Sooners eye fourth straight Big 12 crown
Oklahoma has quietly become the gold standard of excellence in college football.
Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State are the only teams with better overall records than the Sooners since 2015. Along the way, the program has won three consecutive Big 12 championships, tying Clemson as the only teams in a Power 5 conference to win three straight league titles.
There’s enough talent present to remain a College Football Playoff semifinal contender, which is why Oklahoma is No. 6 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings. Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team. Today at No. 6: Oklahoma Coach: Lincoln Riley (12-2, entering second season; 12-2 overall) 2017 record: 12-2, 8-1 in Big 12 Conference, first overall Look back: Bob Stoops’ retirement as Oklahoma coach last July was as surprising as it was sudden. But Lincoln Riley’s ascension went as smoothly as one could hope, with the Sooners capturing their third consecutive Big 12 title while qualifying for the College Football Playoff semifinals for the second time in the past three seasons. Offensive starters returning: 6 Offensive starters lost: 5 Defensive starters returning: 6
Defensive starters lost: 5 Key losses: QB Baker
Mayfield, FB Dimitri Flowers, OL Orlando Brown, OL Erick Wren, TE Mark Andrews, LB Emmanueal Beal, DB Will Johnson, LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DB Steven Parker, DE D.J. Ward
Top returnees: RB Rodney Anderson, WR Marquise Brown, OL Bobby Evans, WR CeeDee Lamb, OL Ben Powers, OL Dru Damia, DL Amani Bledsoe, LB Caleb Kelly, CB Parnell Motley, LB Kenneth Murray, DB Tre Norwood, DT Marquise Overton
Strengths: Tailback Rodney Anderson led the team with 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns despite only starting the final seven games of last season. He’ll be joined by sophomore Trey Sermon, who finished second on the team behind Anderson with 744 yards and five touchdowns.
The offensive line remains one of the Sooners’ strengths despite the loss of All-American tackle Orlando Brown and first-team allconference center Erick Wren. Bobby Evans and Ben Powers, who are two-year starters, return and are joined by veteran guard Dru Samia. Weaknesses: Feisty quarterback Baker Mayfield played three seasons for the Sooners, capping a stellar career by winning the Heisman Trophy last season. Mayfield’s exit leaves a huge vacuum at the position heading into 2018. Kyler Murray, who backed up Mayfield last year, and Austin Kendall are competing for the starting job.
Oklahoma must make up for the loss of six starters on defense, including AllAmerican linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (76 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss).
Outlook: The Sooners will be counting on new starters, but talented Oklahoma still could win its fourth consecutive conference championship for the first time since 1984-87 under Barry Switzer.