Sooners Debut at No. 2 in Preseason AP Poll

This marks the 10th time the Sooners have been offered the No. 2 area to begin the period.

The university football period is tantalizingly close as well as with that said the release of the Associated Press’ yearly preseason poll was passed on Monday.

While the poll theoretically impacts definitely nothing for the season ahead with the crucial positions (the University Football Playoff ones) not coming up until much later on, where a team lands in the AP Survey is indisputably a tone setter for the beginning of the period and absolutely influences everyone’s reasoning of a provided group heading right into the brand-new year.

For Oklahoma, they have actually landed at No. 2 in the first AP rankings to start the 2021 period.

This is the tenth time the Sooners have been at the No. 2 place to begin the year, with them winning the national title from this spot in 1950. Oklahoma has actually now been placed in the preseason top-10 an unbelievable 19 times in the last 21 years.

This also prolongs their streak to 22 consecutive periods with an area in the preliminary positions, the second-longest behind only Ohio State at 33 right, and is their 63rd overall preseason appearance which is likewise second only to the Buckeyes that have 68.

Completing the remainder of the leading 5 is Alabama at No. 1, Clemson at No. 3, Ohio State at No. 4 and also Georgia finishing things up at No. 5.

The following Large 12 team is Iowa State at No. 7, with Texas the just various other group busy to obtain a top-25 quote at No. 21.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Sooners’ future seminar has 5 teams in the rankings. The SEC boasts the Crimson Tide and also the Bulldogs in the top-5 in addition to Texas A&M at No. 6, Florida at No. 13 as well as LSU at No. 16.

Over the last 20 periods dating back to 2001, the Sooners have finished higher than where they started in the AP Poll simply five times, ending up reduced 14 times and in the same place as soon as. Currently, it is important to remember Oklahoma is frequently placed extremely. So the margin for error in moving up is often slim.

Amongst the Sooners’ seven national titles, the most affordable they’ve been placed in the preseason of a championship year was No. 19 to open up the 2000 campaign. Oklahoma was No. 1 in four titles in 1956, 1974, 1975 and also 1985. In 1950 and also 1955, they can be found in at No. 2 and also No. 6, respectively.

According to the AP’s Ralph Russo, the preseason No. 1 team has actually only taken place to win the national title and complete the year as No. 1 11 times given that the preseason survey started in 1950. Alabama was the last to do it in 2017.

Oklahoma will open the period versus unranked Tulane on Sept. 4 in New Orleans.