Oklahoma football: Where does OU rank in post-spring polls?
It’s that time of year again where on-field results take a back seat to wild speculation. And, as has become customary over the last two decades, Oklahoma football is right there in the heart of the national conversation.
Every college football publication worth its salt has updated its 2019 prseason rankings after spring football. So what does the college football media world think of the Sooners’ chances of making a third-straight College Football Playoff and a fourth in five years? Here’s a roundup of all the relevant preseason polls, what they had to say and our response to each one.
Rank: No. 4
What they say:
"Trust third-year coach Lincoln Riley and a high-flying offense that will be good enough to win the Big 12 with playmakers Kennedy Brooks and CeeDee Lamb, even with an offensive line that will need a rebuild after a massive NFL exodus."
We say: This seems to be a fair spot for now. The Sooners are clearly still a step behind the top two programs in the country in Clemson and Alabama and Georgia looks loaded for 2019 so it makes sense to have them in the top four (though I would argue that No. 3 and No. 4 are interchangeable). OU is indeed rebuilding their offensive line and may take part of the season to hit on all cylinders, but it’s so hard to bet against Bill Bedenbaugh turning that group into one of the strengths of the team. The summary also went on to mention the defense and Alex Grinch’s task of turning the Sooners from “College Football Playoff contenders to National Championship contenders”. There’s a lot of truth to that, but don’t forget that OU brings back 10 starters on that side of the ball. Experience matters and the Sooners will have as much of it on defense as any team in the country.
Rank: No. 6
What they say:
"Alabama transfer QB Jalen Hurts should provide leadership and looked good during the spring game, but who else is going to catch balls besides CeeDee Lamb and tight end Grant Calcaterra?"
We say: Six is probably too low for Oklahoma, especially behind a Notre Dame team that has to replace four NFL draft picks on their vaunted defense and their best running back in Dexter Williams. (Bonus hot take: Don’t be surprised if the Fighting Irish finish outside the top 10 by the end of the year). As far as their blurb, I would have to think receiver would probably be pretty far down the list of worries for Lincoln Riley. Calcaterra is great, but wasn’t even the full-time starter at tight end thanks to a standout season from Lee Morris last year.
Rank: No. 6
What they say:
"Jalen Hurts might not win the Heisman Trophy and go No. 1 in the NFL draft like his two Oklahoma predecessors, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Still, the Sooners are squarely in position to make the playoff for a fourth time in five seasons with Hurts at quarterback. Not only was Hurts spectacular in OU’s spring game but he has quickly taken over a prominent leadership role in the locker room despite having been in Norman only four months."
We say: Four is pretty close to standard at this point. It’s about where Oklahoma ranks as a program over the past four or so years, just below the top tier of college football. The summary spends a majority of its time discussing Jalen Hurts, with good reason. Hurts’ production is going to be a major factor this year and his star power and backstory may be an extra sway should the Sooners find themselves stuck in a major debate when it comes to entry into the College Football Playoff this winter.
Rank: No. 4
What they say:
"Quarterback U welcomes Jalen Hurts, who showed flashes of improvement in the little time he played as a Bama backup. The defense has to get better under Alex Grinch … doesn’t it?"
We say: Short and sweet, just like we’ll keep it here. Same top four as several other sites and some of the same thoughts concerning the defense although Quarterback U has a nice ring to it for Sooner fans. A fun note to add about this poll: The SEC’s primary broadcast network has four SEC schools (Alabama, Georgia, Florida and LSU) in its top seven.
Rank: No. 4
What they say:
"If the spring game is any indication, Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts is going to be a good fit for Lincoln Riley and the Sooners. As if there were any questions about the Sooners’ quarterback play. Hurts was strong through the air and unsurprisingly effective as a runner to cap the spring and head into the summer on a high note."
We say: Rank and file on the top four for USA Today. Perhaps more interesting than the publication’s standard take on Oklahoma was knocking Texas down five spots from No. 5 (right behind the Sooners) to No. 10 after watching the Longhorns’ spring game. USA Today cited subpar line play as a reason, which is easy to understand.
Related Story. Sooners on the hunt in the transfer portal?. light
Texas loses a lot of experience in the trenches. The Texas is back hype machine got a lot of fuel in the offseason after a win over Georgia, but didn’t deliver on the field in the spring game according to this take.