Oklahoma’s stay in the AP top 25 got a lot less comfortable after Saturday’s 17-10 loss to Michigan.
The Sooners slid all the way to No. 24 in Sunday’s Associated Press poll, a steep drop from No. 11 heading into the game. They’re the final SEC team in the rankings, with Texas now sitting at No. 1 after beating Ohio State, Georgia at No. 2, LSU at No. 7, and Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Alabama right behind the Tigers.
Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Auburn were among the teams receiving votes.
For Oklahoma, the new spot is its lowest ranking since it was unranked for the final 10 polls of the 2024 season. Last year, the Sooners never fell lower than No. 18.
Michigan’s own poll ride went the other direction. After dropping from No. 16 and out of the rankings following a close win over Western Michigan to start the season, the Wolverines are back in at No. 19.
The damage showed up in the coaches’ poll too. Oklahoma fell from No. 10 to No. 21, and the top seven there matches the AP poll exactly. Notre Dame is No. 3, then Indiana, Miami and Ohio State before LSU.
New Mexico, Oklahoma’s opponent this week, also got votes in the coaches’ poll. The Lobos are 2-0 after beating Central Michigan and Mercyhurst.
The schedule doesn’t get much friendlier from there. After New Mexico, Oklahoma heads to No.
2 Georgia and then meets top-ranked Texas in Dallas. The final three games on the Sooners’ schedule are also against ranked teams, and Kentucky is the only remaining opponent currently carrying a loss.
Saturday’s numbers made the loss sting even more. Oklahoma actually outgained Michigan 289-263, including a 174-75 edge in the second half, but the Wolverines still walked out with the win thanks to a late touchdown.
The Sooners had erased a 10-0 deficit to tie the game early in the fourth quarter, and after the defense forced a punt to give the ball back, John Mateer threw an interception that put Michigan at the OU 6. Michigan punched it in two plays later to retake the lead, and Oklahoma went scoreless on its final three possessions.
Mateer finished the game 1-for-8 passing after completing nine straight throws earlier.
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 🡒]