Oklahoma now knows the outside expectations heading into its new conference.
The Sooners landed at No. 8 in the official SEC preseason poll that was released on Friday. The conference also announced its All-SEC Preseason teams, with three OU players making an appearance.
Texas finished at No. 2 in the preseason poll, seven spots ahead of the Sooners. This is the first SEC preseason poll appearance for both programs since officially joining the conference on July 1.
Georgia finished first in the preseason poll, with Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU rounding out the top five. The Sooners narrowly finished behind Missouri and Tennessee but comfortably ahead of Texas A&M for the No. 8 spot.
The Sooners enter their first season in the SEC with lower-than-usual expectations. Per ESPN's Football Power Index rankings, the Sooners have the seventh-toughest schedule in the country heading into 2024. They will play six of the seven SEC schools ranked ahead of them in the preseason poll, with Georgia as the only team the Sooners won't face.
The Sooners' predicted win total for 2024 is 7.5, per Fan Duel.
In addition to the poll, the SEC also announced its preseason All-SEC teams. OU linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman were selected to the first-team all defense, while wide receiver newcomer Deion Burks was selected to third-team all offense.
Stutsman finished with 104 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and an interception in 2023. Bowman finished tied for third nationally with six interceptions, including three pick-sixes, while adding 63 tackles and three tackles for loss. Both players appeared at SEC Media Days earlier this week and are entering their senior seasons.
Burks, who transferred from Purdue during the offseason, finished with 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns last season for the Boilermakers.
The Sooners kickoff the 2024 season against Temple at 6 p.m. on Aug. 30 (Friday).
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