Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsWednesday, August 5, 2026

College Football Rankings 2011: Oklahoma Tops USA Today, AP Polls

The first 2011 preseason college football coaches poll slots the Oklahoma Sooners at No. 1, with Alabama trailing a distant second.

If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Getty Images

The first college football rankings of the 2011 season have Oklahoma on top: the Sooners come in at No. 1 in the USA Today preseason coaches poll, released Thursday.

Oklahoma received 42 first place votes, more than three times as many as second-ranked Alabama. The Sooners return Heisman Trophy candidate Landry Jones, trusty receiver Ryan Broyles, and a slew of talented defenders, and will be hunting for their second national championship under Bob Stoops, who is 2-5 in BCS bowl games since coaching the Sooners to a BCS national championship in 2000.

The Crimson Tide, Oregon, LSU, and Florida State round out the top five.


Follow @sbnation on Twitter | Like SB Nation on Facebook | Sign up for our Newsletter


Full poll is as follows (first-place votes in parentheses):

1. Oklahoma (42)

2. Alabama (13)

3. Oregon (2)

4. LSU (2)

5. Florida State

6. Stanford

7. Boise State

8. Oklahoma State

9. Texas A&M

10. Wisconsin

11. Nebraska

12. South Carolina

13. Virginia Tech

14. Arkansas

15. TCU

16. Ohio State

17. Michigan State

18. Notre Dame

19. Auburn

20. Mississippi State

21. Missouri

22. Georgia

23. Florida

24. Texas

25. Penn State

For other schools receiving votes, see USA Today.

College Football
Heisman Trophy rankings: Predicting college football’s top contenders for 2026Heisman Trophy rankings: Predicting college football’s top contenders for 2026
College Football

College football’s long list of Heisman Trophy candidates entering 2026 season

By Mark Schofield
College Football
College Football Reacts: Are patch deals ok for the game?College Football Reacts: Are patch deals ok for the game?
College Football

Let us know how you feel about the takeover of patch deals in college football

By Kyle Thele
College Football
College football rankings: Preseason top-25 teams, according to usCollege football rankings: Preseason top-25 teams, according to us
College Football

Here’s our top-25 teams in college football.

By Mark Schofield
NFL Draft beat
How NFL-ready is Arch Manning?How NFL-ready is Arch Manning?
NFL Draft beat

Arch Manning is the presumptive QB1 in the 2027 draft class that’s supposed to be generational. What does he need to improve in order to make that a reality?

By Doug Farrar
College Football
College Football 27 review: The greatest meal that leaves a bad taste in your mouthCollege Football 27 review: The greatest meal that leaves a bad taste in your mouth
College Football

Brilliant in so many ways, flawed in one key area.

By James Dator
NFL
Brendan Sorsby stuck as NFL announces NO Supplemental Draft in 2026Brendan Sorsby stuck as NFL announces NO Supplemental Draft in 2026
NFL

Another setback for the QB.

By James Dator