Oklahoma Sooners Ranked No. 10 in Preseason AP College Football Poll
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The preseason AP Poll is out, and the Oklahoma Sooners checked in at No. 10. It’s a solid ranking that puts them firmly in the top tier of the country and right in the middle of a stacked SEC group.
Oklahoma is the fifth-highest ranked team from the conference, sitting behind No. 3 Georgia, No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, and No. 9 Ole Miss.
The Coaches Poll had the Sooners one spot higher, with Oklahoma and Ole Miss essentially flip-flopped between the two major polls. Either way, the national media sees this team as a top-10 group heading into the season.
The schedule explains why that ranking comes with some built-in difficulty. Oklahoma faces six ranked teams this year: Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Michigan, and Missouri. That’s a brutal stretch of games that will define the season early and often.
A top-10 ranking looks nice in August, but those matchups will decide whether the Sooners stay there or have to climb back.
This is the second-highest preseason AP ranking of the Brent Venables era. The only higher one came in his first season, when Oklahoma opened at No. 9 and then finished 6-7 and unranked. That history is a useful reminder that preseason numbers don’t guarantee anything.
The 2026 group has more experience and a clearer identity than that first roster, but the ranking still has to be earned on the field.
The SEC as a whole landed nine teams in the Top 25, the most of any conference. That depth is both a badge of honor and a weekly problem. There aren’t many easy Saturdays, and the margin for error inside the league is thin.
College football gets started this weekend with Week 0 games. The first regular-season AP Poll drops on the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend, once Week 1 is in the books. Between now and then, the rankings are mostly about perception and résumé building. Once the games start, they become a lot more volatile.
For Oklahoma, No. 10 feels about right. It’s respectful of the returning talent and last year’s playoff appearance without pretending the questions on offense have already been answered. The defense should be strong again. John Mateer is healthy. The skill positions have playmakers. The offensive line and run game remain the biggest variables.
A top-10 ranking in August is a nice starting point. Keeping it — or improving on it — through a schedule that includes six ranked opponents will be the real test.
The Sooners have the pieces to do it. Now they have to go prove the voters right.
AP Preseason Top 25:
1. Ohio State (40)
2. Oregon (14)
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame (6)
5. Texas
6. Indiana (8)
7. Miami (1)
8. Texas A&M
9. Mississippi
10. Oklahoma
11. LSU
12. Texas Tech
13. Alabama
14. BYU
15. USC
16. Michigan
17. Washington
18. Penn State
19. SMU
20. Tennessee
21. Utah
22. Iowa
23. Houston
24. Louisville
25. Missouri
Parentheses indicate the number of first place votes.
Others receiving votes: Clemson 112, Florida 51, Boise State 43, Arizona 32, TCU 11, Navy 10, South Carolina 10, Illinois 9, Oklahoma State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Pittsburgh 7, Virginia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, UNLV 4, New Mexico 4, Georgia Tech 4, Louisiana 4, James Madison 3, Auburn 3, Memphis 2, California 2, Liberty 1, Western Michigan 1, Tulane 1, Virginia 1
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