Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma Football: Sooners up One Spot in Sports Illustrated’s Post-Spring Top 25

By Chip Rouse

Apr 8, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners cornerback Parnell Motley (11) intercepts a pass in front of Oklahoma Sooners receiver Marquise Brown (5) during the spring game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners cornerback Parnell Motley (11) intercepts a pass in front of Oklahoma Sooners receiver Marquise Brown (5) during the spring game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Oklahoma football is making progress in the 2017 college football polls, and the Sooners are still nearly four months away from playing their first game of the season.

Sports Illustrated, one of the many media sources that likes to keep interest in college football going year-round by issuing top-25 rankings way in advance of the next season, has come out with what it calls its Post-Spring Power Rankings for the 2017 season.

What this amounts to in the evolution of college football preseason rankings is a re-evaluation of where the teams with the best chances of doing well in the coming season stand after the spring practice season.

Shortly after the College Football Playoff national championship game but two months prior to the kickoff of spring practice on college campuses around the country, SI, like several other notable national sports media outlets, publishes a “way too early” projection of where the top FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams  stack up, looking ahead to the next college football season.

In its “way too early” college football power rankings for 2017, SI had Oklahoma in the No. 8 position. The popular sports publication has moved the Sooners up to No. 7 in its Post-Spring Top-25 Power Rankings.

SI.com staff writer Brian Hamilton had this to say about 2017 Oklahoma football at the conclusion of the Sooners’ spring practice schedule:

"“Freshman Trey Sermon and junior Marcelius Sutton seem to be the prime candidates to fill the holes at running back by Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. The offense isn’t the issue though. Can the Sooners doe better defensively, after finishing last season ranked 55th nationally in Football Outsiders’ S&P ratings?”"

Oklahoma State had even greater upward movement in the SI post-spring rankings than the Sooners. The Cowboys moved up from No. 12 to No. 9.

Alabama remained in the top spot in both of SI’s way-too-early projections for 2017.

If you’re counting, each of the Power Five conferences had two each in SI’s post spring Top 25. The Big 12 placed five teams in the top 25. Other than the Sooners and Oklahoma State, West Virginia is No. 17, Kansas State 19 and Texas 20.

Next: FanSided's College Football Top 25 Entering Spring Games

Sports Illustrated’s 2017 College Football Post-Spring Top 25

(Position change from earlier SI 2017 power ranking)

  1. Alabama Crimson Tide (-)
  2. Florida State Seminoles (+2)
  3. USC Trojans (-1)
  4. Ohio State (+3)
  5. Penn State Nittany Lions (-2)
  6. Clemson Tigers (-)
  7. Oklahoma Sooners (+1)
  8. Washington Huskies (+1)
  9. Oklahoma State Cowboys (+3)
  10. Auburn Tigers
  11. LSU Tigers (-6)
  12. Michigan Wolverines (-2)
  13. Wisconsin Badgers (-2)
  14. Louisville Cardinals (-1)
  15. Stanford Cardinal (+2)
  16. Georgia Bulldogs (-1)
  17. West Virginia Mountaineers (+3)
  18. Tennessee Volunteers (-2)
  19. Kansas State Wildcats (+2)
  20. Texas Longhorns (-2)
  21. South Florida Bulls (+4)
  22. Washington State Cougars (NR)
  23. Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes (-)
  24. Florida Gators (-5)
  25. Oregon Ducks (-3)
Home/OU Football