sometimes has to be willing to reshape the plan instead of waiting for it to click on its own. Whether Arbuckle goes that far is the unanswered question, but the pressure to find something more workable is only growing. [Read more 🡒]

Oklahomas Biggest Red River Problem Could Decide Everything

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John Mateer gives Oklahoma a different kind of answer because his legs can change the math even when the traditional run game is stuck. Against a Texas defense that has been stout enough to make every yard work, the Sooners may need Mateers scrambling and designed runs to keep the offense balanced and give themselves a chance to win the most important matchup on the field. [Read more 🡒]