Alright Sooner Nation, Gather 'Round: Projection vs. Proof: The Sooners’ No. 18 Challenge

I'm thinking about turning it into a published post as well. Look at the script and tell me what you think. - Alright, Sooner Nation—gather ’round. We’ve got ourselves a number, and it’s a big one:... 18... That’s where your Oklahoma Sooners landed in the AP pre-season poll. Not in the Coaches Poll mind you—we got left out of that one entirely. But the Associated Press decided to throw us a bone, plant us inside the top 20, and call it good. On the surface, it looks like respect. In reality? It feels a lot more like projection than proof. Here’s the truth: Number 18 is flattering. It’s our 26th straight year showing up in the pre-season AP poll—that’s the second-longest active streak in college football behind Ohio State. But streaks don’t win games. And right now, Oklahoma hasn’t proven it deserves to be here—at least not yet. Last year, we went 6-7 with an offense that was flat-out painful to watch. Fifty sacks allowed. Couldn’t sustain drives. Couldn’t finish games. And now, after one of the worst offensive seasons in program history, the pollsters suddenly believe we’re top 20 material? That’s not based on what we’ve done—it’s based on what they hope we can do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices