The Oklahoma Sooners recently saw some momentum when ESPN released their post-spring power rankings. They came in at No. 1 ahead of the defending national champions. When the Phil Steele College Football Magazine was released, the first section to check was his preseason top 40 rankings. Steele favored Crimson and Cream. He even went as far as to make a bold proclamation about the Sooners in 2021.
While the 4 playoff teams all lost a lot of star players to the NFL Draft including their QB, Oklahoma actually lost just 4 DC’s and return their star QB in Spencer Rattler. You know the Sooners will have an explosive offense under Lincoln Riley (especially with a veteran QB). They also have the best defense that Riley has fielded in his five years with all three units ranking in my Top 10. The schedule is very manageable with the toughest tests away from home being Texas and Oklahoma State. I know Riley is 0-3 in the playoffs but this time he has a complete team and finally breaks through, giving Oklahoma their first national title since 2000.
The remainder of Phil Steele’s top 10 teams in his preseason top 40:
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Clemson Tigers
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Washington Huskies
- Cincinnati Bearcats
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