Following its massive win over Michigan, Oklahoma rose to No. 13 in the Week 3 AP college football rankings. The update moved the Sooners up five spots, but not far enough.
Oklahoma still has a lot to prove, but it has looked every bit like a top-10 team thus far. Michigan is not the perennial title contender it was under Jim Harbaugh, but the Wolverines were formidable foes who will compete in the Big Ten in 2025.
Michigan entered the game ranked No. 15 but amassed just 288 yards of total offense. Voters appear to discredit the Wolverines for the 24-13 result more than they acknowledged Oklahoma for the victory. As a result, Michigan dropped eight spots to No. 23 in the Week 3 AP college football rankings.
While Michigan did not look like the 15th-best team in the country, several factors were against it. Week 2 was the first career road game for freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 recruit of the class of 2025. Underwood, as promising a recruit as he is, still just turned 18 in August. He struggled all night, completing just nine of his 24 throws for 142 passing yards.
Few situations would have made for a tougher road debut than facing a Brent Venables defense in a prime-time game at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. As Underwood progresses throughout the year, the win will age like fine wine and be a key resume builder for Oklahoma as the College Football Playoffs approach.
It has only been two weeks, but Oklahoma is already one of the most improved teams from the 2024 college football season. The Sooners proved that they are a top-10 team and bona fide national championship contenders, and deserved to be treated as such in the latest rankings release.
Oklahoma's No. 13 placement in AP college football rankings is too low
After not moving from its preseason ranking to the Week 2 update, Oklahoma is at least trending in the right direction. However, a bump to No. 13 is still not high enough.
Several teams have already made substantial leaps in the weekly rankings following big wins. Florida State went from unranked to No. 14 in Week 2, and Tennessee shot up from No. 22 to No. 15 in Week 3. Oklahoma was one of the biggest risers of the week, but it is not getting enough credit for winning the biggest game of the week by 11 points.
Venables-led teams are typically known for their defense, but Oklahoma is making a strong case as one of the most well-rounded offenses in the country. The transition to first-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was not without its hiccups in Week 1, but he seemed to find a rhythm against Michigan. Led by John Mateer, the Sooners moved the ball at will against Wink Martindale's defense, accumulating 403 total yards of offense.
The team might not yet be viewed as premier title contenders, but Mateer is at least getting the credit he deserves. Following his three-touchdown outburst against Michigan, the Oklahoma quarterback shot up the Heisman Trophy leaderboard and is now the betting favorite.
Oklahoma's defense remains as elite as expected, but its offense is still not a finished product. They showed significant improvement against a stronger Week 2 opponent, but have yet to unleash former Doak Walker Award finalist Jaydn Ott. The star running back has somehow become a forgotten element of the offense, fielding just five carries through two weeks.
Once Ott gets fully up to speed, it will be difficult to deny him and Mateer as the best quarterback-running back duo in the country. Mateer already had this offense looking unstoppable against Michigan, and has yet to play a full game with his All-American running mate.
There have only been a handful of marquee matchups two weeks into the year, and most were in Week 1. Aside from Oklahoma, the winners of those games are all in the top 10 of the AP college football rankings. It seems absurd to believe that there are 12 teams better than the Sooners at this point in the season.
Oklahoma preparing for key midseason stretch
After being handed a brutal schedule in 2024, Oklahoma's slate is just as difficult in 2025. While they have soft matchups with Temple and Kent State over the next month, the second half of the Sooners' schedule is arguably the most difficult in the country.
Once Oklahoma plays Kent State on Oct. 4, its remaining schedule will make-or-break its entire season. Fans will soon figure out where the team truly stands as title contenders. The Sooners' final seven games are all against teams ranked in the top 25, with four currently in the top 15.
If Oklahoma ends the season undefeated, it will almost certainly be the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Expecting that outcome is unrealistic, but the Sooners have multiple opportunities to climb the ranks that they need to capitalize on.
Oklahoma's first major opportunity will come in the annual Red River Rivalry game in Dallas against No. 7-ranked Texas. The Longhorns were the preseason No. 1-ranked team, but have yet to put all their pieces together. There is still a lot of time before that matchup, but Venables' squad appears to be the more complete unit thus far.
If they can beat Texas, the Sooners will find themselves in an advantageous position entering their Week 8 clash with South Carolina. The No. 11-ranked Gamecocks also appear to be flying much higher than their performances indicate. They will potentially enter Week 8 in a vulnerable position, coming off games against Missouri, Kentucky and LSU.
If the College Football Playoffs were to begin in Week 3, the AP rankings suggest that Oklahoma would be the first team out. There is no scenario in which the Sooners, who have exceeded all expectations thus far, should not be in the top 10. They have just one significant game over the next four weeks, but will soon prove that they are, without a doubt, one of the best teams in the nation.
