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Oklahoma football: Sooners picked 11th in Sports Illustrated 2022 Preseason Top 25

By Chip Rouse

Sep 11, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners sooner schooner during the game against the Western Carolina Catamounts at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners sooner schooner during the game against the Western Carolina Catamounts at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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The final shoe has dropped in the 2022 college football preseason top-25 rankings. The September football preview issue of Sports Illustrated is out, and the Oklahoma football Sooners have landed in the No, 11 spot.

That is two spots lower than the Sooners’ No. 9 preseason ranking in both the Associated Press Top-25 and the initial Coaches Poll of the 2022 season.

Before Sooner fans jump to take exception to the SI evaluation of their believed OU gridiron warriors, they should know that the Sooners are the highest ranked Big 12 team in Sports Illustrated’s version of the best 25 teams to kick off the new college football season.

The top three teams should be of no surprise to any fan who closely follows college football. Alabama is No. 1, followed by Ohio State and reigning national champion Georgia. While a number of preseason top-25 projections have Clemson as the No, 4 team, the staff at SI placed Michigan in the No. 4 position, with Notre Dame and Utah rounding out the top six.

Clemson, Texas A&M, Wake Forest and,– ugh! — USC round out the SI top 10.

As for the rest of the Big 12, Oklahoma State is the next highest-ranked team after the Sooners. The Cowboys come in at No. 14, Baylor No. 19 and, much to the delight of Oklahoma fans everywhere, Texas is against left out of one of the major preseason top-25 rankings.

For those who may be curious, Oklahoma’s ranking in the last five Sports Illustrated college football preview issues has been:

2021 — No. 5

2020 — No, 7

2019 — No. 4

2018 — No. 5

2017 — No. 6

Interestingly, the Sooners have introduced a new starting quarterback to begin the season in four of those five years. This season will make it five of the last seven with UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel taking over the QB reins for the Sooners.

Here again is a recap of where Oklahoma is positioned in a number of other preseason top-25 rankings:

Athlon Sports

1. Alabama, 2. Ohio State, 3. Georgia, 4. Clemson, 11. Baylor, 13. Oklahoma, 17. Oklahoma State

CBS Sports

1. Georgia, 2, Alabama, 3, Michigan, 4. Cincinnati, 5. Baylor, 7. Oklahoma State, 10. Oklahoma

Lindy’s Sports

1. Alabama, 2. Ohio State, 3. Georgia, 4. Clemson, 9. Oklahoma State, 10. Oklahoma, 12. Baylor, 25. Texas

Phil Steele Preseason Top 25

1. Alabama, 2. Ohio State, 3. Georgia, 4. Clemson, 5. Michigan, 8. Oklahoma, 14. Baylor, 15. Oklahoma State, 18. Texas

Sporting News

1. Alabama, 2. Ohio State, 3. Georgia, 4. Clemson, 10. Baylor, 11. Oklahoma, 12. Oklahoma State, 25. Texas

247Sports

1. Alabama, 2. Ohio State, 3. Georgia, 4. Texas A&M, 10. Oklahoma, 16 tie. Texas, 25. Oklahoma State

2022 College Football America Yearbook

1. Alabama, 2. Georgia, 3. Ohio State, 4. Clemson, 5. Notre Dame, 6. Oklahoma, 10. Oklahoma State

Coaches Poll

1. Alabama, 2. Ohio State, 3. Georgia, 4. Clemson, 9. Oklahoma, 10. Baylor, 11. Oklahoma State

Associated Press Top 25

Alabama, 2. Ohio State, 3. Georgia, 4. Clemson, 5. Notre Dame, 9. Oklahoma, 10. Baylor, 12. Oklahoma State

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