The Athletic Ranks Oklahoma No. 10, and the Big Question Still Remains
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The Athletic dropped its preseason rankings and has Oklahoma at No. 10.
That puts the Sooners right in line with where most of the national polls have them and keeps the same core question attached to the ranking.
“The defense should be strong again, but can the Sooners run the ball to help quarterback John Mateer?” — Chris Vannini stated in article.
That is the cleanest way to frame the whole preseason conversation around this team. The defense is expected to be excellent again under Brent Venables. The talent is there, the experience is there, and the identity on that side of the ball is clear.
The offense is the unknown. Specifically, the offensive line and the run game have to prove they can create a more physical brand of football and keep Mateer cleaner in the pocket.
People have heard positive things out of camp. None of it counts until it shows up in live games.
The No. 10 ranking itself is consistent with the broader national view. Oklahoma is No. 10 in the AP Poll and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll. After a softer seventh-place projection in the SEC media poll, the national side of the sport has mostly settled on the Sooners as a top-10 team. That feels more accurate given the returning production and the playoff appearance a year ago.
The Athletic’s top 10 reads:
- Indiana
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Miami
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- Oklahoma
In that ranking, Oklahoma is the fourth-highest SEC team, ahead of Ole Miss (12) and Texas A&M (13). The Sooners have two opponents ranked higher than them in Georgia and Texas.
Overall they are lined up to face five teams from The Athletic’s poll: Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Michigan.
The SEC as a whole landed eight teams in the ranking, another reminder of how little margin there is week to week in the league.
The placement is fair. It acknowledges the strength of the roster without ignoring the clearest concern. Mateer is healthy and capable of playing at a high level. The skill positions have talent. The defense should be one of the better units in the country. None of that fully matters if the offense cannot stay on schedule and finish drives.
Running the ball effectively would take pressure off Mateer, help the play-action game, and give the defense shorter fields. That has been the missing piece.
Preseason rankings are mostly about perception and projected ceilings. Oklahoma’s ceiling is high if the offensive line and run game take a step forward. The floor is lower if those areas look like last year again.
The Athletic is not saying anything controversial by pointing that out. It is simply identifying the variable that will decide whether the Sooners are a solid top-10 team or something more dangerous.
The ranking matches the moment. Strong defense. Questions on offense. Enough talent to belong in the conversation.
Now the games have to answer the only question that actually matters.
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