Oklahoma leads four Big 12 schools in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason college football poll released Monday.
The Sooners, the defending conference champions, came in at No. 7 in first edition of the poll, followed by No. 16 TCU, No. 17 West Virginia and No. 23 Texas.
In Norman, the spotlight will be on second-year head coach Lincoln Riley, who will operate without 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. Riley has yet to name a starting quarterback, but junior Kyler Murray of Allen, is expected to earn the starting job.
The 16th-ranked Horned Frogs and head coach Gary Patterson will also break in a new quarterback. Patterson announced Friday that sophomore Shawn Robinson would start, beating out Penn transfer Michael Collins.
The most experienced quarterback in the conference and a potential Heisman Trophy candidate will lead West Virginia in 2018. Senior Will Grier returns after he threw for nearly 3,500 yards and 34 touchdowns a season ago, but the Mountaineers went just 7-6.
Lastly, Texas head coach Tom Herman named Sam Ehlinger his starting quarterback Monday. Ehlinger beat out Shane Buechele, who he split duties with in 2017.
Big 12 programs Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State also received votes, as did Texas A&M
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Below is the full Top 25 with first-place votes in parentheses, records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and 2017 final ranking:
Record Pts Pv
1. Alabama (42) 13-1 1505 1
2. Clemson (18) 12-2 1476 4
3. Georgia 13-2 1350 2
4. Wisconsin (1) 13-1 1271 7
5. Ohio St. 12-2 1256 5
6. Washington 10-3 1215 16
7. Oklahoma 12-2 1173 3
8. Miami 10-3 1027 13
9. Auburn 10-4 1013 10
10. Penn St. 11-2 1012 8
11. Michigan St. 10-3 877 15
12. Notre Dame 10-3 804 11
13. Stanford 9-5 778 20
14. Michigan 8-5 773 NR
15. Southern Cal 11-3 543 12
16. TCU 11-3 533 9
17. West Virginia 7-6 511 NR
18. Mississippi St. 9-4 450 19
19. Florida St. 7-6 384 NR
20. Virginia Tech 9-4 351 24
21. UCF 13-0 312 6
22. Boise St. 11-3 292 22
23. Texas 7-6 216 NR
24. Oregon 7-6 148 NR
25. LSU 9-4 106 18
Others receiving votes: South Carolina 96, Florida 68, Utah 60, Oklahoma St. 51, FAU 38, Arizona 28, NC State 22, Texas A&M 21, Boston College 18, Northwestern 13, Kansas St. 10, Iowa St. 8, Houston 6, Memphis 3, Troy 2, Iowa 2, Kentucky 1, Arkansas St. 1, Fresno St. 1.
