SEC preseason disrespect hands Oklahoma the bulletin-board material Brent Venables expected

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables just got some more lists to screenshot and remind his team of going into the 2026 college football season.

All of the anticipated preseason SEC lists were finally revealed with SEC Media Days over after a long week in Tampa, Florida. Media at the event voted on conference standing predictions and the preseason All-SEC teams, and what they believe was released on Friday.

The Sooners came in at No. 7 in the SEC Preseason Media Poll, meaning that's where the media expects Oklahoma to finish despite returning loads of talent after making the College Football Playoff and going 10-3 a year ago. OU was behind Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama. The Sooners will play everyone but LSU and Bama ahead of them on the list.

OU had 10 players appear on the 2026 Preseason Media Days All-SEC Team, but only two were on the First Team, neither of whom came from Venables' elite defense. First-Team honorees included long snapper Ben Anderson and kicker Tate Sandell, who was the best kicker in college football in 2025 as the Lou Groza Award winner.

The Second Team included linebacker Kip Lewis, punter Grayson Miller, wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III, safety Peyton Bowen, defensive end Taylor Wein, cornerback Eli Bowen, defensive tackle David Stone and offensive lineman Michael Fasusi.

SEC media just gave Sooners the perfect fuel for another CFP push

The Sooners had one of the best defenses in the country last season and should again in 2026 thanks to a starting unit that will likely be built by homegrown players who have spent their entire careers in Venables' system.

That familiarity and talent should have made for some obvious First-Team choices from OU's defense. How would the best defense in the conference also not have at least a few of the best players?

Wein was Second-Team All-SEC last season after leading the Sooners with 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks as part of one of the most dangerous pass rushes in college football. Lewis will be the heart of OU's defense in 2026 after returning for another season instead of heading to the NFL. He led the Sooners with 76 total tackles last year. Stone is already emerging as a first-round prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Read more: Brent Venables is trying to recreate Oklahoma's defensive blueprint on offense

Unlike a lot of coaches in the SEC, Venables has never been one to whine and complain about what others say or think, including the CFP selection committee. However, he's not afraid to use something as bulletin-board material to motivate his team to get to where he wants them.

Even before these lists were released, Venables already anticipated the Sooners wouldn't have high expectations despite what they accomplished in 2025 and explained on Monday how he can use that to his advantage.

"Yeah, I screenshot the lists and stuff like that," Venables said. "Sometimes you use it, sometimes you don't. We're at the bottom of most lists. I don't know what lists are out there, but most of them.

"Listen, we focus on things that we can control. Do you ever use that as a motivation for a guy to maybe humble a guy? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, this is a game of performance, this is a game that's about the work, and this is a game where it's decided on the field."

Now, it's time for the Sooners to perform and decide things on the field.

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