Oklahoma football: Sooners start No. 5 in coaches poll

The release of the Amway Preseason Coaches Poll means we are getting closer to the start of Oklahoma football and the 2018 college season.

The poll is of course pure speculation as every team is nearly a month away from taking the field, but it does give fans some conversation fodder as well as a look at the national perception of Oklahoma and other Big 12 programs. Here are five reactions to the initial coach’s rankings.

Oklahoma is on the cusp of elite status

No. 5 makes sense for the Sooners, especially when you look at the four teams ahead of them. Alabama (No. 1), Clemson (No. 2), Ohio State (No. 3) and Georgia (No. 4) have all either won or played for a national championship in the last five years. Perhaps more importantly, all four teams have won a College Football Playoff game. Oklahoma sits in a class by itself as a two-time playoff qualifier, but yet to win a game. These polls are based significantly on past success and in that regard, Oklahoma is probably right where it belongs.

The Big 12 still has a respect problem

The next team from the Big 12 behind Oklahoma is TCU, which sits all the way down at No. 16. Sure there are plenty of reasons why coaches might not be bullish on the Horned Frogs this year since they are replacing their starting quarterback, but the team returns more pieces than most of the teams above it. After that you have to go down to No. 20 to find West Virginia, No. 21 is Texas and No. 25 is Oklahoma State. How does this affect Oklahoma? With the conference rated so low as a whole, there isn’t a lot of breathing room for the Sooners. Last year Oklahoma bolstered its resume with a big road win in Columbus over fellow playoff contender Ohio State, but this year’s non-conference schedule – while solid – doesn’t have that eye-catching opponent on it. Oklahoma needs some marquee Big 12 wins like TCU over Ohio State, Texas over USC, Oklahoma State over Boise State and Kansas State over Mississippi State to get the conference some buzz.

Red River Showdown regaining its luster?

The Longhorns are becoming a trendy pick to compete for the Big 12 title this year, but one has to wonder how much of the hype is justified. Yes, Texas fielded a salty defense last season, but it also loses its best player at all three levels in Poona Ford, Malik Jefferson and DeShon Elliot. Yes, the Longhorns return two starting quarterbacks and a group of receivers that could be dangerous, but they still have problems on the offensive line and no bell cow running back to take the pressure off Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger. It would be great if the Longhorns could get back to a higher level and make the Red River Showdown a game of national importance again, but it is still all hype until they show it on the field.