Top 10 Oklahoma Will Meet Unranked Texas After Poll Shakeup Ahead of Red River Rivalry

The Sooners handled their business, but Texas tumbled in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll following its loss to Florida.

Oklahoma tight end Kaden Helms celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Kent State. | NATE BILLINGS/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma held up its end of the bargain. 

Following the Sooners’ 44-0 win over Kent State on Saturday, OU rolls south to the Cotton Bowl a perfect 5-0. 

Oklahoma got jumped by Texas A&M and slid back one spot to No. 6 in the AP Poll and moved up two spots to No. 6 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. 

The Sooners and the Longhorns haven’t met in Dallas with both teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll since 2008.

And following Florida’s win over Texas on Saturday, that streak will extend at least one more year. 

The Gators, led by maligned head coach Billy Napier, sent Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC) back to Austin with a loss after Florida notched a 29-21 victory in the Swamp.

Arch Manning completed 16-of-29 passes for 263 yards and two scores, but he threw two crucial interceptions in the defeat. 

Texas dropped all the way out of the AP Poll, and the Longhorns tumbled 12 spots to No. 19 in the Coaches Poll. 

While Texas toiled, the Sooners took care of business against an overmatched Kent State team. 

Sophomore backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. made his first start of the year in place of John Mateer, and he led the Sooners on a scoring drive on each of their first five possessions. 

Hawkins completed 14-of-24 passes for 162 yards and three scores, and he added a rushing touchdown and 33 more yards on nine carries. Crucially, Hawkins took care of the ball.

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Read More Oklahoma Football

• Column: Sooners Check the Right Boxes, Especially Defensively, in win vs. Kent State
• Oklahoma WR Isaiah Sategna Keeps Proving his Value, Both on Offense and Special Teams
• An Unlikely Weapon is Emerging for Oklahoma Ahead of the Red River Rivalry
• Three Quick Takeaways From No. 5 Oklahoma's Win Over Kent State

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With the offense getting acclimated to its new quarterback, OU’s defense dominated again. 

Despite holding defensive tackles Damonic Williams and Jayden Jackson out of the game out of an abundance of caution, Oklahoma’s defensive line dictated play. 

The Sooners allowed 17 rushing yards, the lowest total for an opponent since OU held Baylor to nine rushing yards in 2009, and Kent State totaled just 135 yards. 

Oklahoma also forced its first two turnovers of the year. 

Defensive end R Mason Thomas stripped the ball from Kent State quarterback Devin Kargman midway through the third quarter, and defensive tackle Gracen Halton was there to scoop it up and power forward four yards for the score. 

Two possessions later, sophomore safety Jaydan Hardy hauled in his second career interception to double the turnover haul. 

Oklahoma defensive back Jaydan Hardy hauled in his second-career interception on Saturday. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

As is the norm, the SEC is well-represented in this week’s AP Poll. 

Ole Miss held steady at No. 4 after its bye week, and the Texas A&M Aggies entered the top five for the first time since 2021 following its 31-9 win over former OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

Alabama rose two spots to eighth following its 30-14 win over Vanderbilt. 

Georgia rose to No. 10, LSU checked in at No. 11 and Tennessee moved up three spots to No. 12. 

Missouri rose five spots to No. 14, while Vanderbilt fell to 20. 

Texas and South Carolina are the only teams left on Oklahoma’s schedule outside of the top 25. 

The Longhorns received the second-most votes of any unranked team, only trailing Cincinnati.

The Sooners and the Longhorns will clash for the 121st time on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Red River Rivalry will be broadcast on ABC.