Oklahoma Sooners ranked in Tier 3 by ESPN for 2026 season
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 19, 2026, 8:00 PM
Last updated Aug 19, 2026
The Oklahoma Sooners will begin their 2026 college football season at home against the UTEP Miners on September 4th. Ahead of the season, ESPN has placed the Sooners in Tier 3 in its preseason rankings, labeled 'Maybe this is their year.' The Sooners are among five teams in this tier, alongside BYU, LSU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and USC. Oklahoma's defense performed well last year, leading the FBS in tackles for loss and demonstrating a strong ability to stop opponent-designed runs. As the season approaches, various rankings indicate different perceptions of Oklahoma’s potential success in the SEC.
- •Oklahoma kicks off the season against UTEP on September 4th.
- •ESPN ranks Oklahoma in Tier 3 for the upcoming season.
- •The Sooners finished 10th in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll.
- •Their defense led the country in tackles for loss last season.
- •ESPN's ranking comes as the team prepares for its SEC competition.
- 9:08 PMYahoo Sports — Where does OU land in ESPN's preseason power rankings?
- 8:00 PMYahoo Sports — Which tier does ESPN think the Oklahoma Sooners belong in for 2026?
"Where do the Oklahoma Sooners find themselves in preseason power rankings from ESPN?
"Where does OU land on ESPN's preseason tier list?
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsAug 21, 2026, 9:08 PMWhere does OU land in ESPN's preseason power rankings?
Where do the Oklahoma Sooners find themselves in preseason power rankings from ESPN?
- Yahoo SportsAug 19, 2026, 8:00 PMWhich tier does ESPN think the Oklahoma Sooners belong in for 2026?
Where does OU land on ESPN's preseason tier list?
Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
NCAAF•Oct 28, 2026, 2:02 AMRiley says USC 'right place for me' and 'I'm the right person to be here'
NCAAF•Oct 28, 2026, 1:36 AMBrian Kelly Clears Stance on Firing Spree & Calls 3 HC Role Openings "Very Attractive"
NCAAF•Oct 28, 2026, 1:30 AMPaul Finebaum opens up about receiving death threats: ‘That did concern me’
NCAAF•Oct 28, 2026, 1:28 AMBob Chesney is building something in UCLA... and he isn't going anywhere
NCAAF•Oct 28, 2026, 1:11 AMBaylor Emerging as ‘Wildcard’ for Ex-Big 12 Rival Coach But There’s a Catch
NCAAF•Oct 28, 2026, 12:45 AMWhere does Utah rank in some of Morgan Scalley’s key stats for success?