The Athletic compiled a survey (subscription required) of 50 people working in college football. From assistants to administrators to recruiting staffers, those polled were asked to rank their top five jobs in college football.
Programs that earned a first-place vote received five points, second place received four votes, and so on. Coming in at No. 1 was Georgia, followed by Texas, Ohio State, Alabama and LSU.
Shockingly, the Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 19, earning one fifth-place vote. It’s a bit surprising to see them fall so far. In September 2021, coming off their sixth straight Big 12 title, the Sooners were viewed by those polled as the eighth-best job in the country. Here’s what was written in 2021.
Oklahoma’s administration deserves a ton of the credit, too. This is one of those places where alignment isn’t just some buzzword. They’ll give you whatever you need to succeed. It’s slightly surprising to see the Sooners didn’t finish higher in voting. Perhaps it’s due to location or being in the College Football Playoff race every season but not playing for a national title since 2008. Or perhaps their decision to cede their throne in the Big 12 and take on the SEC is already starting to affect perception. – The Athletic
The alignment hasn’t changed. Oklahoma has consistent leadership and commitment to football. The fan base is still one of the best in the sport.
One might argue that the job received even more support when Brent Venables took the reins. There’s been a bigger investment into facilities, organizational structure, the development of the S.O.U.L. Mission, and the move to the SEC, which have all raised Oklahoma’s profile on a national stage. The Sooners still have a really strong brand and recruiting footprint.
Certainly, a 6-7 season in Venables’ first at the helm certainly took some of the shine off of the Sooners. But they bounced back to go 10-3 in 2023. In Year 1 of the SEC, OU is showing promising signs of being a program that can compete but has to improve offensively if it wants to be able to hang week-to-week.
But the University of Oklahoma is still one of the top jobs in college football because of the support from the administration and fan base.
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