Oklahoma football: OU’s start and finish in Coaches Poll in 2000s

A couple of days ago, the first of what is considered the major college football preseason polls was issued earlier this week, and Oklahoma football was at No. 19 in the 2023 Preseason AFCA Coaches Poll.

Let’s get this out of the way right up front. That 19 ranking in the Coaches Poll to start the 2023 season is probably where the Sooners should be until proven otherwise. Oklahoma will have every opportunity to improve on that ranking as the season progresses, but they haven’t done anything on the field yet to show that they deserve a better evaluation at this point in time.

Two other times since 2000 Oklahoma has been ranked in the second ten when the first Coaches Poll of the season came out. Here’s the good news if you’re a Sooner football fan: In both of those instances (2015 and 2000), Oklahoma ended the season among the top-five teams (No. 5 in 2015 and, of course, No. 1 in 2000).

Another intriguing fact that could be a good omen for the Sooners this season is that their highest preseason ranking in the Coaches Poll was 20th coming in Bob Stoops second season as head coach. Coming off a 7-5 record in 1999, Oklahoma ran the table in 13 games in 2000, including a national championship game win over Florida State. The 2023 season marks Brent Venables’ second as the Sooners’ head coach after a surprising and most-disappointing 6-7 season.

Could history repeat itself 23 years later? A national title probably is a stretch, but there is no reason Oklahoma can’t improve on last year’s record and end the year higher than it started in both major weekly polls.

Oklahoma frequently has appeared as a top-five team in the Preseason Coaches Poll. How frequently? Sixteen times since the 2000 season (12 times in the Preseason AP Top 25 over that same span). But the Sooners have also finished outside of top 25 in the final Coaches Poll three times since 2000.

Here is a historic rendering of how Oklahoma has begun the season in every Coaches Poll since 2000 and how the Sooners finished the same season.

                                   Preseason            Season’s end

2023 (0-0)                     19                             TBD

2022 (6-7)                       9                              NR

2021 (11-2)                    3                              10

2020 (9-2)*                    6                                6

2019 (12-2)*                  4                                6

2018 (12-2)*                  5                                4

2017 (12-2)*                  8                                3

2016 (11-2)*                  3                                3

2015 (11-2)*                19                               5

2014 (8-5)                      3                               NR

2013 (11-2)                   4                               15

2012 (10-3)*                 4                               15

2011 (12-2)                   1                                15

2010 (12-2)*                 8                                 6

2009 (8-5)                     3                                NR

2008 (12-2)*                4                                  5

2007 (11-3)*                8                                  8

2006 (11-3)*                5                                 11

2005 (8-4)                    5                                 22

2004 (12-1)*               2                                   3

2003 (12-2)                1                                    3

2002 (12-2)*              3                                    5

2001 (11-2)                3                                    6

2000 (13-0)**          20                                   1

*Big 12 champions

**National champions