Oklahoma football: Sooners continue to slide in national rankings

The folks who wield votes in the two major college football polls are not impressed with the 5-0 Oklahoma football start to the 2021 season.

It’s true the Sooners, who started the season ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press preseason poll, remain among the country’s undefeated teams entering Week 6 of the season, but it’s the way Oklahoma has been winning that is the object of everyone’s concern.

Oklahoma remained in the No. 6 spot in the latest Associated Press Top 25, but slide to No. 5 this week in the Coaches Poll. What is troubling about this is three other teams managed to jump the Sooners.

Last week, it was Iowa and Penn State that jumped the Sooners in the AP poll, and this week Cincinnati, a 24-13 winner over Notre Dame, moved ahead of OU. No. 3 Iowa and No. 4 Penn State both moved ahead of the Sooners in this week’s Coaches Poll.

One-loss Ohio State and Oregon, both with 4-1 records, sit just below the Sooners in the AP poll.

No. 12 Oklahoma State and No. 21 Texas (No. 23 in the Coaches Poll) are the two other Big 12 teams represented in the top-25 rankings this week.

Texas returns to the national rankings after dropping out in Week 2 when the Longhorns lost to Arkansas. That sets up another Red River battle between ranked teams when longtime rivals Oklahoma and Texas meet next weekend in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Baylor, a 24-14 loser to Oklahoma State on Saturday, dropped out of the top-25 rankings.

There were multiple big movers, up and down, this week in the rankings. Florida was the biggest downward mover, falling 20-13 at Kentucky. The Gators dropped 10 spots to No. 19 in the AP poll and are down to No. 18 in the Coaches Poll.

Oklahoma State was one of the big upward movers this week, up seven spots in the AP Top 25 and jumping six spots in the Coaches Poll.