Where does OU land in ESPN's preseason power rankings?
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The 2026 college football season is just days away, and soon the Oklahoma Sooners will be in the full swing of the regular season once again. After a 10-3 season for head coach Brent Venables in 2025, internal expectations are high for this year.
ESPN writer Mark Schlabach released his preseason power rankings for the top 25 teams in the country. OU came in at No. 14, good for sixth-highest in the SEC. Unsurprisingly, Schlabach points to the Oklahoma run game as the thing to watch this season.
If the Sooners are going to return to the CFP for the second straight season, they'll need more from their running game to take pressure off of quarterback John Mateer. Mateer struggled after returning from a thumb injury and needs to limit his turnovers. Having an improved running game will help; the Sooners ranked 13th in the SEC in rushing with 118.5 yards per game in 2025. Early reports indicate the Sooners might use more 12 personnel (two tight ends) after hiring former Cowboys star Jason Witten to coach the position. Transfers Hayden Hansen (Florida), Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) and Rocky Beers (Colorado State) should also help. – Mark Schlabach, ESPN.
Venables has made it a point all offseason that the Sooners have to get better at running the football. That's shaped yet another rebuild of the tight end room, and Witten's group has a chance to finally break the cycle of poor tight end play (especially in the run-blocking department) that has plagued OU for the last three years.
A strong run game takes the pressure off of Mateer's shoulders, and a strong Mateer means a strong offense in Norman. A strong offense means a strong team, as Venables' defense is expected to be sound again in 2026. A strong Oklahoma team means that, even with a demanding schedule, the Sooners could be in prime position to have their most successful season yet under Venables' leadership.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Where does OU land in ESPN's preseason power rankings?
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