Poll Report: Oklahoma Avoids College Football Carnage, Back on Rise in Both Polls

The Sooners and Longhorns both watched a chaotic weekend of college football unfold from their couches and saw a bump in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll as a result.

Oct 7, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) fumbles the ball after he is sacked by Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman (28) and defensive lineman Ethan Downs (40) and defensive back Kendel Dolby (15) during the second half at the Cotton Bowl. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Perhaps it was a good weekend fo the Sooners to be idle. 

Five teams in the AP top 12 — Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Michigan and USC — all lost in what was supposed to be a dull Saturday on paper. 

As a result, Oklahoma improved its standing in the polls. 

Brent Venables’ Sooners moved one spot to No. 16 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, and OU ticked up one spot to No. 18 in the AP Poll. 

Alabama’s shocking 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt also saw Texas move back to No. 1 in the AP Poll, which means that Oklahoma will take on the top-ranked team in the AP Poll in the regular season for the first time since hosting Nebraska in 2000. 

The Sooners are 7-16-2 all time against the No. 1-ranked team, and OU is 28-56-2 all-time against teams ranked in the top five. 

A weekend off came at a great time for Oklahoma. 

Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line took another step toward full health in the Sooners’ 27-21 win over Auburn, as right tackle Jake Taylor returned to the lineup. 

The bye week allowed the offensive line more time to build chemistry, and it bought the offense time to hopefully get a few weapons back for true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. 

Deion Burks, who leads the Sooners in both receptions (26) and receiving yards (201) missed the contest against the Tigers, but Venables refused to rule him out of the clash with Texas. 

True freshman running back Taylor Tatum could also return against the Longhorns, which would give Hawkins reinforcements after his promising first start at Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

Linebacker Dasan McCullough could also make his season debut for the Sooners in the Cotton Bowl, where he helped orchestrate last year’s goal line stand against the Longhorns. 

Steve Sarkisian’s squad will be close to full health, too. 

Quarterback Quinn Ewers is expected to return to the starting lineup on Saturday after he missed the Longhorns’ SEC debut against Mississippi State. 

Oklahoma and Texas will meet at 2:30 p.m. at the State Fair of Texas on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on ABC. 

Elsewhere in the SEC, there was plenty of movement after a hectic Saturday. 

Alabama dropped to No. 7 in the AP Poll, and Tennessee fell to No. 8 after its loss to Arkansas. 

Georgia held steady at No. 5 despite dispatching Auburn 31-13, as both Oregon and Penn State jumped the Bulldogs. 

Ole Miss bounced back after last week’s loss to Kentucky and moved up to No. 9 with a 27-3 win over South Carolina. 

LSU stayed put at No. 13, but Texas A&M moved up 10 spots to No. 15 after dominating Missouri 41-10, a loss that dropped the Tigers 12 spots to No. 21. 

Outside of the SEC, USC dropped all the way out of the AP Poll after suffering a loss to Minnesota, and Michigan tumbled 14 spots to No. 24 in the wake of the Wolverines’ 27-17 loss to Washington.