With teams flocking to their respective campuses for fall practices, the preseason coaches poll is finally here. The Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 9 in the country in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
This year’s preseason ranking is good for best in the Big 12, right ahead of No. 10 Baylor and No. 11 Oklahoma State. The final team in the Big 12 to make the top 25 is Texas at No. 18.
In last season’s preseason poll, the Sooners came in at No. 3. Spencer Rattler was viewed as a Heisman favorite and was poised to lead the Sooners back to the College Football Playoff.
All but two of the top 25 are Power 5 teams, the exceptions being Cincinnati at No. 22 and Houston at No. 25. Those two programs will be joining the Big 12 after this season along with BYU and UCF.
Three of the four teams that made the CFP last year are in the top six. Alabama is at No. 1, Georgia is at No. 3, and Michigan is at No. 6.
USC is at to No. 15, which is a spot lower than they were a year ago. Two teams in the Pac-12 came in ahead of the Trojans, with Utah at No. 8 and Oregon at No. 12.
No. 9 feels like a good spot for the Sooners going into year one of the Brent Venables era. Both Baylor and Oklahoma State lost important pieces just like Oklahoma. The Sooners ahead of their Big 12 foes is a testament to Venables’ reputation.
A look at the full preseason AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank | Team | Points | 1st Place Votes |
| 1 | Alabama | 1,634 | 54 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 1,564 | 5 |
| 3 | Georgia | 1,542 | 6 |
| 4 | Clemson | 1,356 | – |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 1,284 | – |
| 6 | Michigan | 1,232 | – |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 1,219 | – |
| 8 | Utah | 1,134 | – |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 1,027 | – |
| 10 | Baylor | 891 | – |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 859 | – |
| 12 | Oregon | 734 | – |
| 13 | North Carolina State | 726 | – |
| 14 | Michigan State | 711 | – |
| 15 | Southern California | 602 | – |
| 16 | Pittsburgh | 450 | – |
| 17 | Miami (Fl) | 433 | – |
| 18 | Texas | 383 | 1 |
| 19 | Wake Forest | 381 | – |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 369 | – |
| 21 | Kentucky | 353 | – |
| 22 | Cincinnati | 339 | – |
| 23 | Arkansas | 334 | – |
| 24 | Ole Miss | 327 | – |
| 25 | Houston | 257 | – |
Others Receiving Votes
Iowa 248; Penn State 246; Tennessee 163; Brigham Young 152; Louisiana State 143; Auburn 98; Central Florida 55; North Carolina 34; San Diego State 25; Fresno State 21; Mississippi State 19; Florida 17; Utah State 12; Air Force 12; UCLA 10; Boise State 10; Appalachian State 10; Minnesota 6; South Carolina 5; Kansas State 4; Iowa State 3; Army 3; UL Lafayette 2; Southern Methodist 2; Purdue 2; Oregon State 2; Coastal Carolina 2; Texas-San Antonio 1; Louisville 1; Florida State 1
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