Oklahoma Sooners at No. 20 in preseason AP Top 25
Less than three weeks from the start of the 2023 college football season, we have both preseason polls.
The Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 19 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. They’re in a similar spot in the preseason AP Top 25, coming in at No. 20.
After a 6-7 season, one could argue they should be lower, but that goes to show the respect the coaches and the Associated Press have for the University of Oklahoma and its coaching staff.
There’s a belief Brent Venables and his staff will put together a much better season in 2023, and that’s reflected in having the Sooners inside the top 25. Will they get back into Big 12 title contention? That remains to be seen, but they’ll be a much better this year because they’ll have a much better defense.
Here’s a look at the AP Top 25
Iowa Hawkeyes
Points: 131
If the Hawkeyes can find an improved offense to go with their defense, they could be a threat in the Big Ten West. If they don’t, will Kirk Ferentz make a change at offensive coordinator?
Tulane Green Wave
Points: 224
Tulane ended the season with a huge boost in a come from behind win over USC. It was an epic finish and one the Green Wave and quarterback Michael Pratt can use to propel themselves to another strong season.
Texas A&M Aggies
Points: 227
There’s optimism the Aggies can take the next step as Jimbo Fisher’s recruiting classes start to come together. Texas A&M is following the same path as Texas. But will the Aggies every truly arrive?
Ole Miss Rebels
Points: 281
It wasn’t the ending the Rebels would have liked in 2022. They lost five of their last six. But with the return of Jaxson Dart and the additions of some prolific wide receivers, the Rebels offense could help them make noise in the SEC West.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Points: 292
Anytime you have one of the best quarterback prospects in college football, you have a chance to win and win big. That’s what Mack Brown and the Tar Heels are banking on with Drake Maye.
Oklahoma Sooners
Points: 296
It’ll all come down to defense for the Oklahoma Sooners. If the defense can take a significant jump in 2023, the Sooners will be back in Big 12 and College Football Playoff contention this season.
Wisconsin Badgers
Points: 386
The Badgers are hoping to merge their historically great run game with a more open passing attack. Tanner Mordecai was prolific at SMU. Can he help take the Wisconsin offense to the next level?
Oregon State Beavers
Points: 406
Oregon State might be one of the more underrated teams in the country. Yes, it suffered three losses a year ago, but the ones to Washington and USC came by a combined seven points. The Beavers knocked off the Ducks in a huge upset in 2022. Watch out for Oregon State.
TCU Horned Frogs
Points: 416
It was an historic season that would have made Gary Patterson and Dennis Franchione proud. The two coaches were instrumental in helping the Horned Frogs become part of the national conversation. Patterson helped TCU get into the Big 12 after years of success in Conference USA and the Mountain West.
Sonny Dykes picked up the torch and took it to another level, helping the Frogs get to the College Football Playoff championship game in his first season at the helm. Can he replicate that success with so many losses on the offensive side of the ball?
Kansas State Wildcats
Points: 501
The defending Big 12 champions are going to be a problem in the conference in 2023 and beyond. They’re well coached and are recruiting well. In 2023, they have one of the best, and more underrated quarterbacks in the conference, Will Howard. With as much buzz as Texas and Oklahoma are getting, the Wildcats are going to fly under the radar back into the Big 12 title game.
Oregon Ducks
Points: 732
The Oregon Ducks received an inspired performance from Bo Nix after transferring in from Auburn. He put himself in the Heisman race and gave the Ducks offense a boost as both a passer and a runner. If he can take another step in his progression, the Ducks will be a contender in a top-heavy Pac-12.
Utah Utes
Points: 811
The Utah Utes played spoiler to Lincoln Riley’s first season at USC, knocking off the Trojans twice, including in the Pac-12 championship. The two-time defending champions are hoping to take one more conference title before making the move to the Big 12 in 2024.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Points: 863
The Fighting Irish had a strong year in Marcus Freemans’ first in South Bend. They started 0-2, but went 9-2 over their final 11 with wins over North Carolina, BYU, Clemson and South Carolina. With Sam Hartman in the fold, the Irish are a legit playoff contender.
Tennessee Volunteers
Points: 868
Josh Huepel helped resurrect a Volunteers program left for dead in the Jeremy Pruitt tenure. He has created an explosive offense that can compete with the best in the SEC. Can they take the next step and make the conference title game? They have to get by Georgia to do so.
Texas Longhorns
Points: 882
The hype for the Texas Longhorns is so high it will be seen as an utter failure if they don’t win the Big 12 this year. Can Steve Sarkisian, Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns meet expectations?
Washington Huskies
Points: 977
Outside of the USC Trojans, the Washington Huskies are the buzziest team in the Pac-12 this preseason. The return of Michael Penix helps move the needle, but they can’t afford upset losses like they had a year ago to UCLA and Arizona State.
Clemson Tigers
Points: 1,032
The Clemson Tigers suffered a pair of upset losses in 2022 to Notre Dame and South Carolina. If they can avoid the pitfalls in 2023, they could be back in playoff contention. They’ll have to deal with a team that’s on the come up, the Florida State Seminoles.
Florida State Seminoles
Points: 1,147
The Florida State Seminoles look like a team that could break through and make the College Football Playoff this year. They have tough matchups on the schedule like LSU and Clemson in the first month and with Florida at the end of the year. If they can win the ACC with just one loss, they’ll be a playoff team.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Points: 1,177
The Nittany Lions are one of the best teams in college football year in and year out. The problem is they haven’t been able to solve the Michigan and Ohio State problem consistently. With one of the best offensive lines in the game, they’ll be a Big Ten East contender again in 2023.
USC Trojans
Points: 1245
USC will be one of the favorites to make the College Football Playoff because they have the best player in the game, Caleb Williams. Williams has a chance to win back-to-back Heismans in 2023, something that hasn’t been done in nearly 50 years.
LSU Tigers
Points: 1,276
With a strong defense and one of the better quarterbacks in the country, Jayden Daniels, the LSU Tigers are a threat in the SEC. They have a tough schedule, which features Florida State and a game at Alabama. But both games are winnable for the Tigers, who may be on the cusp of returning to the playoffs for the first time since their magical run in 2019.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Points: 1,398
The Alabama Crimson Tide are in unfamiliar territory. They’ve been a fixture in the College Football Playoff and national championship game for much of the playoff’s existence. Working through a quarterback battle in fall camp, can Nick Saban and the Tide return to the top of the college football landscape in 2023?
Ohio State Buckeyes
Points: 1,400
First Place Votes: 1
Despite the loss of CJ Stroud, there’s a lot of optimism for the Buckeyes to stay in the mix this season. They have a good defense and one of the best assortments of offensive weaponry in the nation.
Michigan Wolverines
Points: 1,490
First Place Votes: 2
The Michigan Wolverines are looking to rebound from their upset loss to TCU in the College Football Playoff to be a legit contender to Georgia’s crown. The return of J.J. McCarthy and a strong offensive line gives the Wolverines a chance to return to title contention in 2023.
Georgia Bulldogs
Points: 1,572
First Place Votes: 60
For two years, the Georgia Bulldogs have dominated the college football landscape. A roster buoyed by blue chip talent has put Kirby Smart ahead of the pack. They lose Stetson Bennett, the quarterback of their back-to-back national championship teams, but bring back a top-five player in the game in Brock Bowers.
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