Is Oklahoma football back?

Sure looks like it. The Sooners boomed to a big win in a top-25 matchup against Auburn in Norman, soaring to the top of our Top 10. After all, what program has two better victories than coach Brent Venables and crew?

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What a difference a year makes. On a warm seat entering the offseason, Venables overhauled his offense and took command of the defense (his specialty). It’s worked so far, and, boy, wouldn’t Clemson like him back.

Speaking of, the tumbling Tigers are impacting the top 10 despite being 1-3 for the first time in the Dabo Era. All of those wins against Clemson, well, they don’t seem real snazzy now (looking at you Georgia Tech and LSU).

Plenty more transpired on an entertaining day of college football. We welcome Michigan and Texas Tech into our rankings after road victories in rocking environments. UM interim coach Biff Poggi says he’ll be smoking himself a Cuban cigar after the Wolverines downed the Cornhuskers with Sherrone Moore suspended, and Joey McGuire talked cash money following the win in Salt Lake City. They are No. 9 and No. 7, respectively, in our new poll.

Let’s throw some love toward the American, which isn’t just distancing itself from other Group of Six conferences but might challenge leagues like the ACC in the pecking order. The American got its sixth win over a power conference program on Saturday with Memphis’ victory at the Liberty Bowl against Arkansas (Sam Pittman’s seat has gone from warm to hot, by the way). You can find another hot seat in Stillwater, where the Fighting Mike Gundys lost to Tulsa on Friday night.

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Have you seen Maryland freshman QB Malik Washington play? Make sure to do that. He tossed for 265 yards to lead the Terps (4-0!) to a win at Camp Randall Stadium. Meanwhile, Scott Frost and UCF beat Bill Belichick and UNC before the Knights’ Twitter account took aim at the former NFL coach with a not-so-subtle shot.

Notre Dame got Win No. 1 on the season despite a lengthy lightning delay, and Ole Miss has a chance to crack into our Top 10 next week with a game against LSU (the Rebels’ DII transfer QB Trinidad Chambliss accounted for 419 yards in a rout of Tulane).

Miami’s defense is good enough to make the Canes look like legit playoff challengers, Indiana’s offense is a scoring machine as it steamrolled to a 63-10 win over Illinois, and Missouri survived a scare from South Carolina to move to 4-0. The Hoosiers and Tigers just miss our top 10 and TCU, too, which won what could be the last Iron Skillet game.

Let’s get to the rankings!

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Reminder: When ranking teams, we do NOT consider any preseason polls or any past season results. For instance, you won’t find on here … Penn State (it has played Nevada, FIU, Villanova). This system normally rewards teams with tougher early season opponents, but it also makes for an unusual group in the first few weeks.

1. Oklahoma Sooners

This week: beat Auburn 24-17

Next week: Off

Brent Venables’ defense looks like some of his old units at Clemson and a remade OU offense with QB John Mateer did just enough in two marquee victories over Michigan and Auburn. OU’s front had 10 — count ’em, 10 — sacks against former QB Jackson Arnold. Don’t look now, but the Sooners appear to be back in playoff shape.

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Keys wins: 24-13 vs. Michigan; 24-17 vs. Auburn

2. Georgia Bulldogs

This week: Off

Next week: vs. Alabama

Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs sat this weekend out before the showdown in Athens against the Crimson Tide. Bama failed in its only road test so far this season (a whooping at Florida State), but Tennessee exposed Georgia a bit last weekend in a barnburner in Knoxville that Smart’s team was quite lucky to win. This isn’t the Alabama-Georgia collision of old. These programs can’t stack depth like they did before the NIL Era arrived.

Key wins: 44-41 at Tennessee

3. Miami Hurricanes

This week: beat Florida 26-7

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Next week: Off

It was, uh, a bit dicey there for a while. The Hurricanes exploded for 10 points on their first two drives and then stalled out enough to make Miami fans sweat. The Gators had multiple shots, down 13-7 in the second half, to take the lead, but UM’s defense made several stands. Mario Cristobal’s crew is off before a huge showdown in Tallahassee against the rival Noles.

Key wins: 27-24 vs. Notre Dame

4. Florida State Seminoles

This week: beat Kent State 66-10

Next week: at Virginia (Friday)

QB Tommy Castellanos missed some of this one after getting “rolled up.” It’s not like the Noles needed him. FSU ran at will against the Golden Flashes for 9.9 yards a rush (nearly 500 yards rushing overall). Afterward, Castellanos told reporters that he’s “all good,” which is nice news for Florida State ahead of a tricky Friday game in Charlottesville.

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Key wins: 31-17 vs. Alabama

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

This week: Off

Next week: at Washington

The Buckeyes got to rest up while the Huskies played a rivalry game in Pullman. That Seattle trip is a long one from Columbus, and Washington is much better than last season. Meanwhile, the season-opening win over the Longhorns isn’t looking so hot — a reason for OSU slipping down our poll.

Key wins: 14-7 vs. Texas

6. Tennessee Volunteers

This week: beat UAB 56-24

Next week: at Mississippi State

You know that Syracuse team that the Vols manhandled in Atlanta to open the season? Well, the Orange manhandled Clemson on Saturday. Tennessee’s opener is a good win that’s looking better and better. The Blazers of Birmingham didn’t stand a chance against Vols QB Joey Aguilar, who completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and threw three touchdowns.

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Key wins: 45-26 vs. Syracuse

7. Texas Tech Red Raiders

This week: beat Utah 34-10

Next week: Off

Money is buying the Red Raiders plenty of happiness right now, but coach Joey McGuire credits the 4-0 start — and big win in Salt Lake City — to a team that loves one another. Tech showed on Saturday that its defense is just as potent as its offense and its backup quarterback is, maybe, just as good as its starting quarterback.

Key wins: 34-10 at Utah

8. Oregon Ducks

This week: beat Oregon State 41-7

Next week: at Penn State

Yes, the Ducks are playing much better than the eighth-ranked team in the country, but they don’t really have any key wins thus far (no, a 66-point victory against 1-2 Oklahoma State does not count). QB Dante Moore (305 yards and four TDs on Saturday against the Beavers) has a chance to lead Oregon to its first signature win of the season in Happy Valley next weekend. It is, perhaps, the preeminent game during a loaded college football Saturday.

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9. Michigan Wolverines

This week: beat Nebraska 30-27

Next week: Off

Did you know that Michigan, since 2023, is 8-0 in games in which its head coach is suspended? Biff Poggi coached the Wolverines up in Lincoln with a smash-mouth game plan using RB Justice Haynes (he had 149 yards rushing). QB Bryce Underwood had 61 yards on the ground himself. The Wolverines had 75, 57 and 34-yard runs to send Nebraska to a 28th straight (!!!) loss to a ranked team.

Key wins: 30-27 at Nebraska

10. LSU Tigers

This week: beat Southeastern Louisiana 56-10

Next week: at Ole Miss

Boy, the Tigers’ win over Clemson continues to look worse and worse and worse. In fact, we no longer consider it a “key win,” which means LSU has zero of those. That said, QB Garrett Nussmeier and the Tigers hang on, barely, in our Top 10 after the QB’s 273-yard, three-TD performance against the FCS Lions. We’ll see what they’re really made of next week in Oxford.

Dropped: Auburn (6); Georgia Tech (10)