Oklahoma now shares USC’s long climb back up the rankings
Don't worry Oklahoma, USC feels your pain.
With their 24-19 loss to Kansas State, the Sooners all but ruined their chances of a shot at a national title -- similar to what USC did with a loss to Stanford a week ago.
Yes, it's early. And yes, there's a lot of football to be played. But with teams such as Alabama, Florida State, LSU and others maintaining their undefeated status, it's going to be tough for the Sooners to jump back in the race.
And let's be honest, didn't we all kind of see this coming from Oklahoma?
Even though Oklahoma was 14-0 against ranked teams at home, the Sooners haven't looked like the team we expected at the start of the season. During the opening week, the Sooners struggled mightily against UTEP. The 24-7 victory didn't accurately reflect how much the Sooners struggled in that game, and many people didn't see the game because it concluded well into the following morning.
Even though Oklahoma rebounded to beat Florida A&M handily, the UTEP game should have been a red flag that the Sooners might struggle against some of the better teams on their schedule.
Meanwhile, Kansas State has been sharp this year. Kansas State has won all of its games by double digits, and quarterback Colin Klein has been putting up some decent numbers. The Wildcats came into the weekend ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll, but should move up with the win.
As we turn the page to Week 5, the contenders and pretenders are starting to separate themselves. Michigan isn't the powerhouse everyone was hoping it would be, but Notre Dame is an unexpected and somewhat pleasant surprise. The Irish defeated the Wolverines 13-6 in Notre Dame's first win over Michigan since 2008. It wasn't a pretty win, but the Irish are 4-0 for the first time since 2002.
Georgia, which has been quietly playing "Grown Man Football" while Alabama and LSU get all the press, demolished Vanderbilt 48-3 and should stay in the nation's top five with an outside chance at the national championship. West Virginia, USC and South Carolina also got big wins to continue to stay in the top 10.
But none of these teams can take anything for granted because as we're seeing, any given week can offer an unexpected surprise.
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