SEC power rankings after week 1 - 9: Oklahoma
Okay, this is the first team where the difference in the level of the FCS opponent actually matters. Illinois State is a top-10 team in the lower division, so they're roughly about the quality of a decent Group of Five team— so adjust your priors accordingly here.
The Sooners clearly wanted to show off what they had in John Mateer in this game, giving him 37 passing attempts for the game. He was highly accurate, finishing with 30 completions and one interception and notching a QBR of 80.
The defensive front for the Sooners was ferocious as you'd hope against the pass, but the running game for the Redbirds was a little more successful than fans may have anticipated. They were able to keep things closer up through the end of the third quarter, entering the final period with the margin stuck at 21-3.
Overall, though, this at least appears to be a more functional offense, especially through the air. Jadyn Ott's lack of touches was an intriguing factor, validating his placement on the OU depth chart, but that whole situation is still a bit of a head-scratcher. The rush game will need to improve, but for now, Mateer looks as though he's as-advertised.