The Oklahoma is the preseason pick to win the Big 12 Conference football championship in 2021 by a poll of sportswriter.

OU has been picked to win six years in a row and has been picked nine times in the 11 years since the Big 12 dropped to 10 teams.

OU has won the last six Big 12 titles.

OU coach Lincoln Riley has a 34-5 record against conference foes since he became head coach four years ago. OU, who won the Cotton Bowl last season, got 35 or the 39 first-place votes. OU got 386 total points.

Iowa State (351 points) was second, Texas (272 points) was third and Oklahoma State (266 points) was fourth. TCU was fifth (255 points), West Virginia (185 points) was sixth, Kansas State (163 points) was seventh, Baylor (124 points) was eighth, Texas Tech (103 points) was ninth and Kansas (39 points) was 10th.

If Oklahoma wins the 2021 league title it will mark the Sooners’ 15th such championship in the conference’s 26 years. No other school has won more than three total. Since OU’s first Big 12 title in 2000, no other program has won more than two. The Sooners’ 50 all-time conference championships lead the country.

OU returns 13 players who started at least eight of 11 games on last year’s team that beat Iowa State 27-21 in the Big 12 Championship, downed No. 10 Florida 55-20 in the Cotton Bowl and finished No. 6 in the AP and coaches polls.

Six offensive players who started at least 8 games are back from 2020, as is 2019 10-game starter and 1,000-yard rusher Kennedy Brooks, who sat out last year. Those players are tight end/H-back Jeremiah Hall, offensive linemen Marquis Hayes, Tyrese Robinson and Erik Swenson, quarterback Spencer Rattler and wide receiver Theo Wease. Receiver Drake Stoops started six contests. Hall, Hayes, Rattler and sophomore wide receiver Marvin Mims were named Wednesday to the preseason All-Big 12 Team.

OU also returns seven defensive players who made at least eight starts a year ago, led by preseason All-Big 12 outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive linemen Isaiah Thomas and Perrion Winfrey. Also returning are linebacker Brian Asamoah and DaShaun White and safeties Pat Fields and Delarrin Turner-Yell. Cornerback Jaden Davis started six games last season, while defensive lineman LaRon Stokes and cornerback Woodi Washington started five each.

Gabe Brkic, who is 37 for 43 (86.0%) on career field goal attempts, is also back, as is punter Reeves Mundschau.