When the AP released their initial Top 25 on Sunday there really weren’t any surprises. The top four teams were exactly the same as in the Coaches Poll with Alabama and Clemson taking the top two spots followed by Oklahoma and Florida State. Now that both of the major polls have released, I believe that there are two quick things that should get the attention of Oklahoma fans.
First, everyone pretty much feels the same about the Sooners. Expectations are high this season…very high. If Mike Stoops can provide solid answers to a couple of legitimate questions on defense then this could be the best Oklahoma team that Bob Stoops has fielded since 2008. It’s not just the fans who think highly of the crimson and cream, the coaches and media all have them in the running for a playoff spot. Should OU live up to the hype then the trickle down affect could be enormous because…
- Baker Mayfield will be a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate with a trip to New York City included.
- Recruiting will continue to boom for 2017 and beyond
- Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon will strongly consider returning for one more season
- Lincoln Riley will be come one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the country. (For the record, I called him as the next head coach of Texas Tech last fall
Success always breeds success and with that will come the highest of expectations. Falling into a trap game in Ft. Worth or Morgantown could catastrophically derail an Oklahoma momentum train that is gaining a lot of momentum.
Second, there’s no room for error in Norman. The Sooners were still able to make the playoffs after an embarrassing loss to Texas last October. That may not be possible to repeat in 2016 where any loss could put OU on the outside looking in.
The Sooners are in good position right now at #3 but right over their shoulder is Florida State, Ohio State, and Michigan. Fighting for that #4 seed in the playoff is going to be a classic knock-down/drag-out free-for-all brawl, and that doesn’t even take into account a dark horse team like TCU, Notre Dame, or Michigan State who could possibly sneak in there. This is most definitely a year where it’s better to stay the course by winning the games you should (all of them) and stay ahead of the curve then to make the playoffs by fighting your way in the back door.
AP Top 25
| 1 |  |
Alabama (33)
SEC
Record: 14-1
|
PV Rank
1 Points
1,469 |
| 2 |  |
Clemson (16)
ACC
Record: 14-1
|
2
1,443
|
| 3 |  |
Oklahoma (4)
Big 12
Record: 11-2
|
5
1,352
|
| 4 |  |
Florida State (5)
ACC
Record: 10-3
|
14
1,325
|
| 5 |  |
LSU (1)
SEC
Record: 9-3
|
16
1,269
|
| 6 |  |
Ohio State (1)
Big Ten
Record: 12-1
|
4
1,224
|
| 7 |  |
Michigan (1)
Big Ten
Record: 10-3
|
12
1,147
|
| 8 |  |
Stanford
Pac-12
Record: 12-2
|
3
1,029
|
| 9 |  |
Tennessee
SEC
Record: 9-4
|
22
1,021
|
| 10 |  |
Notre Dame
Division I FBS Independents
Record: 10-3
|
11
1,006
|
| 11 |  |
Mississippi
SEC
Record: 10-3
|
10
718
|
| 12 |  |
Michigan State
Big Ten
Record: 12-2
|
6
710
|
| 13 |  |
TCU
Big 12
Record: 11-2
|
7
707
|
| 14 |  |
Washington
Pac-12
Record: 7-6
|
–
651
|
| 15 |  |
Houston
The American
Record: 13-1
|
8
644
|
| 16 |  |
UCLA
Pac-12
Record: 8-5
|
–
496
|
| 17 |  |
Iowa
Big Ten
Record: 12-2
|
9
484
|
| 18 |  |
Georgia
SEC
Record: 10-3
|
–
448
|
| 19 |  |
Louisville
ACC
Record: 8-5
|
–
447
|
| 20 |  |
USC
Pac-12
Record: 8-6
|
–
344
|
| 21 |  |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
Record: 10-3
|
20
316
|
| 22 |  |
North Carolina
ACC
Record: 11-3
|
15
283
|
| 23 |  |
Baylor
Big 12
Record: 10-3
|
13
280
|
| 24 |  |
Oregon
Pac-12
Record: 9-4
|
19
218
|
| 25 |  |
Florida
SEC
Record: 10-4
|
25
180
|