All Sooners

Oklahoma Lands in Preseason AP Poll

The start of the 2024 college football season is around the corner as the Preseason AP Top 25 was published on Monday.

Ryan Chapman

Oklahoma's Nic Anderson (4) celebrates his touchdown with Gavin Sawchuk (27) lin the first half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Central Florida Knights at Gaylord Family Oklahoma-Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct., 21, 2023.
Oklahoma's Nic Anderson (4) celebrates his touchdown with Gavin Sawchuk (27) lin the first half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Central Florida Knights at Gaylord Family Oklahoma-Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct., 21, 2023. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The AP Poll dropped on Monday with Week 0 games preparing to mark the return of college football next weekend. 

Brent Venables’ Oklahoma Sooners debuted at No. 16, which was eighth in the SEC.

"As competitors, as a football program, you know, Oklahoma isn't intimidated as a football program," Venables said in July. "We're running towards the SEC. I think that goes without saying. We've looked forward for the last several years for this partnership, to be a part of an amazing conference, the best conference in college football.”

This year's start was an improvement on last year, when the Sooners started at No. 20 after going 6-7 in Venables' inaugural season. Last year, OU finished with a 10-3 record and brings back 15 returning starters.

Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, Missouri, LSU and Tennessee are OU’s conference foes that are ranked in front of the Sooners to start this year's AP Top 25. 

Oklahoma won’t meet Kirby Smart’s top-ranked Bulldogs in the regular season, but Venables’ squad will take on every other SEC opponent ranked above them. 

The Sooners open their tenure in the Southeastern Conference by hosting No. 15 Tennessee in Norman on Sept. 21. 

OU’s yearly war with No. 4 Texas will occur in the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 12, and two games later the Sooners will travel to Oxford, MS, to meet Lane Kiffin’s No. 6-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. 

A familiar face in No. 11 Missouri will host the Sooners on Nov. 9, representing the first meeting between the two schools on the football field since the Tigers departed the Big 12 over a decade ago.

The Sooners will then close the year with back-to-back matchups against No. 5 Alabama in Norman and No. 13 LSU in Baton Rouge. 

Texas A&M was the SEC’s ninth representative in the poll, landing at No. 20.

Florida is the only other SEC team that plays six opponents in the AP’s preseason top 15 (one of them is a non-conference squad).

Ohio State was ranked second and the Dillon Gabriel-led Oregon Ducks debuted at No. 3, rounding out the top five. 

Oklahoma State was the Big 12's second-highest ranked team, as the Cowboys came in right after the Sooners at No. 17.

Lincoln Riley's USC Trojans will start the season at No. 23 in the AP Poll.

Last week, the Coaches Poll was released ahead of the 2024 season. Oklahoma checked in at No. 16, also trailing seven SEC schools. 

The Sooners garnered 566 points in the AP Poll. Oklahoma’s streak of 25 appearances in the preseason AP Top 25 is the second-longest current string behind Ohio State (36). It also represents the 66th time that Oklahoma has appeared in the preseason AP poll, second most behind the Buckeyes (71 times). OU's all-time average preseason AP rank is 6.9, best in the nation (Alabama is second at 7.1).

Additionally, of its 67 appearances in the AP preseason poll, Oklahoma has been ranked 20th or higher 64 times. That has occurred in each of the last 25 preseason polls.

Venables isn’t daunted by the challenge that lies ahead in OU’s new league. 

“Really excited about our football team,” Venables said last month at SEC Media Days. “We've got a great blend of both experience — I believe we have, give or take, around 24 players that are going on their third or more a year as a starter in college football. And we also have this amazing foundation of youth. We have 52 scholarship players that are either a freshman or sophomore going into this year." 

Before diving into the SEC grind, the Sooners must first take care of business in non-conference play. 

OU will open the 2024 campaign in Norman on Aug. 30 against Temple. Then Oklahoma will Houston on Sept. 7 where the Sooners will sport throwback uniforms honoring the Bud Wilkinson era before Tulane travels to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Sept. 14. 

The final non-conference game against Maine will open the Sooners’ November slate, and it is sandwiched between OU’s trips to Ole Miss and Missouri. 

OU Media Relations contributed to this report.

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Ryan Chapman

RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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