Power ranking the SEC after Week 5 - 2: Oklahoma
The Sooners were off this week, and their fans had a lot of fun photoshopping a surgeon into different pictures having to do with their team. In other words, it was a normal bye week.
OU is up here based on the team that are when John Mateer is playing, given that we have yet to see them play without him. However, I fear that a precipitous drop is in the cards without him behind center. With all due respect to Michael Hawkins, he didn't exactly look amazing in his starts for the Sooners last year, least of all in the Cotton Bowl.
No, OU needs their Heisman contender back in a pretty dire way, but it looks like it could be a month before he's back in the saddle. They'll have to navigate some tough games in that time, including against Texas, South Carolina, and Ole Miss. It's possible he's back by the time Lane Kiffin and company come calling, but that seems to be the earliest possible time.
With the exception of South Carolina, every remaining conference opponent that the Sooners will face is currently ranked. That... doesn't bode well when your offensive engine of a quarterback is out. The good thing is that the defense this year looks like they can actually carry this team in some close games.