Tag: oklahoma

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby in the first half during a Bedlam college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023

Mississippi State hires Oklahoma OC Jeff Lebby as new coach

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Mississippi State hired well-respected offensive mind Jeff Lebby as its new coach on Sunday.

Lebby has been the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma the past two seasons. He also ran the offense at Ole Miss (2020-21) for two seasons and at UCF (2018-19) for the second of his two seasons.

Lebby, 39, replaces Zach Arnett, who was fired with two games remaining in his first full season as coach. The Bulldogs went 5-7 this season.

“As we continue to invest in excellence at Mississippi State, the future of our football program is incredibly bright with the addition of Jeff Lebby at the helm,” athletic director Zac Selmon said in a news release. “I am confident that Jeff is the perfect leader for the next exciting chapter of Mississippi State football.

“He will bring an exciting brand of football, elite student-athlete development, and a winning culture to Starkville, all while doing so with high integrity. He is a dynamic recruiter who will attract an elite coaching staff and the nation’s top talent. There is no doubt in my mind that Jeff’s leadership, vision, and resilient work ethic will take this program to incredible heights.”

This season, Lebby’s Oklahoma offense ranks third in scoring (43.2 points per game) and fourth in total offense (502.4 yards per game). The Sooners scored 50 or more points on five occasions, including outputs of 73, 69 and 66 points.

“Being the head coach at Mississippi State is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Lebby said in the news release. “My family and I are fired up to engrain ourselves in this community, build relationships with our players, and hit the recruiting trail. This is a special place with special people and a football program with a storied tradition.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to add our dynamic offensive scheme to an NFL powerhouse with a nationally regarded history of elite defensive play.”

Arnett was promoted to head coach after the tragic death of Mike Leach in December 2022.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma's Gavin Sawchuk has sparked a two-game winning streak to keep the Sooners in the New Year's Six conversation.

Significant stakes usher Oklahoma, TCU into regular-season finale

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A lot of on the line in Norman, Okla., on Friday in the regular-season finale between Oklahoma and TCU.

The Sooners need a win to keep their hopes of making the Big 12 championship game alive and stay in the hunt for a New Year’s Six bowl berth.

College Football Playoff national championship runner-up in January, the Horned Frogs need a win over the Sooners to secure bowl eligibility with a sixth win.

There are bad memories lingering from last season’s game for the Sooners.

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel went down with a concussion, hastening the Sooners’ struggles in TCU’s 55-24 shellacking of the Sooners in the Big 12 opener and showed the Horned Frogs were legitimate Big 12 contenders.

There are questions at quarterback for OU this time, too. Gabriel suffered a head injury late in the first half of Saturday’s win at BYU and missed the rest of the game. Gabriel was replaced by freshman Jackson Arnold. Sooners’ wide receiver Jalil Farooq was banged up late in the game, too.

“Dillon and Jalil, I feel like both of those guys, if they continue to progress throughout the week, they’ll be available this weekend,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said.

Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) comes into the game on a two-game winning streak after dropping consecutive games, and recent success mirrors the emergence of running back Gavin Sawchuk.

After rushing for just 127 yards on 34 carries in the season’s first eight games, Sawchuk has 49 carries for 353 yards over the last three – reaching the 100-yard mark each time out.

“He’s done a really good job of just being back in playing shape,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said. “He is playing his best football and proud of him for, man, just staying the course. Look forward to continuing to lean on him when we need him.”

TCU (5-6, 3-5) is coming off a 42-17 win over Baylor that snapped a three-game losing streak and kept their bowl hopes alive.

The Horned Frogs’ passing game has come on strong of late, with Josh Hoover throwing for an average of more than 355 yards per game over the last three.

“He gets better every game,” Horned Frogs’ head coach Sonny Dykes said of his redshirt freshman quarterback. “He’s more comfortable and makes better decisions. That’s what young quarterbacks are supposed to do.”

Tight end Jared Wiley was his favorite target against Baylor, with seven catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

The game will be the final Big 12 regular-season game for the Sooners, who were original members of the conference in 1996 and will make the jump to the SEC next season.

Oklahoma has dominated the conference, going 175-60 in regular-season conference play during that era, 19 more wins than second-place Texas.

The Sooners have won 14 Big 12 titles while no other program has more than three.

Before last season’s TCU victory, Oklahoma had won eight consecutive meetings between the programs. The Sooners have won all five meetings between the teams in Norman since the Horned Frogs joined the conference in 2012.

An Oklahoma win would be the program’s nation-leading 700th in college football’s modern era (marked by the end of World War II). Alabama is next at 667 victories.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel (8) reacts after scoring a touchdown in the second half of a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov., 11, 2023.

No. 14 Oklahoma makes maiden voyage to BYU

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Oklahoma is looking for consistency and BYU is looking for a win.

The 14th-ranked Sooners take on the Cougars in Provo, Utah, with plenty on the line.

For Oklahoma (8-2, 5-2 Big 12), it’s a chance to at least stay in the race to make the Big 12 Championship Game heading into the season’s final week.

BYU (5-5, 2-5) is looking to snap a three-game losing streak and clinch bowl eligibility for a sixth consecutive season.

The Cougars have struggled to adjust during their first season in the Big 12, especially on the defensive end.

After last week’s 45-13 loss to Iowa State, Cougars coach Kalani Sitake questioned whether his team believed in the defensive system. He backed off that a bit a couple days later.

“We are going against a different beast here,” Sitake said. “These are teams that have been at a Power Five level way longer than we have. I’m not making excuses. I’m just telling you, they are good players.”

Now they’ll face the top offense in the Big 12 in the Sooners, who are averaging 505.4 yards and 41.8 points per game.

BYU’s offense is last in the league in both categories, averaging 300 yards and 21.9 points.

During their current losing streak, the Cougars have been outscored 117-26.

BYU is hoping quarterback Kedon Slovis will be able to return after missing the last two games due to injury.

Junior Jake Retzlaff has started in Slovis’ place in losses to West Virginia and Iowa State.

“He is still banged up, not 100 percent yet,” Sitake said. “Last week, we felt like Jake gave us the better chance. This week, we will kinda see what it looks like.”

Oklahoma is coming off a 59-20 win over West Virginia that snapped a two-game losing streak. Both of the Sooners’ losses came on the road.

Over the last two games, senior receiver Drake Stoops has 22 catches for 298 yards and four touchdowns. He’s topped his career high in receiving yards in each game.

“Just a baller,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said of Stoops. “Just always doing the little things right. … Whether he’s cracking somebody to set up a run or a screen play or making the third-down catch, making the extraordinary catch look ordinary. And then his ability to run after the catch is different. He bounces off of guys.”

Saturday’s meeting is the third between the programs and the first since 2009.

The Cougars have won the only two meetings. They’ve never played in Provo.

While the Sooners haven’t played BYU in a while, several players on Oklahoma’s roster have, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

UCF, with Gabriel at quarterback, lost to BYU 49-23 in the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl.

That wasn’t one of Gabriel’s best games.

But he’s coming off his best overall game with the Sooners, with 423 yards and five touchdowns through the air and scoring three rushing touchdowns in the win over West Virginia where Gabriel moved into the top 10 in NCAA career passing yards.

“He’s a tremendous leader and a tremendous quarterback and I’d go to war with him every day,” Stoops said.

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Nic Anderson (4) runs with the ball as West Virginia Mountaineers linebacker Ben Cutter (15) defends during the first quarter at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Dillon Gabriel accounts for 8 TDs as No. 17 Oklahoma crushes West Virginia

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dillon Gabriel threw for a season-high 423 yards and five touchdowns and ran for three more as No. 17 Oklahoma beat West Virginia 59-20 on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

Gabriel’s eight combined passing/rushing touchdowns set a school record, besting the previous record of seven set by Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak and kept the Sooners (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) in the hunt for a berth in the Big 12 Championship game with two games remaining, though Oklahoma still doesn’t control its destiny.

Gabriel moved into 10th place in NCAA career passing yards, passing Marshall’s Rakeem Cato for 11th with his first completion of the second half — a 60-yard touchdown to Drake Stoops and then Hawaii’s Colt Brennan with a 12-yard completion to Stoops late in the third quarter.

Stoops finished with 10 catches for 164 yards and three touchdowns. Stoops has set career highs in receiving yards in back-to-back games.

Nic Anderson had four catches for 119 yards and Gavin Sawchuk ran for 135 yards as Oklahoma outgained the Mountaineers 644-330. The Sooners’ offensive production was its highest of the season.

West Virginia (6-4, 4-3) had its two-game winning streak snapped.

Garrett Greene was 10-of-27 for 154 yards and two touchdowns for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers got off to a quick start, scoring in just more than a minute to get the game started.

But from there, the Sooners took over.

Oklahoma scored the game’s next 31 points to build a comfortable lead by the second quarter.

Gabriel scored the first two touchdowns himself, with a pair of short runs.

While the Sooners’ offense heated up, the defense bounced back strong from the initial troubles.

After its first drive, West Virginia didn’t record another first down until late in the second quarter, and by the time the Mountaineers did get a first down, the Sooners were up 31-7.

West Virginia stayed in the game until late in the third quarter, when Stoops caught his second of three touchdowns to put the Sooners up 45-20.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel (8) warms up before a Bedlam college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.

QB uncertain No. 17 Oklahoma will respond vs WVU

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With three games to play, West Virginia and Oklahoma are on the edge of the race for a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Even so, the teams are in much different places entering a matchup Saturday in Norman, Okla.

West Virginia (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) has built some momentum in recent weeks, winning back-to-back games.

“I think we’re starting to hit our stride,” Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said. “I think the story of this season is far from written.”

It’s a significant turnaround from West Virginia’s two-game losing streak in October.

No. 17 Oklahoma (7-2, 4-2) dropped back-to-back, one-possession games — a 38-33 loss to Kansas on Oct. 28 and a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma State last weekend in the expected finale of the Bedlam series.

Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel said he hopes the team will respond after falling out of the College Football Playoff race.

“I don’t know yet,” Gabriel said. “I think we’ll know come Saturday. That’ll be a big deciding factor in how we respond.”

For the Sooners, the biggest recent difference has been turnovers.

During its 7-0 start, Oklahoma had five turnovers.

In the consecutive losses leading into this matchup, the Sooners have six giveaways — four fumbles and two interceptions.

“When you turn the ball over, everything else just gets highlighted all the other mistakes that are there, even through 7-0 – nobody’s seeing that,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said.

West Virginia comes in with the No. 7 rushing offense in the country, averaging 218 yards per game.

In their previous two games, the Mountaineers have averaged 311 rushing yards. West Virginia leading rusher CJ Donaldson has rushed for 223 yards in that span while Jaheim White has rushed for 231.

“They have good chemistry out there on the field when you watch them,” Venables said, noting his belief that the Mountaineers’ line is the strength of its offense.. “They have a lot of pre-snap communication. They don’t turn people loose. They do a great job of protecting the passer.”

Last season, West Virginia beat the Sooners for the first time in the Big 12 era, 23-20, in Morgantown on a last-second field goal. Oklahoma is 7-1 all-time against the Mountaineers in Norman.

The Mountaineers have been without starting right tackle Doug Nester and wide receiver Hudson Clement in recent weeks.

Brown said Nester was closing in on returning while Clement, who has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, could’ve been used against BYU had it been absolutely necessary but that he still wasn’t fully healthy.

Oklahoma has it own injury concerns.

Weakside linebacker Danny Stutsman, the Sooners’ leading tackler, missed last week’s game with an ankle injury while running back Tawee Walker played sparingly against the Cowboys. He suffered a leg injury the week before against Kansas.

Venables was hopeful both would be ready Saturday, along with cornerback Gentry Williams, who suffered a shoulder injury against Oklahoma State.

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman (7) throws a pass over Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Jonah Laulu (8) during a game at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports

No. 22 Oklahoma St. takes down No. 9 Oklahoma, capping Bedlam Series

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ollie Gordon rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns to give host and 22nd-ranked Oklahoma State a 27-24 win over No. 9 Oklahoma on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.

The matchup was the final scheduled meeting between the Bedlam rivals in a series that has been played every year since 1910.

The Sooners will move to the Southeastern Conference next season.

Oklahoma State (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) has won five consecutive games and remains tied for first place in the Big 12.

Oklahoma (7-2, 4-2) has dropped back-to-back games after winning its first seven.

The Sooners got the ball back with 1:53 left in the game but couldn’t tie or take the lead.

Drake Stoops was stopped 2 yards short of the first-down marker on fourth-and-5, giving the ball back to the Cowboys with 1:01 remaining and effectively ending the game.

The stop ended a career day for Stoops, who finished with 12 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman threw for 334 yards on 28-for-42 passing, while Rashod Owens had 10 catches for 136 yards.

The Cowboys trailed entering the fourth quarter but took the lead at 24-21 on Gordon’s 1-yard rushing TD that capped a 97-yard drive.

Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel couldn’t handle the snap on the first play of the next drive, and Oklahoma State recovered the fumble.

The Cowboys couldn’t move much offensively, but Alex Hale kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 27-21.

Oklahoma’s Zach Schmit made a 36-yard field goal with 4:48 remaining. The Sooners then made a defensive stop to get the ball back, leading to the play in which Stoops came up short.

Gavin Sawchuk finished with 13 carries for a career-high 111 yards and a touchdown for the Sooners, who outgained Oklahoma State 492-480.

Oklahoma turned the ball over three times in the loss, leading to 10 Cowboys points.

Oklahoma State struck first on Gordon’s 20-yard scoring run that capped the game’s first drive.

It didn’t take long for the Sooners to respond, as Sawchuk broke off for a 64-yard touchdown run on Oklahoma’s third play from scrimmage to tie things at 7-7.

But then the Sooners’ offense went dormant for a bit as the Cowboys kept moving.

On the first play of the second quarter, Bowman rushed to the end zone from 13 yards out to put Oklahoma State back in front.

After holding the Sooners to another three-and-out, Bowman quickly led the Cowboys deep into Oklahoma territory again, though the drive stalled before Hale’s 36-yard field goal put Oklahoma State ahead 17-7.

Gabriel completed 26 of 37 passes for 344 yards with a TD and an interception for the Sooners.

–Field Level Media

Oct 21, 2023; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II (0) celebrates with fans after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

One last Bedlam before hiatus for No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 22 Oklahoma St.

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Every college football season since 1910 has featured an Oklahoma-Oklahoma State matchup.

Saturday’s showdown between the ninth-ranked Sooners and the 22nd-ranked Cowboys in Stillwater, Okla., though, will be the last Bedlam matchup in the foreseeable future.

The series will not continue, at least for now, after Oklahoma makes the jump from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference next season.

While there’s plenty to be said about the series’ history, this year’s edition is plenty important without that backdrop. The teams are part of a five-way tie atop the Big 12 standings.

The Sooners (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) are coming off a 38-33 road loss to Kansas while the Cowboys (6-2, 4-1) beat visiting Cincinnati 45-13 last week.

Oklahoma State has won four consecutive games since a 2-2 start.

A big part of the Cowboys’ recent success has been sophomore running back Ollie Gordon II, who leads the nation with 1,087 rushing yards. Gordon has run for 553 yards and six touchdowns over the last two games.

“If we don’t tackle better than we did last week, Gordon’s going to pull away from the pack when it comes to college football and rushing,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “He can run right through you and he can run right by you. His patience for a big guy is something that’s a little different.”

This year, defensive lineman Trace Ford will be on the other side of the rivalry. After spending the last four seasons with the Cowboys, Ford transferred to Oklahoma.

“I get to finally talk trash to him,” said Oklahoma State linebacker Collin Oliver, who remains friends with his former teammate. “I haven’t been able to do it in all my years of knowing him, so this is going to be the first time of getting to do that. I hope I see him after the game as well.”

Ford has become a bigger piece of the Sooners’ defensive line in recent weeks.

Oklahoma’s offense has been potent this season, ranking seventh nationally in total offense at 489.8 yards per game.

A big part of that has been on the shoulders of quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who has thrown for 2,302 yards and 19 touchdowns with four interceptions. He also has run for eight touchdowns.

“Is he gonna take off like the guy at Kansas or Kansas State and just blindingly take off for 80 yards? Haven’t seen that,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. “But he’s an effective runner who loves to run the ball inside the 10-yard line. He likes to play physical. You have to give him credit for his willingness to compete and give his body up, which is what I see from him.”

Oklahoma has dominated the series history, going 91-19-7 against the Cowboys.

The Sooners have won seven of the last eight, including a 28-13 home victory last year.

The Cowboys’ lone win in that span came the last time the teams met in Stillwater, a 37-33 Oklahoma State victory to end the 2021 regular season in what wound up being Lincoln Riley’s final game as the Sooners’ coach before he departed for Southern California.

–Field Level Media

Oct 21, 2023; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws during the second quarter against the UCF Knights at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Dillon Gabriel leads No. 6 Oklahoma past his former school, UCF

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dillon Gabriel threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns against his former school as No. 6 Oklahoma avoided an upset with a 31-29 come-from-behind victory over UCF on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

The game came down to a failed two-point conversion try with 1:16 left after John Rhys Plumlee hit Javon Baker for a 12-yard touchdown to pull the Knights within two.

UCF tried to pass the ball after a lateral on the conversion, but the Sooners snuffed it out to maintain the lead, then recovered the onside kick to put the game away.

After the Sooners extended their lead to 31-23 on Gavin Sawchuk’s 30-yard touchdown run with 3:13 left, the Knights kept it interesting.

UCF drove to the Oklahoma 12, where the Sooners stopped the Knights on three consecutive pass plays before Baker’s touchdown.

Baker finished with five catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Plumlee was 16 of 30 for 248 yards and two TDs.
Gabriel played for UCF, then of the American Athletic Conference, from 2019-21 before transferring to Oklahoma in 2022. UCF is now a member of the Big 12.

Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) trailed 23-17 after three quarters, then regained the lead on Drake Stoops’ 11-yard touchdown reception with 9:16 left. The Sooners extended their lead to eight on Sawchuk’s score.

After the game was dominated by the defenses for much of the first half, the offenses finally awoke just before halftime.

With UCF leading 10-7, Gabriel hit Nic Anderson for a 42-yard touchdown reception to put the Sooners back in front.

The touchdown was Anderson’s second of the day and his team-high eighth of the season.

Moments later, Plumlee scrambled to his left and when Sooners cornerback Woodi Washington came up to try to make a play on him, the UCF quarterback floated a pass over Washington to Baker for an 86-yard touchdown with 1:24 remaining.

Gabriel once again engineered a quick drive, thanks in part to a pair of pass interference calls against the Knights (3-4, 0-4), including one in the closing seconds that wiped out what would have been an interception.

Zach Schmit then hit a 25-yard field goal to end the half with the game tied 17-17.

Schmit had earlier missed two field goals.

Anderson finished with five catches for 105 yards and two scores.

–Field Level Media

Oct 7, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Andrel Anthony (5) fights for yardage against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. This game makes up the 119th rivalry match up. Mandatory Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma WR Andrel Anthony (knee) out for season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners, coming off their biggest win of the year, will have to finish the season without their leading receiver.

Andrel Anthony sustained a knee injury as Oklahoma beat then-No. 3 Texas on Saturday in Dallas, and he needs a season-ending operation, coach Brent Venables said Monday.

“It’s tough,” Venables said. “Hate it for him. We have other guys. Hate it for Andrel, how hard he’s worked. We got to 6-0, he had a big part in helping us get there. But all of his best football is still in front of him.

“He’ll have a great career on the back end of this surgery. Doesn’t have much swelling, so that usually means it’s a little quicker recovery for him. So, hate it for him, but this gets some other guys an opportunity.”

The junior had five receptions for 42 yards against the Longhorns, raising his season totals to 27 catches for 429 yards and a touchdown.

He played the previous two seasons for Michigan in his home state, amassing 19 receptions for 328 yards and four touchdowns in 26 games.

Anthony posted Monday on X, “it’s all God’s plan.. Romans 8:18.. ‘I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.’ Thank you for the love and support sooner nation #boomer”

Sooners right guard McKade Mettauer came out of the Texas game because of an ankle sprain. Venables didn’t specify when Mettauer might be back in action, adding that it might be “sooner rather than later.”

Oklahoma has a bye week before playing host to UCF on Oct. 21.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma fans cheer during the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Oklahoma won 34-30.

Oklahoma and Louisville soar, Notre Dame plummets in AP Top 25

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Oklahoma’s big win over Texas in the Red River Rivalry and Notre Dame’s big loss in prime time on Saturday shuffled the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday.

Georgia remained No. 1 for the seventh consecutive week and secured 50 of 63 first-place votes after defeating Kentucky 51-13. No. 2 Michigan (11 first-place votes) held steady after a rout of Minnesota, and No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Florida State each moved up a spot and grabbed a first-place vote after lopsided wins over conference foes.

The Sooners, who defeated previously No. 3 Texas 34-30 with a final-minute touchdown, were one of the week’s biggest risers, climbing seven spots to No. 5 and joining Georgia and Michigan at 6-0. Ohio State and Florida State are 5-0.

No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Washington and No. 8 Oregon, all idle and 5-0, retained their rankings from last week. Texas (5-1) slid to No. 9, while Southern California (6-0) dropped a place to No. 10 after a three-overtime win over Arizona.

Alabama (5-1) held at No. 11, and North Carolina (5-0) and Ole Miss (5-1) each used wins to move up to Nos. 12 and 13, respectively.

Then came Louisville (6-0), which eked into the poll last week at No. 25 but advanced 11 spots to No. 14 after defeating visiting Notre Dame 33-20. The Irish (5-2) plummeted out of the Top 10, falling 11 places to No. 21. Louisville’s win ended Notre Dame’s 30-game, regular-season winning streak against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The voters penalized Miami (4-1) for its inexplicable last-minute decision not to take a knee and run out the clock with 36 seconds left at the Georgia Tech 30. Instead, the Hurricanes ran a play, turned the ball over on a fumble and allowed the Yellow Jackets to score with 2 seconds left, handing Miami a 23-20 conference loss.

Washington State (4-1) tumbled six places to No. 19 after a 25-17 loss to UCLA, and Kentucky dropped four spots to No. 24 after the big defeat by Georgia.

Moving into the poll at No. 23 was Kansas (5-1) following its victory over UCF. Moving out was Missouri, last week’s No. 21, which fell to LSU.

–Field Level Media