Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners ranked No. 13 in Athlon Sports’ 1-131 NCAA Football rankings
Athlon Sports activities not too long ago ranked each single FBS staff from the lowly UMass Minutemen to the dominant Alabama Crimson Tide. We’re in peak “preview journal” season, and Athlon Sports activities has put collectively fairly the record for us to undergo.
As they put it, these rankings are what they assume issues will appear to be on the finish of the season, so sure, in line with Athlon, Alabama is due for yet one more nationwide championship.
Yay.
The Sooners test in at No. 13. Whereas Steven Lassan could be very honest in his analysis of Oklahoma, 13 does appear a bit low.
The Sooners did lose loads of necessary items within the offseason, which is the main focus of the start of Lassan’s blurb.
The Sooners’ offseason might merely be described in a single phrase: Change. Brent Venables takes over as head coach after Lincoln Riley left for USC, and this system additionally skilled its share of roster turnover with simply 9 returning starters in place for ’22. Dropping Caleb Williams (USC) and Spencer Rattler (South Carolina) was a setback for the quarterback room, however Venables and new play-caller Jeff Lebby solved their issues underneath middle by bringing in UCF switch Dillon Gabriel. The Hawaii native performed underneath Lebby in Orlando in ’19 and may discover a seamless match once more in Norman. Main rusher Kennedy Brooks and three of the highest 4 receivers from final season have departed. – Lassan, Athlon Sports activities
A typical theme in lots of of those season preview articles is asking if Brent Venables is actually head coach materials. Not so right here. Lassan praises Venables’ defensive thoughts and expects large enchancment from OU’s protection.
There are some things that OU followers aren’t going to love.
Firstly, they aren’t the best Huge 12 staff; Baylor is. Additionally, USC is within the prime ten. Whereas the Trojans ought to see a bounce from the abysmal 4-8 report that they had in 2021, No. 9 within the nation forward of Oregon (No. 10) is not sensible.
Lassan thinks that the Huge 12 is missing a transparent favourite. As of now, that’s true. Nonetheless, we’ll know extra after the Sooners’ week three matchup at Nebraska. After final 12 months’s irritating sport in opposition to the Cornhuskers, Brent Venables can have a chance to point out that the Sooners are in the suitable fingers.
Record
Up to date take a look at the place the Sooners stand amongst Huge 12 groups in 247Sports staff recruiting rankings
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