Poll Report: Oklahoma Falls to Unranked Status For Second Time Since 2016

The Sooners fell 34-3 to rival No. 1 Texas on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl. and dropped out of the poll for the first time since 2022.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables reacts following the first half of the Red River Rivalry. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the second time in the past decade, the Oklahoma Sooners are unranked.

The Sooners were nowhere to be found on the Week 7 Associated Press Top 25 after a 34-3 loss to No. 1 Texas on Saturday, nor the Coaches’ Poll released Sunday afternoon. They were previously ranked 18th and 16th, respectively.

“Obviously, we haven't been very good this season,” Sooners head coach Brent Venables said after the Texas loss. “We've got to get better everywhere. I like the leadership, the will of this team and the hunger. Again, we've got to help guys. We've got to continue to help them, get them to know what to do every play, be able to play in a competitive way against whoever we're lined up against.”

Oklahoma had some offensive fuel early but only generated a field goal on its first two trips into Texas territory. Texas’s adjustments and Oklahoma’s lack of variety ultimately kept the Sooners out of the end zone for the first time since a 49-0 loss to Texas in 2022. The Sooners’ defense produced a Billy Bowman Jr. interception on the first drive of the game, but the Longhorns’ firepower caused its collapse by the third quarter.

POLL ALERT: Oregon and Penn State rise to Nos. 2-3 in AP Top 25 football poll; Navy and Army both ranked for first time since 1960.

Full poll: https://t.co/7dTTUiSC1j pic.twitter.com/MSiZpVFjnQ

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) October 13, 2024

“I thought, again, we flashed. There were a lot of really good things that we saw in the first half and again, being able to sustain those things is what we missed today," Venables said.

The Sooners last dropped out of both polls in 2022 after taking a 55-24 thrashing to eventual College Football Playoff finalist TCU on Oct. 1 and did not reappear until the start of the 2023 season. Oklahoma fell from No. 18 to unranked in the final AP Poll of 2014 after a 38-35 loss to unranked Oklahoma State. OU also fell out of the AP Poll for two weeks in 2020 and for one week in 2016, although they remained in the coaches poll both times.

The Longhorns maintained their No. 1 ranking, followed by former Sooner Dillon Gabriel's Oregon squad at No. 2 after the Ducks beat Ohio State. Penn State is No. 3, followed by the Buckeyes at 4 and Georgia at 5. Texas plays the Bulldogs in this week's premier game of the week.

“Through the first half of the season, I don't see a lot of teams that have played as well in all three phases [as Texas],” Venables said. “They've got a good team and they're good in the right places: Quarterback, offensive line, they've got explosive playmakers, they've got a really good defense, they've got good experience. I think maybe 20 or 21 of their top 22 players on offense and defense were juniors or seniors.”

Four SEC teams occupied the top 10 and eight made the top 25. Ole Miss dropped from No. 9 to No. 18 after a 29-26 loss to No. 13 LSU, who climbed to No. 8 after their overtime victory over the Rebels on Saturday night. Future OU opponents are No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 LSU, No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 19 Missouri. Tennessee is No. 11