Oklahoma Is Your Preseason No. 1?
Posted on: April 30, 2014
Image via Rant Sports
Not sure how I missed this, but apparently Tuesday afternoon The Sporting News sent out this tweet that also included the picture below:
Yes, you are seeing that right. Evidently, the mag considers Oklahoma to be your preseason No. 1. Maybe that doesn’t come as a surprise to some of you. I mean we’re all aware of the excitement surrounding the OU program right now. The win over Alabama, Trevor Knight’s performance, all the talent on defense, etc. All valid reasons to be excited, but preseason No. 1?
Now, look, you don’t need me to tell you how little stock you can put into the plethora of preseason rankings you’ll come across prior to the CFB season actually starting. You’ll get plenty of that from all the national pundits who will then also spend countless hours using said worthless preseason rankings to generate story ideas (much like I’m doing now – wink, wink).
And I say that because here you have one publication tabbing the Sooners as a preseason No. 1, while some other outfit puts out something equally just as useless.
In my own humble opinion, this is more about standing out from the rest of the pack than anything else. Which is not to say OU is incapable of proving to be the No. 1 team in the country, far from it. I’d like to consider myself as big an OU fan as there is, and I’m just as excited about the coming season as are all of you. It will make for a nice headline and a bit of a feather in the cap (I suppose, though should it be for a program like Oklahoma?) for the program, but at the end of the day it’s just one meaningless preseason ranking.
They can be fun to talk about, especially in late April, but as anyone inside the Switzer Center will tell you, ultimately what transpires on the field is all that really matters. Magazine covers are great and all, but they aren’t going to bring home #8.
40 Comments
Omgosh. Is that like a bad omen? I hope SI leaves us alone!! I can’t remember this much excitement in a number of years, but #1? Flattering, but as you said, meaningless at this point. Nice write Jordan. Fair and balanced is why I come here.
Appreciate you saying so.
As I was hitting ‘publish’ I thought to myself “this kind of post is probably why people think you’re always the Debbie Downer” 😉
Lol Debbie Downer does not equal fair and balanced. Just sayin.
I’ve tried to tell so many people that, but just can’t seem to shake this rep I’ve apparently earned.
Jordan, if I’ve learned anything about you the last few years, it’s that you are no Debbie Downer. However, I have sort of noticed that you fiercely suck at optimism.
haha, well played
Enduring things like the 2011 season will do that to you.
I don’t think you are a Downer, Jordan! But it will be hard to resist calling you Double D from now on though! LOL!
A little taken aback by this. Excited yes, but #1? Sorry but no. Even if I thought that was where they should be, I never under any circumstances want to start the season with something like that hanging over us.
No thanks SI. Take it back please.
It could be worse. At least it’s not the dreaded SI jinx.
Very true. But then, have they come out with their predictions yet?
Wow. I really just don’t understand. OU has tons of momentum right now but #1? If anybody deserves that moniker right now it’s FSU. They were clearly #1 last season and until someone knocks them off they should stay that way.
I can’t disagree Pitbull. Although, if their QB keeps messin around being stupid, who knows?
FSU’s QB Jameis Winston was given a “citation” for trying to shop-lift some crab legs from a Publix grocery store on Tuesday. He was suspended from the baseball team. Who knows if he’ll still be around come FB season. He would be GONE if he was @ OU.
http://www.tomahawknation.com/2014/4/30/5668004/jameis-winston-arrested-shoplifting-crab-legs-publix
Crab legs…
he may not have made it this far if he was at OU.
If he wanted free crabs he should have enrolled at Lubbock.
Hahaha!
True, I don’t get the motivation by this ranking. I’m not saying we couldn’t end up winning out in the playoffs, but we’re not at that level just yet. We had a good game against OSU and one great game against Alabama, but number one???
I just don’t see it.
Exactly, I do think this team has shot at being special, but we honestly don’t know if they are yet. Beating Bama doesn’t make you the number one team in the nation. I love my Sooners but I can’t allow myself to be a total homer.
Completely legit, OU #1. I say it all the time.
Boomer!
Ok Im not sure how much validity this has but just the fact that OU is being mentioned as the preseason #1 team is pretty amazing when you think of where we were one year ago. The program was down and pessimism reigned supreme. Really what an unexpected and amazing turn of events.
The concept is nice and appreciative but I just don’t like it at the same time. I see OU as still an team on the outside looking in with no respect. I like what we have read in the offseason about players wanting to step up and feeling hungry because they still don’t feel like they have reached the full potential and are still disrespected.
Polls are little more than bragging rights, I don’t get too excited about them. If OU is in the top 4 in November, then it means something.
Exactly. Now that’s something to get excited about: being in the top 4 at the end of the season.
…imo, overreaction to the sb game and hope the players don’t start reading and believing the preseason press
It shouldn’t hurt with recruiting. It might just help. You never know with 17/18 year olds.
I agree, we are improved but #1 no I don’t think so.
lmao
at the crab leg deal, not OU…:)
Preseason polls are one (little) thing, end of the year is what counts. That being said, a lil’ love is nice 🙂 IMO, top 5 yes, #1 not so much….
It’s flattering being number one, but it’s hard to take it seriously when you look at the rest of the list…Plus, it’s preseason.
Nice to get a little publicity, but it’s April……..#1 doesn’t mean anything until Early to Mid January. Nice cover though!
I personally like it; it makes no difference where we are — that OU defense is still going to make people hurt.
Some pre-season polls are how they see the teams preseason, and some preseason polls are how they see the teams finishing…..having not read the article, I wonder if this is more of the predicted finish. I could definately see those top four reach the playoffs, and once there anything can happen.
Boomer!
I like FSU, but look at their top 10 for a moment. Stanford, Auburn, South Carolina and Bama are going to be there trying to get in the F4. Just mho…….
They will always be numero uno in my heart.
Being picked so early conjures up some bad memories, like the last time we were the early pick(2011) and by the end of the season we had lost Dom to a broken leg, Broyles to a season ending knee injury and the embarrassing performance in Bedlam.
I would gladly carry #4 into the first round of the playoff.
One additional thought I have had recently is that with the wealth of talent on offense, especially the RBs and WRs, OU may need to go HUNH all season just to get OUr players enough touches to go around.
Need to find another OT before true HUNH can routinely go super fast.
Wowser…..
Preseason ranking #1? I was going to ok with #5 or #6.
Boomer!
I dont see a&m on that list….hmmmm
This is ridiculous! I love my sooners but we lost have our DB’s, all our RB’s and our best WR/PR guy. I was under the impression that FSU has a ton coming back. Including a QB that great all year not just one game.