Oklahoma football: Sooners head into Red River showdown as nation’s No. 12 team
By Chip Rouse
With a 5-0 record to start the season and a marquee matchup with Texas upcoming, the 2023 edition of Oklahoma football has climbed up a couple more rungs to the No. 12 spot in both national polls this week.
Coming off another big offensive performance by quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the Sooners in a 30-point, 50-20 blowout of Iowa State on Saturday, are at No. 12 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Coaches Poll for Week 6. Oklahoma began the season at No. 20 in the AP poll and No. 19 in the Coaches Poll.
This sets up a matchup of two undefeated top-15 teams next weekend in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Texas is the No. 3 team in the AP poll this week and No. 4 in the Coaches Poll following a 41-14 win over No. 24 Kansas.
The Sooners and Texas are two of the 17 unbeaten teams in the top 25 through Week 5 and the only two ranked teams from the Big 12. Both OU and Texas are in their final season as members of the Big 12. Both schools move to the SEC beginning July 1, 2024.
Georgia and Michigan retain the top two spots in both polls followed by Texas, Ohio State and Florida State, although in different order, depending on which major poll you follow.
Kansas State, Kansas and West Virginia of the Big 12 also received votes in both polls this week.
It’s been 12 years since the last time both Oklahoma and Texas came into the Red River Rivalry game undefeated. The last time it happened was in 2011. No. 3 Oklahoma defeated archrival Texas, ranked 11th coming in the game that year, 55-17.