Oklahoma football: Sooners take step back to No. 6 in Associated Press poll

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables poses for a photo wearing the Golden Hat Trophy after the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Oklahoma won 34-30.
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables poses for a photo wearing the Golden Hat Trophy after the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Oklahoma won 34-30.

Despite there not being an Oklahoma football game this weekend, the Sooners found themselves losing ground in the Associated Press Top 25.

Oklahoma dropped a spot, to No. 6, following Washington’s dramatic 36-33 victory over No. 8 Oregon on Saturday. Washington occupied the No. 7 spot in the AP rankings last week. The Sooners remain No. 7 in the Coaches Poll.

The top-five teams are the same in both national polls, with Georgia and Michigan remaining one and two as they have all along. The Bulldogs, seeking a third consecutive national championship, and Wolverines are followed, in order, by Ohio State, Florida State and Washington. Georgia and Michigan are both 7-0. The remaining three plus Oklahoma are 6-0.

Texas, which Oklahoma defeated 34-30 a week ago when the Longhorns were ranked in the top four of both major national polls, is No. 8 this week. Texas moved up one spot in the AP poll and advanced three positions right behind the Sooners in the Coaches Poll.

Kansas, the only other Big 12 team that was ranked a week ago, fell out of the top 25 following a 39-32 loss the Oklahoma State on Saturday.

USC was the biggest mover in the national rankings this week, falling eight spots, to No. 18, in the AP poll and seven spots, to 16, in the Coaches Poll. The biggest climb was a jump of five positions by Missouri to No. 20 in the Coaches Poll after defeating No. 23 Kentucky.

The Sooners return to action this coming weekend, hosting UCF for an 11 a.m. kickoff on Saturday. Over the next six weekends Oklahoma will play UCF, at Kansas, at Oklahoma State, West Virginia, at BYU and TCU.