3 losers and even 2 winners from the Sooners' disappointing loss to Michigan

The Oklahoma Sooners are losers for the first time in 2026 after an uninspiring 17-10 performance against Michigan on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

The most difficult part of deciding winners and losers from the disappointing showing was narrowing down a list of losers. That meant not including the likes of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer after already writing about their contributions to the loss. However, as bad as Saturday seemed, there were also some winners from the loss.

Losers: OU’s running backs 

Every fan base at some point has screamed to feed a certain running back, but on Saturday, the Sooners’ entire backfield was starved. 

OU’s running backs got a combined 13 carries against Michigan. For comparison, OU quarterback John Mateer had 13 rushing attempts by himself. Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III also had three rushes. 

After getting 15 attempts just last week while not even playing in the fourth quarter, Lloyd Avant led the Sooners again, but with only nine carries for 35 yards. Xavier Robinson had the same number of attempts as Sategna, with three for six yards. Tory Blaylock made his season debut with a three-yard carry. His return influenced promising freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. to not touch the ball at all, with few opportunities to go around. 

None of the running backs had explosive runs or eye-popping numbers, but no one ever got the chance to find a rhythm and get hot. 

The Sooners are desperate to develop a functioning run game, so offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle needs to give it to the guys actually paid to run the ball. If not, not only will OU never be productive on the ground, but that crowded backfield will thin out quickly once the transfer portal eventually opens. 

Winner: Rocky Beers 

The Sooners completely transformed their tight end group over the offseason in hopes it would elevate their dormant run game. Obviously, the running game has bigger problems to solve than tight ends blocking, but Colorado State transfer Rocky Beers has emerged as the best weapon in OU’s passing game.

Beers was the Sooners’ leading receiver against Michigan with six catches for 94 yards while averaging 15.7 yards per reception. He also could have put up even better numbers, as the FOX broadcast crew consistently yelled for John Mateer to look Beers’ way more. Beers also had the secondary beat that would have been a chunk play instead of an incompletion if Mateer had put more air under the pass and led his target. 

The Sooners’ reloaded wide receivers were basically non-existent Saturday, but Beers has staked a claim as Mateer’s most reliable target. 

Losers: Experienced Sooners offensive linemen 

The Sooners were supposed to have a much better offensive line in 2026 thanks to four returning starters and the addition of Arkansas transfer E’Marion Harris. Expectations were certainly not met Saturday, though, as starting left tackle Michael Fasusi was injured and the group faced a real challenge. 

Even though Fasusi was out, the Sooners were still healthier than expected, with Jake Maikkula back at center and Ryan Fodje sliding from right guard to replace Fasusi at left tackle. 

Freshman Noah Best, who started at center last week, filled in at right guard this time in his second career game. The rest of the line included Harris at right tackle and Eddy Pierre-Louis at left guard. 

Best really wasn’t bad, considering he was taking on Michigan in his second career outing while starting at a second position in as many games. Maikkula was the only offensive lineman that PFF graded higher than Best. 

However, the fact that a freshman in that situation graded higher than three other experienced players in that big of a game is a red flag. Pierre-Louis (46.4) and Harris (46.6) were handed the lowest PFF grades of any OU offensive player who played more than seven snaps. 

If the big guys up front keep losing against worthy competition, then the entire team will. 

Winner: Owen Heinecke 

Linebacker Owen Heinecke has remained the constant on the defense that is once again the Sooners’ only hope of winning. He quietly led the Sooners with 10 total tackles to help fill the void left by Kip Lewis. He also notched a sack and tackle for loss. 

Loser: Kip Lewis 

The Sooners got just 10 games out of linebacker Kip Lewis when they needed him most. 

Lewis injured his right knee during Michigan’s first possession of the game. The staff put a brace on the knee before Lewis tried to briefly go back out there, but he ultimately couldn’t go. Even worse, Brent Venables said after the game that Lewis “Will miss some time.” 

This is tough for a guy who returned for one last season in college instead of heading to the NFL. The Sooners will be the biggest losers without Lewis, though, as the heartbeat of the defense. 

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