Where will Oklahoma fall in rankings after Michigan loss? And will Wolverines be ranked?
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After a week of being told the college football world was on its side, Oklahoma suffered a tough Week 2 loss against Michigan in Ann Arbor on Sept. 12.
But the Sooners, who had dispatched UTEP with ease in Week 1 en route to a rematch against a Wolverines team they throttled last season, couldn't find any momentum vs. Michigan, ultimately losing 17-10 in a game that showed the offensive woes from last season had far from scarred over.
It's a harrowing early-season loss for a team that, as with every year, was entering with College Football Playoff aspirations. The Sooners didn't clear 300 yards for the game, and still outgained the Wolverines. It was a loss that encapsulates the Brent Venables era: a staunch defense mixed with an inept offense.
Oklahoma, which was ranked No. 10 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 11 in the AP Top 25, is set to see a bit of a drop-off. But this is an interesting case. Michigan dropped precipitously after its Week 1 win over Western Michigan, but showed it still has the mettle of a good team. Will the Sooners be punished severely for what appears to be a bad loss? Or will the Wolverines' station be reexamined?
Here's a look at how the polls could shake out.
How far will Oklahoma drop in college football rankings?
This can't be determined exactly, with a lot of football to be played for the day. But two SEC teams are salivating right behind the Sooners: If Ole Miss handles business against Charlotte and Alabama is able to knock off Kentucky, those two are nearly locks to jump the Sooners in the Coaches Poll.
Texas Tech with Oregon State and Southern California with Louisiana also have ample opportunity. Finally, with BYU and Tennessee playing Power Four opponents, they'll have a shot — but it's hard to see both of them jumping in the event of a win, particularly when there might be some over-corrective mea culpas being issued to Michigan.
Coaches Poll prediction: No. 14 (down four spots)
In the AP, Ole Miss is already in the top 10, two spots ahead of the Sooners. Alabama is behind, so entertaining a win over Kentucky again, that's a jump. Texas Tech, USC, and BYU are all possible jumpers in this scenario. The fall probably stops there, stonewalled by a Penn State team that looked less than inspiring for a long stretch against Temple. But expect some other teams to close ground.
AP Poll prediction: No. 15 (down four spots)
Where will Michigan move up in rankings?
Michigan is also interesting in its own right. The Wolverines were soundly punished for their loss-turned-win against Western Michigan, dropping eight spots to No. 24 in the Coaches Poll and out of the AP entirely.
This will likely get Michigan knocking on the door of the top 20 of the Coaches Poll, if not becoming a top-20 team outright. Similarly, it should get back into the rankings for the AP after voters moved them out of the top 25 altogether after the Western Michigan debacle.
It's a busy field in front of the Wolverines, but with 69 votes last week in the AP, it's hard to imagine they'll be left out entirely.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where will Oklahoma fall in rankings after Michigan loss? And will Wolverines be ranked?
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