The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 2-0 on the season with their 28-11 win over the SMU Mustangs. The win helped Oklahoma climb one spot to No. 16 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.
The 11 points allowed by the Sooners defense are the fewest the Mustangs have scored in a game since a 51-10 loss to Louisiana Tech in the Frisco Bowl at the end of the 2017 season. That’s more than 60 games of offensive proficiency.
Perhaps times are changing in Norman as Brent Venables and Ted Roof rebuild a defense that struggled during the Lincoln Riley era.
The Sooners are the third-highest ranked Big 12 team behind the Texas Longhorns at No. 6 and the Kansas State Wildcats at No. 15, one spot ahead of Oklahoma.
Texas is coming off arguably its biggest win in the last decade, a 10-point victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. If you’re asking if Texas is back, the answer just might be yes.
The Georgia Bulldogs remained the No. 1 team in the nation after a 45-3 win over Ball State. The Dawgs earned 64 of the 65 first-place votes issued by the coaches.
The Michigan Wolverines were the only other team to receive a first-place vote this week. They come in at No. 2. They’re followed by Florida State, Ohio State and USC to round out the top five.
After Texas at No. 6 are Penn State, Washington, Tennessee and the Crimson Tide.
The road back to the College Football Playoff just grew far more difficult for Nick Saban and the Tide. The loss means they will likely have to run the table to be considered for one of the top four spots in the postseason. It’s certainly doable but not an easy task.
Colorado, Duke and Miami also saw decent climbs in the poll after wins. The Buffaloes picked up another solid win over Matt Rhule’s Nebraska Cornhuskers. Miami beat Texas A&M in a 48-33 shootout.
For the Sooners, it’s still early in the season, giving them a lot of time to make a climb. As long as they keep winning, we could be looking at a top-15 matchup between OU and Texas in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for the Red River Rivalry game. As if the best rivalry game in the country didn’t need any more juice to it.
A look at the full US LBM Coaches Poll:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Georgia | 2-0 | 1624 (64) | – |
| 2 | Michigan | 2-0 | 1533 (1) | – |
| 3 | Florida State | 2-0 | 1441 | +2 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 2-0 | 1401 | – |
| 5 | Southern California | 3-0 | 1319 | +1 |
| 6 | Texas | 2-0 | 1318 | +4 |
| 7 | Penn State | 2-0 | 1229 | – |
| 8 | Washington | 2-0 | 1129 | – |
| 9 | Tennessee | 2-0 | 1039 | – |
| 10 | Alabama | 1-1 | 1016 | -7 |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 3-0 | 1004 | – |
| 12 | Utah | 2-0 | 893 | – |
| 13 | Oregon | 2-0 | 870 | – |
| 14 | Louisiana State | 1-1 | 714 | – |
| 15 | Kansas State | 2-0 | 675 | – |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 2-0 | 584 | +1 |
| 17 | Oregon State | 2-0 | 562 | +1 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 2-0 | 506 | -2 |
| 19 | Ole Miss | 2-0 | 503 | +1 |
| 20 | Duke | 2-0 | 363 | +4 |
| 21 | Colorado | 2-0 | 357 | +4 |
| 22 | Clemson | 1-1 | 207 | -1 |
| 23 | Miami | 2-0 | 195 | NR |
| 24 | Iowa | 2-0 | 166 | NR |
| 25 | UCLA | 2-0 | 101 | NR |
Schools Dropped Out
No.19 Wisconsin, No. 22 Tulane, No. 23 Texas A&M
Others Receiving Votes
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