Longtime Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops releases his preseason top five

Former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops has released his preseason top five teams in college football. Stoops’ rankings are a little bit different from the AP Preseason top 25. He is high on his former program, but he does not have them ranked in his top spot.

Stoops’ top five

1. Georgia
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. Texas A&M
5. Clemson

Georgia comes in at the top spot for Stoops. They are ranked fifth and received three first-place votes in the AP Preseason poll. Oklahoma comes in at number two, which is exactly where they sit in the AP poll. Alabama, the AP Preseason top team, comes in at the third spot for Stoops. Texas A&M, sixth in the AP poll, is ranked fourth by Stoops. Clemson, the third spot in the AP poll, comes in fifth for Stoops.

Stoops believes that Alabama, which is widely regarded as the nation’s top team following an undefeated, championship winning season, is going to feel all of the talent it lost over the offseason. This opened the door for Oklahoma and Georgia to take the top two spots in his rankings.

Stoops: Oklahoma is ready to make a jump

From 1999 to 2016, Stoops was Oklahoma’s head coach. He had a 190-48 career record, winning nine bowl games. Stoops was the Big 12 Coach of the Year six times. Despite his long history with the Sooners, Stoops elected to rank them second. He believes that quarterback Spencer Rattler can lead a talented offense to great places.

“Oklahoma’s got a chance,” Stoops said. “Spencer Rattler, their quarterback, just scratched the surface last year as a redshirt freshman. Missed spring ball, goes out and had a great year. I really believe in the talented receivers and experience that’s back there, and they added an electric guy in Mike Woods from Arkansas. That’s a big play type guy to go with that already explosive receiver group. They’re always going to be able to run the football. Everyone’s back on the o-line except the center. They’ve got two great running backs. Kennedy Brooks had been over a thousand-yard rusher before he took last season off. They got Eric Gray transferring in from Tennessee who’s a great, explosive player.

“But the big key I really believe is going to be the experience back on defense and the quality of players back on defense. Their d-line is actually going to be a strength. Big-time players and the added length and toughness and experience in the secondary I believe is going to help them really get over the hump. They’ve lost in the last four playoff games I believe. I believe we’re in a position at Oklahoma to make that jump this year.”

Great recruiting lands Georgia in Stoops’ top spot

JT Daniels showed that he is capable of being one of college football’s best quarterbacks in his limited action last season. That, paired with the immense talent on Georgia’s roster, led Stoops to rank them in his top spot.

“I believe Georgia, with JT Daniels back, they played so well once they named him the starter,” Stoops said. “He’s completed over 300 yards a game. They’re 4-0 since he took over, averaging near 40 points a game. That’s going to make a big difference. I also ready where they’ve got 19 former five-star recruits that are starting. Their recruiting the last three, four years, I think the last three years they were number one in the country, number three country, and number one in the country. So that’s a lot of talent to match teams like Alabama, Clemson, OU as well. I think Georgia would be one to be poised to do it all or have a chance to.”