Oklahoma’s season has already turned into a weekly stress test, and the schedule ahead looks even uglier after what the Sooners just put on tape.
A 14-6 win over New Mexico should have been a reset. Instead, it pushed Oklahoma out of the AP Top 25 because the offense was so bad it felt more like a loss than a victory.
That leaves the Sooners staring at a brutal stretch: No. 2 Georgia on the road Saturday, then a bye, then the Red River Rivalry against No.
1 Texas.
So if the Sooners are sliding, how do they stack up against the teams on that gauntlet and the rest of the opponents already on the slate? Here’s the ranking.
Texas sits at the top for now, even though the Longhorns didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in a 30-6 win over UTSA. The reason they’re still No. 1 in this exercise is simple: that win over then-No.
1 Ohio State in Week 2 still carries major weight. Until Texas loses or somebody else posts a bigger statement, the Longhorns stay there.
Georgia is right behind them. Three blowouts later, people are still trying to figure out how good the Bulldogs really are, and Saturday against Oklahoma looks like a chance for them to make that point the hard way.
Ole Miss also belongs near the top after beating LSU 32-24 and getting revenge on former coach Lane Kiffin. That one mattered not just because it was a quality win, but because it reinforced the Rebels as legitimate national title contenders even without Kiffin in charge.
Mississippi State is next, and the case is built around Jeff Lebby’s team looking dangerous and having a real Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Kamario Taylor. Not long ago, this matchup looked like a clean Oklahoma win. Now it feels far more likely the Sooners leave Starkville with a loss.
Michigan hasn’t exactly been impressive, but the Wolverines keep stacking wins, and that still counts. Their defense has been solid, and at minimum they look better than Oklahoma - which, at this point, is not saying much.
Missouri has plenty of offense, but the Tigers only beat Troy 27-17 and still give off the vibe of a team that’s being talked up a little too much. Once SEC play arrives, the drop-off feels inevitable.
Florida gets the next spot after Jon Sumrall has the Gators back in the top 25 at 3-0 and fresh off a win over Auburn. There’s skepticism here about whether Florida is really back, but the Sooners still have to go to The Swamp, and that trip looks like trouble.
Then comes Oklahoma itself, and there’s no sugarcoating it. The offense was so poor in the New Mexico game that even the win damaged the Sooners’ standing. Unless that unit becomes functional, it’s hard to see OU beating the teams above it on this list - and maybe even some below it.
Kentucky moved ahead of Texas A&M after letting a halftime lead against Alabama slip away two weeks ago, then bouncing back with a 31-21 win over the Aggies. That result leaves a simple question: did it say more about Kentucky or Texas A&M?
The Aggies probably bounce back, but the head-to-head result matters, and the field settled it. That’s why they’re below Kentucky.
Texas A&M also feels uncomfortably similar to Oklahoma right now. Both teams made the CFP and came back with expectations to do it again, but both are underachieving and getting dragged down by quarterbacks who arrived with a lot of hype.
New Mexico earns a bump too, at least enough to jump one SEC team after hanging around with Oklahoma. The Lobos’ defense deserves credit, and it might be one of the best Group of 6 defenses out there.
At the bottom, South Carolina is in a rough place. Shane Beamer’s seat is heating up, Arkansas may be the only SEC win left on the schedule, and with Kentucky climbing too, the Gamecocks’ path is getting thinner by the week.
In Other News...
OUs Season May Hinge On One Choice Brent Venables Made
Oklahomas offense has been the programs biggest unresolved issue through the recent coaching changes, with the Sooners cycling from Seth Littrell to Ben Arbuckle in search of steadier production. Brent Venables has spent the better part of two seasons trying to fix that side of the ball while the defense has generally kept the team respectable, but the overall picture has still felt familiar to anyone who watched the turbulence of the past few years.
The larger question is whether the latest coordinator choice finally gives the Sooners a workable identity or just extends the same problem in a new direction. Venables also had other offensive candidates to weigh in 2024, which only adds to the sense that this decision may end up defining how the season is judged, especially if the offense does not take the leap Oklahoma has been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias First SEC Clash With Oklahoma Carries One Intriguing Twist
No. 2 Georgias first regular-season meeting with Oklahoma brings the Sooners into one of the sports toughest road environments, and it arrives with both teams still trying to sort out early-season identity. Georgia is 3-0 and has the kind of balance Kirby Smart has come to expect, while Oklahoma sits at 2-1 and has yet to find full rhythm on offense, with quarterback John Mateer needing to take a step forward if the Sooners want to keep pace.
Brent Venables knows the assignment only gets harder against Gunner Stockton and a Georgia defense Smart has openly respected on the other side of the matchup. The more immediate Oklahoma concern may be up front, where defensive tackle David Stones status remains uncertain because of a knee injury, leaving another layer of instability before a trip that already demands near-perfect execution. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas 2028 Class Just Added Another Intriguing Athlete
Oklahomas 2028 recruiting class picked up another interesting piece with the verbal commitment of Colton Fitzgibbon, a dual-sport athlete whose speed and ability to play both football and baseball have made him stand out early. The 3-star recruit becomes the fourth pledge in a Sooners class that has started to build momentum well ahead of signing day.
Fitzgibbons addition also gives Oklahoma another reason to feel good about the direction of that group, with the Sooners 2028 class moving up to No. 4 nationally after his commitment. For a program that has long valued versatile athletes, Fitzgibbon fits the profile of a player who could bring options on campus, even if the next step in that path is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]