After Tennessee Trip, Oklahoma Sees a Surge in the Polls

The Sooners faced numerous adversities against the Vols, including 102,000 noisy fans, but kept cool and are now making their move as the CFP rankings arrive.

Oklahoma defensive lineman Danny Okoye | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With a road record better than their home record, the Oklahoma Sooners are back on the rise in this week’s college football polls.

OU climbed six spots to No. 12 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, and now sit at No. 11, up seven spots, in the Associated Press Top 25 after Saturday’s 33-27 victory at previously 18th-ranked Tennessee.

This is the last week of the season that the coaches poll and the writers poll will be displayed in front of teams’ names on your TV or computer screens. On Tuesday night, the College Football Playoff rankings debut this season, and dozens of teams are currently in the running for a berth in the 12-team field.

The top of the polls didn’t change much from last week. The Big Ten Conference again has the top two teams in the country, according to the coaches poll, with Ohio State (8-0) and Indiana (9-0) ranked No. 1 and 2 this week, while the SEC comes in at No. 3, 4 and 5 with Texas A&M (8-0), Alabama (7-1) and Georgia (7-1).

No. 6 Oregon (7-1), No. 7 Ole Miss (8-1), No. 8 BYU (8-0), No. 10 Texas Tech (8-1) and No. 10 Notre Dame (6-2) round out the top 10 in the coaches’ poll.

Notre Dame is back in the top 10 after a two-month absence. Oklahoma and Texas make the biggest upward moves. See where other top teams land.https://t.co/7dTTUiSC1j

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) November 2, 2025

The Sooners (7-2) are off next weekend, but return to action on Nov. 15 when they travel to Tuscaloosa to face the No. 4-ranked Crimson Tide.

OU demolished Bama in last year’s home finale with a dominating 24-3 victory.

The Sooners then host No. 17 Missouri (6-2) before finished off the regular season with a home game against unranked LSU.

OU went 1-3 in SEC road games last year with a win at Auburn and losses at Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU, but the Sooners are now 2-0 in SEC road contests this year after winning at South Carolina and Tennessee (3-0 including a non-conference victory at Temple). The Sooners' two losses happened in Dallas (to Texas) and Norman (to Ole Miss).

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Read More OU Football

How QB John Mateer Persevered and "Got the Job Done"
Tate Sandell's Record Day Kept OU Afloat
Heinecke, Thomas Teamed Up to Seize Momentum at Tennessee
How OU Overcame Slow Start to Get Venables' Signature Win
"When's Enough Gonna Be Enough?" What BV Said Postgame
Sooners' Report Card at Tennessee
Sooners' Stock Report at Tennessee
Three Takeaways from OU's Win at Tennessee

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Oklahoma and Brent Venables took care of business against Josh Heupel and the Vols in front of almost 102,000 fans by turning three defensive takeaways into 13 points, by implementing a powerful running game behind Xavier Robinson’s career-high 115 yards, and with a school-record four field goals from Tate Sandell, including a record three of 50 yards or more.

The game was statistically one-sided early and it looked like the Vols might win in a rout, but defensive end R Mason Thomas’ dramatic, school-record, 71-yard scoop and score of Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar fumble, and interceptions from Peyton Bowen and Robert Spears-Jennings just before halftime produced two field goals and a 16-10 lead going into the third quarter.

In the second half, OU mounted 137 rushing yards, compared to just 17 for the Vols, and rode the powerful leg of Sandell, who has now made a school-record-tying 18 consecutive field goals.