Winner: Oklahoma Sooners (Unranked up to No. 20)
The Oklahoma Sooners can be considered big winners this week not just because they beat No. 21 TCU on the road but because they jumped back into the rankings after a one-week absence. Starting the year ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll, the Sooners lost to Houston and then against to Ohio State before falling to No. 25.
After a bye week, they fell out of the rankings completely and now they’re back in thanks to a nice road win against a ranked Big 12 foe. No surprise, though, that little defense was played between the two teams as Oklahoma came out on top, 52-46.
Baker Mayfield looked like his old, effective self, completing 23-of-30 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Now that the Sooners are back in the rankings and don’t yet have a loss in conference play, it could be argued that they control their own destiny.
Oklahoma’s two losses are to teams ranked in the top six right now and while it’s nice to have top-10 wins, having its only losses against elite foes makes the Sooners look that much better.
If Oklahoma keeps winning, they might just silence doubters and make a run at the playoff, representing the Big 12 yet again.