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Oklahoma Heads Major Polls for Top 25 Preseason Rankings

Photo – LB Travis Lewis - Oklahoma

Sooners’ Head Draft Insiders.com, AP and Coaches Preseason Top 25 Teams

This is DraftInsiders.com first 2011 Preseason College Poll. We will have weekly polls thru the season & postseason in our College Football Mondays blog column. We named Oklahoma our #1 team in our first Top 25 poll. The Sooners were also named #1 in the AP and Coaches preseason Top 25 poll earlier this month.

Oklahoma returns 29 players with starting experience this fall from a team that went 12-2 last season. They beat UConn in last year's Fiesta Bowl 48-20. Head coach Bob Stoops enters his 13th season with an outstanding career record of 129 wins and 31 losses.

The Sooners open the 2011 campaign Sept. 3 at home against Tulsa. Their 2nd game is Sept 17th in a critical intersectional matchup with Florida St. in Tallahassee.

Draft Insiders.com Preseason Top 25 Poll
(Last year’s record in parentheses)

1. Oklahoma (12-2)
Sooners are loaded to end SEC dominance.
2. Oregon (12-1)
Street ball offense is exciting to watch.
3. Alabama (10-3)
New starting QB will determine final fate. Great defense
4. Stanford (12-1)
The Cardinal has Andrew Luck. Enough said.
5. Boise St (12-1)
Many returning starters gives them a good chance at BCS title game.
6. Nebraska (10-4)
Looks to win Big Ten title in their first season in conference.
7. LSU (11-2)
Very talented team that has created big problems before the opening kickoff.
8. Oklahoma St (11-2)
Great team to watch with explosive big play ability.
9 Florida St (10-4)
Seminoles return 15 starters and should head the ACC again.
10. Texas A&M (9-4)
Aggies return 18 starters on a club that won their late 8 games last season.
11. Wisconsin (11-2)
Badgers face very tough schedule. Look to new QB Russell Wilson to provide impact.
12. South Carolina (9-5)
Key skilled position players return and another win at SEC East title.
13. West Virginia (9-4)
Class of the Big East. Face huge early test at home with LSU.
14. Notre Dame (8-5)
Irish finished strong last season and a healthy QB Dayne Crist gives them chance at 10 win season.
15 Michigan St (11-2)
Spartans offense will light it up behind QB Kirk Cousins and RB Edwin Baker.
16 Virginia Tech (11-3)
Young starters QB Logan Thomas and RB David Wilson hope to provide playmaking ability for tough defensive club.
17 TCU (13-0)
Horned frogs hope to win MWC in final season. Great defense hopes to help first year starting
QB.
18 Penn St. (7-6)
Nittany Lions are hoping to sneak up on teams this year.
19 Arkansas (10-3)
Razorbacks look to young QB Tyler Wilson to step out of Ryan Mallett’s shadow and lead offense.
20. Georgia (6-7)
Bulldogs face two major early tests in Boise St and South Carolina that could springboard them to former heights or have them fall into the abyss.
21. Ohio St (12-1)
Head coach Jim Tressel is gone and so is QB Terrelle Pryor that leaves Buckeyes suspect for a double digit win season for the first time in years.
22. Mississippi St (9-4)
Bulldogs have 15 returning starters including QB Chris Reif. Their fate may rest on their suspect defense facing potent SEC clubs.
23. Florida (8-5)
October stretch of games will determine their fate.
24. Texas (5-7)
QB Garrett Gilbert faces acid test in bringing Longhorns back to Big 12 contention.
25. Utah (10-3)
Utes play hard and are primed for good showing in their first season in the Pac 12.

The Next Best 25 Teams
Auburn (14-0); Missouri (10-3); Arizona St (6-6) Miami (Fla.) (7-6) Iowa (8-5) 41; Northwestern (7-6); Arizona (7-6); Central Florida (11-3); Michigan (7-6); Air Force (9-4); North Carolina (8-5) ; Houston (5-7); South Florida (8-5); Hawaii (10-4); Clemson (6-7); Tennessee (6-7); Southern Miss (8-5); Brigham Young (7-6); North Carolina St (9-4); Northern Illinois (11-3); Oregon St (5-7); Pittsburgh (8-5); Washington (7-6); Georgia Tech (6-7); Nevada (13-1)

Frank Coyle is a long time member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe and All-American teams.

Frank Coyle writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards.