Oklahoma State Got Just Eight AP Votes—Look How Far They've Already Come
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Oklahoma State isn't ranked. Let's get that out of the way first.
The Cowboys received just eight votes in the preseason AP Top 25, effectively putting them at No. 34 nationally.
Eight votes isn't a lot. It doesn't put a number next to Oklahoma State's name.
It doesn't make Eric Morris' first season a success before he's coached a game.
But look a little deeper. Only seven Big 12 teams landed ahead of Oklahoma State in the preseason voting.
That effectively puts the Cowboys eighth in the conference. Top half of the Big 12.
After going 1-11. Now that gets my attention.
Because Oklahoma State hasn't played a single game under Morris yet, and national perception of this program has already changed dramatically.
Eight Votes Isn't the Story
If we're simply looking at the number, there's not much to discuss.
Eight AP votes. Cool.
Nobody is throwing a parade in Stillwater over that. But preseason polls are ultimately an exercise in perception, and that's what makes Oklahoma State's placement interesting.
Think about how this program looked when last season ended.
One win. A coaching change. A roster requiring a massive overhaul.
Plenty of uncertainty about how quickly Oklahoma State could become competitive again.
Fast-forward one offseason, and AP voters aren't treating the Cowboys like a team destined to spend another season at the bottom of the Big 12.
They're already receiving Top 25 votes. That's significant.
Oklahoma State Is Effectively Eighth in the Big 12
This is the part I care about most. Four Big 12 programs made the preseason AP Top 25: Texas Tech at No. 12, BYU at No. 14, Utah at No. 21 and Houston at No. 23.
Others received enough votes to land ahead of Oklahoma State. But once you work through the expanded voting order, OSU comes out eighth among Big 12 programs.
That puts the Cowboys in the top half of the conference before Morris has coached a game.
Again: They went 1-11 last season. That's a pretty remarkable shift.
People Outside Stillwater Are Starting to Notice
The AP poll isn't an isolated example. We've already talked about Joel Klatt putting Oklahoma State at No. 25 in his preseason rankings. That's considerably more aggressive than the AP voters were.
ESPN's SP+ has also projected Oklahoma State to make one of the country's most dramatic improvements.
Different analysts. Different methodologies. Different expectations.
But the general theme keeps popping up: Don't assume Oklahoma State will resemble last year's team.
That's probably the biggest compliment Morris could receive before ever coaching a game.
Joel Klatt Went All the Way to No. 25
Klatt's ranking remains one of the strongest examples. He looked at 1-11 and essentially threw it out.
Why? Because the personnel responsible for this season is so dramatically different.
Morris coached the nation's No. 1 scoring offense at North Texas.
His quarterback followed him. A massive collection of transfers arrived.
Klatt sees enough upside to put Oklahoma State directly into his Top 25.
The AP voters aren't there. But eight votes tell us at least some of them are considering the same possibility.
This Is the New Reality of College Football
Carter Stanley made this point when we wrote about his expectations for OSU.
Rebuilds don't necessarily take three or four years anymore. The transfer portal has changed that.
Find the right coach. Bring in players who fit. Retain whatever pieces you want from the previous roster.
Suddenly you can look dramatically different within months. We've seen other programs do it.
Oklahoma State is trying to become the next example. Morris didn't inherit a roster and slowly begin reshaping it. He attacked the portal and essentially constructed the team he wanted immediately. Now we find out whether it worked.
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
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos