Sooners start at 4 in coaches poll
- Thread starter Soonerborn1959
- Start date
With a rebuilt offensive line and a defensive culture needing time to be developed, a number 4 ranking is generous.....at least on August 1st.
I agree to this in some ways. In theory these rankings are more about last years results than anything else. I don’t really worry to much about the rankings till late October as things start to work themselves out.
I think we've benefitted from strong early rankings in recent memory due to as much from "well who else would you put ahead of them". With consistent QB and OL play, despite the defensive woes, we've still managed to be be pretty much better than all but a handful or programs.
After Clemson and Bama, does it really matter much who's is 3-8ish?
Totally agree.
Once again it appears that pre-season rankings shadow the previous season's performance in an effort to sell or clickbait something.
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And these premature rankings tell me that the guys putting them out aren't "doing their homework".
Don't look a gift horse in the ***. If we turn out to be really good, where we started in the rankings will matter.
Given the shaky wheels in Big 12...and only Shorthorns and Clones ranked....we will need perfection. Cheers to Grinch holding the opponents to under 25 points per game.
This year the only obvious ranking spot was Clemson.....
Bama was curb stomped by Clemson so putting Bama at two is questionable.
Georgia was curbstomped by TexASS so putting Georgia at three is questionable....
tOSU has to replace a very good QB and is influx otherwise so they are greatly unknown....
LSU with a Big 10 QB may or may not be good but moving them up that much requires faith in Coach O, which is ???
Michigan , is a preseason hope that never seems to materialize.....
I think this preseason ranking of OU is fair , but the whole preseason thing will be greatly changed by week 4....
Exactly. A fifth straight CC is definitely possible, and with a lucky bounce here or there, and high ranking like we've been given, we might make it back to the playoff.
Which team ranked behind OU do you think is more deserving? I see a bunch of teams with some talent but major questions as well. I see a bunch of teams who have not won their conferences for the past several years or made it to the final four. I recognize this is a new year, but a program with recent experience in winning conference championships and playing in the playoffs should get more attention than teams which continue to say they are back but ultimately under perform (e.g. Texas).
We know this regardless of where your start the season, the year will will identify which teams are deserving. No big deal. OU has a chance to earn their preseason ranking, or prove to be better, or worse. WTF does it matter? This does not even get into schedules for each team as well as the strength of their conference. I know it is a helluva lot easier to get in ge playoffs and win a championship starting at #4 than a position much lower. I also know I am not scared, embarrassed, or questioning being ranked #4 to start the year. We will find out, regardless I am ride or die with OU. Boomer - - - - - - - Sooner!
You make some good points but In the end these pre-season polls go a long ways towards putting teams in the lime light. Bama and the SEC has benefitted from these more than anyone else in the country. Even the committee has fallen into the “SEC is God conference” syndrome.
In regard to Bama -yes they got the **** beat out of them by Clemson but until someone keeps them out of the playoffs or getting to the championship game they are the most deserving to start at 2.
As for our Sooners I like where they are starting but the only thing I really care about is where they end up in the rankings.
No reason to be "scared" or "embarrassed " about a preseason ranking.
I have no idea about how deserving any team should be in the preseason and I'm not thinking about it right now.
As for OU I am concerned about the poor defense, one that lost its best two defenders in Bolton and Bledsoe and rebuilding the offensive line.
Beating Texas, OSU, West Virginia and a decent out-of-conference team in the regular season and winning the Big 12 title won't achieve a national championship until OU can field a defense to compete with the likes of Clemson and Alabama.
20 seasons and counting........
Bledsoe and Bolton were the two best departing defenders is what I meant. They will be hard to replace.
Bolton's fumble recovering for a touchdown was the difference vs West Virginia, his 23 tackles vs Army were huge as were his ten tackles vs Texas in December.
Geezus. You were probably saying 14 years and counting in 1999, huh? And I am not sure I understand your position on worrying about losing two defenders from OU’s defense? That does not reconcile and seems to be hypocritical.
Two of OU's better defenders are gone and this may be a problem as far as depth goes, especially from a defensive unit that wasn't championship worthy to begin with.
Just an observation....not complicated.
The season opener against Houston's offense will likely reveal a lot about OU's defense.
I would contend that a 28 point beatdown in your last game should mean that you can’t be rated in the top ten next year . I would apply this standard to Oklahoma as well as Bama. I feel espin promotes this “ Bama is always the best” narrative. Georgia is on a two game losing streak and was curb stomped by LSU and TexASS last season which have them at 3 losses last season that should not translate to a #3 ranking.
My point was that the above should not be #2 and #3 , based on results January of this year.
I agree with your point that early preseason high rankings artificially boost the SE.c conference ranking and FPI.
As far as OU, any top 4 preseason rating is a very good positioning for playoff consideration.
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Known Commodities: Georgia is most overrated and Utah is most underrated. Unknown Commodities: OU is most overrated and OU is most underrated.
Ohio State is also breaking in a new QB and LSU remains to be seen if they can come up with an offense. #4 seems high but looks like there wasn't much to choose from after 1 through 3.
Nah not really, I am in the majority failing to reach the higher level thinking where you reside.
On the flip side and I know this isn’t a shared opinion but the opener will also tell us a lot about JH guiding this offense. Personally I am taking the wait and see approach in this regard.
Agree....and it will reveal how well the offensive line has been rebuilt.
There will be some growing pains... and team chemistry to build as well. But I see the offense & defense improving as the season continues to play out.