Sooner Magic Propels OU Football in AP Poll

It took a wild comeback, but Oklahoma is back in the top 20.

On Sunday, the latest AP Poll was released, featuring Oklahoma at No. 19. Desperate to rebound from a rough loss to Tennessee, the Sooners’ first SEC road game looked much like their SEC opener until the final minutes.

Trailing 21-10 to Auburn in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. threw a 60-yard pass to JJ Hester to set up a first and goal before Jovantae Barnes capped off the drive with a rushing touchdown. As Auburn looked to extend its five-point lead, Kip Lewis picked off Payton Thorne’s pass and returned it for a touchdown, giving Oklahoma its first lead of the second half.

Hawkins capped off his first start with another impressive play, diving over and through Auburn defenders for a two-point conversion to go up 3.

Sooners’ schedule isn’t getting any easier

While Brent Venables’ squad grinded out a win in a tough SEC environment, that might have been the Sooners’ easiest conference game. With another six conference games on the slate, a home matchup against South Carolina is the only one against a currently unranked opponent.
The Sooners have upcoming games against No. 2 Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 9 Missouri, No. 1 Alabama and No. 13 LSU. Those teams help make up the SEC’s firm hold on the top 25, with eight teams earning a spot in this week’s AP Poll.

With so many injuries and a true freshman quarterback under center, Oklahoma’s win in Auburn is one of the most impressive in Venables’ tenure. Although the schedule will not do the Sooners any favors, they finally have some momentum to build on as SEC play ramps up.

With a bye next week, Oklahoma can ideally get healthier and more comfortable around Hawkins before it tries to knock off Texas in a couple of weeks.

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