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Oklahoma Receives Top 20 Ranking in Preseason AP Poll

Following a down year, the Sooners landed in the AP Poll's preseason rankings.
Ross Lovelace|
Oklahoma Receives Top 20 Ranking in Preseason AP Poll
Oklahoma Receives Top 20 Ranking in Preseason AP Poll

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Oklahoma Sooners

Despite falling out of the rankings early on a season ago, the Sooners were ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll's inaugural 2023 rankings that was released Monday.

Georgia headlines the poll at No. 1, followed by Michigan and Ohio State to round out the top three. OU was one of four Big 12 teams ranked, behind Texas at No. 11, Kansas State at No. 16 and TCU at No. 17.

After going 6-7 a season ago, there were questions on whether the Sooners would start the season as an unranked team. After Monday though, the streak is still alive. Oklahoma has now been ranked in the AP Top 25 preseason poll in 24 consecutive seasons, which is the second-longest active streak behind Ohio State (35).

According to Oklahoma's press release, Monday's top-20 ranking also represents the 65th time that the Sooners have appeared in the preseason AP poll, second most behind Ohio State (70 times). In addition, OU's all-time average preseason AP rank is 6.8, best in the nation (Alabama is second at 7.1).

Venables' team, which is ranked No. 19 in the preseason USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, was picked third in the Big 12 Conference preseason media poll.

A season ago, the Sooners opened up the preseason poll in the top ten, checking in at No. 9. Oklahoma was expected to make up for Lincoln Riley's departure with an improved defense led by Brent Venables. The transfer portal losses were too much to overcome, though, and the season spiraled quickly.

Oklahoma has been on the receiving end of help from the transfer portal a year later, however, and the team is expected to be much more complete on paper. A modest top-20 ranking is probably right where the Sooners should be.

Published
Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Ross has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners since 2018. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and the Sooners On SI podcast. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross started with Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and worked for Sooners On SI and Thunder On SI. Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross and his wife live in New Orleans, where he is a Marketing and Volunteer Coordinator at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.

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