Oklahoma’s win over New Mexico did not save its place in the AP Poll.
The Sooners slipped out of the rankings after Saturday night’s 14-6 victory, a result that left Brent Venables’ team at 2-1 and heading into a brutal stretch with no ranking attached. OU had already fallen from No. 11 to No. 24 after the loss to Michigan, but the latest poll drop leaves the Sooners unranked as they prepare for a trip to Athens to face No. 2 Georgia.
That matchup comes with a daunting backdrop. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs have won 51-straight games against unranked opposition.
OU did stay at No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, though that offered little comfort after the offense’s uneven night against the Lobos. Ben Arbuckle’s unit did enough to win, but not enough to quiet concerns.
The bigger problem for Oklahoma may be what the SEC schedule is starting to look like after three weeks. Georgia and Texas sit as the nation’s top two teams, and after the Red River Rivalry the Sooners will return home to host Kentucky, which handled Texas A&M 31-21 in College Station. The Wildcats are drawing 98 votes, more than Oklahoma’s 91.
There is one possible bright spot in that part of the calendar: Texas A&M, which dropped from No. 9 to No. 24 in the AP Poll, is still set to come to Norman in late November.
The road only gets tougher from there. Oklahoma’s trip to The Swamp now looks more complicated after Jon Sumrall’s Florida team beat Auburn for its first conference win under Sumrall, a result that pushed the Gators into the AP Poll at No. 21.
Ole Miss also had a night it will not forget. The Rebels not only beat Lane Kiffin after his move from Oxford to Baton Rouge, but also added another ranked win to the resume after taking down Louisville in Week 1.
The Cardinals backed that up Saturday with a win over SMU. Ole Miss, which is getting ready for its own trip to The Swamp, is up to No.
Oklahoma’s regular-season finale is at Missouri, and the Tigers climbed one spot to No. 19. That means every opponent left on the Sooners’ November schedule is currently ranked.
Mississippi State is also part of that late-season gauntlet. The Bulldogs entered the AP Poll at No. 24 after beating South Carolina.
In Other News...
Brent Venables Just Turned Oklahoma's Offense Into A Bigger Problem
Oklahomas win over New Mexico did little to quiet the noise around the Sooners offense, and Brent Venables made sure of that afterward. The head coach was blunt in his assessment of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, saying the unit has to improve significantly after a sluggish showing that left plenty of frustration behind even in victory.
The tension has been building beyond the sideline, too, with fans chanting for Arbuckles firing during the game as the offense struggled to find a rhythm. Venables stopped short of offering any real backing for his coordinators current work, which only sharpened the focus on what Oklahoma expects to change next and how quickly it has to happen. [Read more 🡒]
John Mateer Didn't Hide Oklahoma's Biggest Offensive Concern
John Mateer didnt try to dodge the rough edges after Oklahomas win over New Mexico. The quarterback owned both interceptions, said his mistakes affected the teams performance and pointed back to the previous trip to Michigan as part of the emotional reset he had to make before moving forward. His faith, he said, helped him clear his head and get back to work, which fit the tone of a player who knows the standard in Norman leaves little room for self-protection.
Mateer also put his finger on a broader issue the Sooners still need to clean up: the running game. He said Oklahoma has to be better there and admitted he missed some run checks, a detail that matters because the offense cannot afford wasted chances if it wants to keep growing. For a team trying to stack cleaner performances, the candid part is easy enough to appreciate - the harder part is turning that self-scouting into a more consistent Saturday product. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma's Win Over New Mexico Raised A Bigger Concern Before Georgia
Oklahoma got the result it needed against New Mexico, but the performance did little to calm nerves around the Sooners. A 14-6 win sounds tidy enough on paper, yet the way it unfolded told a different story, with John Mateer throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions while the offense struggled to sustain drives.
David Stones late stop helped keep New Mexico from turning the afternoon into something worse, but the bigger issue is what the Sooners showed on offense heading into Georgia. Even a missed field goal attempt late in the game drew boos from the crowd, a clear sign that the margin for error is shrinking fast as Oklahoma tries to sort out its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]