NORMAN — For the 15th time in the last 17 years, the Oklahoma football team is ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 10. The AP released its preseason top 25 Monday morning and OU is ranked No. 7.
Full Preseason AP Poll
The Sooners, who are coming off a second straight Big 12 title and a Sugar Bowl victory, accumulated 1,170 points in the poll. Alabama is ranked No. 1 (1,513 points, 52 first-place votes), Ohio State, which OU visits on Sept. 9, is No. 2 (1,414; three), Florida State is No. 3 (1,396; four), USC is No. 4 (1,325; two), defending national champion Clemson is No. 5 (1,201) and Penn State is No. 6 (1,196).
This marks the 18th straight year that OU has appeared in the preseason AP Top 25, which is the second longest current string behind Ohio State (29).
This also represents the 59th time that Oklahoma has appeared in the preseason AP poll, second most behind Ohio State (64 times). OU's all-time average preseason AP rank is 6.7, best in the nation (Michigan is second at 7.4).
Additionally, of its 59 appearances in the AP preseason poll, 41 have seen OU ranked seventh or higher.
The Sooners are one of five Big 12 teams in this year's preseason AP poll. Oklahoma State is ranked No. 10, while Kansas State is No. 20, West Virginia No. 22 and Texas No. 23. TCU is the top team among those receiving votes with 98 points.
Oklahoma was the preseason pick to win the Big 12 Conference by the media and boasts five players on the 2017 Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
Leading the way was senior quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was chosen as the Offensive Player of the Year. He was joined by junior tight end Mark Andrews and junior tackle Orlando Brown on the offense. On the other side of the ball, OU was represented by senior cornerback Jordan Thomas and senior linebacker/defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
OU opens the 2017 season by hosting UTEP on Sept. 2 at 2:30 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
