Greg McElroy calls SEC powerhouse's AP rank "genuinely laughable"

Greg McElroy blasts AP voters, praises Oklahoma and John Mateer

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy criticized the AP Top 25 rankings for Week 3 because of where Michigan is slotted. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Greg McElroy did not hold back when assessing the latest AP Top 25 rankings. During Wednesday’s episode of Always College Football, the ESPN analyst blasted Oklahoma’s placement at No. 13, calling it “genuinely laughable.” The Sooners, who McElroy ranks at No. 5 heading into college football's Week 3, are undefeated and fresh off a convincing win over Michigan, yet voters slotted them behind Clemson.

“What I think so laughable, like I look at the AP poll right now, the AP poll has Oklahoma at number 13,” McElroy said. “I mean, that is genuinely laughable. They’re behind Clemson for crying out loud. Like Clemson through six quarters looked lifeless. Oklahoma goes out and convincingly beats Michigan.”

McElroy praised Oklahoma’s resume while making the case for the Sooners to be ranked in the top five. He argued that voters were underselling a win that not only established credibility, but showed Oklahoma’s ability to dominate on both sides of the ball.

McElroy Breaks Down Oklahoma's Win Over Michigan

McElroy highlighted that Oklahoma’s victory in the only ranked-versus-ranked matchup of the season carried more weight than many realized. “At No. 5, one of the biggest movers of the week, the Oklahoma Sooners. A dominant resume-defining victory in the first ranked matchup of the entire season,” he said.

The Sooners built their lead behind stout defense and timely offensive execution. McElroy noted that the score could have been even more lopsided.

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables steered his defense to only allowing Michigan to convert 3 of 14 third downs and less than 300 yards of offense. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

“It could have been worse if not for a couple of mistakes in the game,” he said. “A turnover or two in the game, giving Michigan a new lease on life a few times in the game. That thing could have been worse. There were plays left on the field.”

Still, he graded Oklahoma’s performance as a B-plus. The victory impressed him, but he emphasized the Sooners have more room to grow. “Very few teams with a better win. Very few teams that can beat you in as many ways as Oklahoma can beat you through the first two weeks of the season,” McElroy added.

John Mateer Earns SEC Offensive Player Of The Week

Quarterback John Mateer was central to Oklahoma’s statement win. The sophomore completed 21 of 34 passes for 270 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He also carried 19 times for 74 yards and two rushing scores, showing toughness in a game where Michigan’s defense tested him repeatedly.

The performance earned Mateer SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors, the first such award for Oklahoma this season. Head coach Brent Venables credited his quarterback’s dual-threat ability.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer sparked a big win over Michigan on Saturday. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“John showed his acumen as a runner as well, and that’s what good players can do,” Venables said. “Quarterbacks that are playing at the highest level, they can throw it and they can run it.”

Mateer has thrown for 662 yards through two games, the most by any Oklahoma quarterback in an opening two-game stretch since Josh Heupel in 1999. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle pointed to Mateer’s poise in every situation. “His leadership keeps growing and growing and growing,” Arbuckle said. “So, yeah, he’s a special kid. Really special.”

Oklahoma, now 2-0, will try to carry that momentum into Saturday’s noon ET matchup at Temple.