The Oklahoma Sooners know just as much about losing as winning so far in 2026 after dropping to 2-2. With the way things are going, OU might actually become a lot more familiar with losing than winning by the end of the season.
No. 2 Georgia blew the doors off the Sooners on Saturday in a 41-13 blowout in Athens. It feels like a low point for Sooner Nation heading into the bye week before the Red River Rivalry against No. 1 Texas.
Through all the doom and gloom, though, there were still some winners that came from the Sooners' massive loss, as well as the obvious losers.
Winners: OU's secondary
The Sooners’ secondary quietly shut down one of the best quarterbacks they’ll face all season in Gunner Stockton. He’s a fifth-year senior with 22 starts under his belt and experience in games that dwarfed Saturday’s stage. Maybe nobody in the country is better equipped to deal with the pressure of Venables’ aggressive defense than Stockton.
Yet, Stockton was held to a season-low 56% completion percentage while completing 14 of his 25 passes for 171 yards and a TD. Safety Omarion Robinson also intercepted one of Stockton’s passes.
A week after rushing for 97 yards against Arkansas, Stockton didn’t net a single yard against OU.
There are some phenomenal quarterbacks that the Sooners will have to deal with this season, so this was a great sign that the secondary can do its part in not letting those gunslingers completely take over, which is needed with an offense that will struggle to keep up.
Loser: John Mateer
There’s no way OU quarterback John Mateer has ever had a worse day on a football field than he did on Saturday between the hedges.
Take away three costly turnovers, and Mateer was actually solid, completing 73.5% of his passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. But there’s no ignoring those mistakes, as it seemed like absolutely nothing could go right for Mateer in the second quarter.
After cruising his offense down the field and getting to Georgia’s two-yard line, the ball just slipped right out of Mateer’s hand while looking to fire at an open man in the end zone. Georgia linebacker Chris Cole scooped it up for an easy 85-yard score.
The next drive, Mateer under threw a pass that was intercepted. Then, he fumbled again the possession after that after being careless with the ball while scrambling.
F it, John Mateer lowlights with circus music 🔥 pic.twitter.com/s5rwwCBCWO
— Random SEC (@therandomsec) September 26, 2026
Suddenly, the Sooners went to the locker room down 28-0 when they had a chance to cut the lead to 14-7 before the wheels fell off.
Many fans blame Mateer for Saturday’s blowout loss, and it’s hard to argue against that take.
Winner: Chris Cole
Georgia linebacker Chris Cole was the biggest beneficiary to John Mateer’s boneheaded mistakes. It wasn’t even like Cole ever made a great play, he just happened to be there when Mateer messed up, which could result in him earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Cole was right in front of Mateer, trying to stand between him and the end zone, when the ball just slipped out of his hands. Cole then scooped up the ball, and absolutely nobody was in his way for 85 yards to the end zone.
Then, just two possessions later, Cole forced Mateer to scramble toward the sideline. Mateer briefly escaped Cole, but fellow linebacker Raylen Wilson was able to sling him down near the sideline. There was no ball security from Mateer, so it popped out again, and Cole was there again to sweep it up and return it 23 yards to give the Bulldogs great field position.
Loser: Bill Bedenbaugh
The Sooners’ offense is no doubt dysfunctional, and it doesn’t matter how bad of a day John Mateer had, this unit still wouldn’t be productive behind Bill Bedenbaugh’s leaky offensive line.
Mateer was sacked three times and forced out of the pocket to make quick decisions on numerous occasions. The Sooners averaged only 1.9 yards on the ground with one of the worst rushing attacks in all of college football. Arkansas is the only Power 4 team with a worse run game than OU in 2026.
Turnovers or not, OU’s offense can’t succeed until Bedenbaugh does his job (or loses it). Until then, the weight of the offense will be on Mateer to force a play, and he’s not good enough to carry an offense, so mistakes will keep coming.
Winner: Manny Choice
The Sooners desperately need someone other than Isaiah Sategna to step up at wide receiver, especially with No. 2 option Trell Harris not coming back anytime soon. Sophomore Manny Choice showed that maybe he could be the guy OU needs since Parker Livingstone or Elijah Thomas haven’t stepped up yet.
Choice played a career-high 19 snaps against Georgia, which still isn’t a lot of opportunity, but the only time he was targeted was a 14-yard touchdown shortly after he entered the game. It was his first career touchdown.
No one else has impressed yet, so Choice should be rewarded for actually making something happen.
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