Oklahoma football ranked in top-20 of ESPN’s post-spring power rankings

The first day of Oklahoma’s 2024 season is a little over a hundred days away. However, before the Sooners play their first SEC season, it is never too early to assess where they fit into the national scene.

In 102 days, Oklahoma will play its first official SEC game when it hosts Temple on August 30 at Owen Field on a rare Friday night to begin the 2024 season. It is peak prediction season for college football, with spring practices behind us and fall camp still two months or more away. In light of this, ESPN unveiled its post-spring top-25 power rankings for the forthcoming campaign on Monday.

The rankings consider movement from the spring transfer portal window in addition to improvements from spring practice. So where did the Sooners stand in the most recent ESPN power rankings?According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, who included Oklahoma as one of eight SEC teams in his post-spring power rankings, Brent Venables and Team 130 were solidly in the top-20.

The Sooners entered the rankings at No. 18, trailing seven other SEC clubs and just ahead of old Bedlam rival Oklahoma State at No. 19. Schlabach’s assessment of OU following its third spring under Venables’ direction is as follows:

“In coach Brent Venables’ second season, the Sooners improved by four wins, and programs usually improve even more in Year 3. The sole issue is that the schedule is quite daunting as it is also the first year in the SEC. After Gabriel left for Oregon, former North Texas coach Seth Littrell took over as the playcaller, giving the offensive a new look. Jackson Arnold, the quarterback, had a strong spring and appears to be a future standout.Deion Burks, a Purdue transfer, caught five passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns during the spring game. The No. 1 offensive line, which needs to replace all five starters, was working with transfers Michael Tarquin (USC) and Febechi Nwaiwu (North Texas). In the spring portal opening, OU included SMU center Branson Hickman. The Sooners might be competitive once more, but they’ll have one of the hardest schedules in the FBS with home games against Tennessee, Texas (in Dallas), Alabama, and Auburn, and road games at Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU.”

All-America linebacker Danny Stutsman and All-Big 12 safety Billy Bowman Jr. are among the major defensive players returning for Oklahoma, which also signed TCU transfer defensive lineman Damonic Williams to cover a line need during the spring transfer portal period. The biggest unanswered question is the condition of a rebuilt offensive line, but with Arnold at the controls and Burks leading a deep arsenal of skill players, including running back Gavin Sawchuk, transfer tight end Bauer Sharp, and freshman All-America wide receiver Nic Anderson, the offense should be in good shape.

Six of the teams on Oklahoma’s first SEC schedule are placed in the top-15 of ESPN’s post-spring power rankings: No. 3 Texas, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Missouri, No. 14 LSU, and No. 15 Tennessee. This speaks to Schlabach’s argument on the challenging schedule Oklahoma has in its first SEC season.

There are six contests total: three are real road games, two are in Norman, and one is the Red River Rivalry, which will play on a neutral field. Oklahoma’s SEC schedule is as follows: on September 21, they play Tennessee at home, on October 7, they play Texas in the Cotton Bowl, and on November 23, the week before Thanksgiving, they host Alabama. The Sooners will visit Missouri on November 9, Ole Miss on October 26, and Death Valley to play LSU in the regular-season finale on November 30.

Oklahoma, in its second season under Venables, is coming off a 10-win campaign, and most sports bookmakers have them slated for 7.5 wins overall.

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