The AP Top 25 changed the feel of Oklahoma’s trip to Ann Arbor in a hurry.
What looked like a top-15 showdown on Big Noon Kickoff no longer carries that ranking juice after Tuesday’s poll, with Oklahoma sliding from No. 10 to No. 11 despite a 51-0 rout of UTEP and Michigan falling all the way out of the rankings. The result: Saturday’s 11 a.m. CT game in Ann Arbor is still a meeting of college football heavyweights, but it won’t be a ranked-vs-ranked matchup.
For Oklahoma, the timing matters. The Sooners opened the year with three ranked games in their first five, but that number is now down to two. They also won’t see another AP Top 25 opponent until Week 4, when Georgia comes around.
The new poll put Ohio State at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas and Indiana. Oregon checked in at No. 6, with Miami (FL), LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M rounding out the top 10 ahead of Oklahoma. Alabama came in at No. 12, then Texas Tech, USC, BYU and Penn State.
Week 2 AP Top 25 Poll
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Indiana
- Oregon
- Miami (FL)
- LSU
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
12: Alabama
- Texas Tech
- USC
- BYU
- Penn State
- SMU
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Utah
- Iowa
- Houston
- Missouri
- Louisville
- Virginia
Others receiving votes: Boise State 86, Florida 83, Michigan 69, Arizona 33, Memphis 23, South Carolina 19, Western Michigan 12, Pittsburgh 11, Navy 10, UCLA 7, Virginia Tech 6, Illinois 6, James Madison 4, Minnesota 4, Colorado 3, Auburn 2, Arizona State 2, Vanderbilt 2
Michigan’s drop came after one of the strangest finishes of Week 1. Western Michigan appeared to have stunned the Wolverines 12-7 at The Big House, only for a replay review by a Big Ten officiating crew to put one second back on the clock after Bryce Underwood’s failed Hail Mary. Underwood then hit JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown to turn it into a 13-12 Michigan win.
One second was added after this play, leading to a Michigan Hail Mary walk-off.
(via NBC) pic.twitter.com/2rVU5mVTqK
- On3 (@On3) September 6, 2026
MICHIGAN DOES THE UNBELIEVABLE ON THE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME 😱
THEY PUT ONE SECOND BACK ON THE CLOCK AND MICHIGAN CAPITALIZES TO WIN IT!
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/dTmoS82w2C
- FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 6, 2026
Even though plenty of Oklahoma fans spent the weekend laughing at the near-upset and agreeing Western Michigan had been robbed, Michigan’s 1-0 record still worked in the Sooners’ favor as the next opponent. The expectation was that the shaky performance would drag the Wolverines down in the next rankings, just not enough to knock them completely out. Instead, Michigan became the only team to drop from the poll after Week 1.
That leaves Brent Venables and Oklahoma heading into a tougher-looking road environment on paper, but without the same ranking pressure attached to it. Venables addressed the matchup Tuesday before the poll was released.
"However Michigan played last week, we're gonna bring out the best in Michigan, I can promise you," OU head coach Brent Venables said during Tuesday's press conference, just before the new rankings were revealed.
The downside for Oklahoma is obvious: a loss now would come against an unranked opponent, no matter how the game unfolds. And even a win won’t carry the same résumé punch it would have had a week ago, when Michigan was still sitting inside the top 25. That matters for a program that leaned on ranked wins in 2025 to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff and eventually host as the No. 8 seed.
So while the matchup still brings a famous logo, a loaded roster and the biggest stadium in college football, the national spotlight has shifted. Texas hosting Ohio State in another SEC vs. Big Ten clash between top-five teams is the headliner now.
Michigan may no longer be ranked, but Oklahoma still has to treat this like a major test. If the Sooners want the same kind of respect they would have gotten a week ago, they may need more than just a win.
In Other News...
Oklahomas Backfield Picture Changed Faster Than Sooners Fans Expected
Oklahomas backfield has already taken on a different shape after the season opener against UTEP, with transfer Lloyd Avant quickly moving into the lead role. The Colorado State import gave the Sooners a steadier presence than many expected heading into the year, while Xavier Robinson and freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. were used sparingly as the staff sorted through options behind him.
Brent Venables also said Tory Blaylock could be back soon after sitting out Week 1 with a hamstring issue, which adds another layer to a rotation that still looks unsettled. For Oklahoma, the early takeaway is not just who carried the load in the opener, but how quickly that depth chart could keep shifting once the rest of the backs are fully available. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Gets O-Line Boost But One Worry Looms At Michigan
Oklahoma is trending toward getting some needed help up front just in time for a marquee trip to Michigan, with injured starters Jake Maikkula and Ryan Fodje both taking full reps in practice. For a team still trying to settle in along the offensive line, that kind of reinforcement matters, especially with a nonconference test that will demand cleaner protection and more stability than the Sooners have had at times early.
The one concern hanging over the group is left tackle Michael Fasusi, whose shoulder injury left his status uncertain after he did not practice fully. Oklahoma is even weighing the possibility of holding him out not just for this game, but for the next one as well, a sign the staff is thinking beyond one matchup and toward the conference stretch that follows. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Nagys Latest OU Adds Could Matter More Than Fans Realize
Jim Nagys latest work for Oklahoma has been a little different from the usual transfer-hunt hustle. The Sooners landed four additions in Danny Saili, Braxton Fely, DYoni Hill and Jaydon Southard after each gained eligibility through temporary restraining orders against the NCAA, and the common thread in all four cases is that they were part of legal efforts seeking a fifth year on the field. For Oklahoma, the move was less about chasing headlines than identifying players who could fit what the program needs while adding depth in spots the staff had already kept open.
Nagy said the evaluation went beyond talent, with cultural fit part of the equation and the roster construction done with intent rather than impulse. The bigger question now is how quickly, or even whether, those newcomers will be pushed into action once they settle in with the Sooners. For a team that has been willing to be patient with its approach, the next step is seeing which of these late additions becomes more than just a name on the summer board. [Read more 🡒]