Tag: Big 10

How would a two minute warning affect the Oklahoma Sooners?

Another rules change could be coming to college football but how would that impact the Sooners and the rest of the teams?

This is an offseason of change. Gone are the Big Ten, Pac 12, [autotag]SEC[/autotag] and [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] as we’ve grown to know it. Instead, the Pac 12 is essentially gone, the Big 12, SEC and Big 10 are all adding new teams to their leagues.

But that might not be the only thing that is changing this offseason. The NCAA Football Rules Committee is set to meet at the end of February to discuss some possible rule changes. The biggest one would be the potential addition of a two-minute warning during the 2024 season.

For those that don’t know, the NFL has a two-minute warning where the clock stops at the two-minute mark unless a play is ongoing in the second and fourth quarters. It is basically an extra timeout late in games.

If you remember, the rules committee made a few clock-related changes last year. The clock doesn’t stop on first downs until the final two minutes of each half. So, wouldn’t this slow it down? Well not necessarily, this would essentially fill the place of an existing TV timeout. It would give a guaranteed break at the two-minute mark and could reduce the chances of back-to-back stoppages elsewhere, which we’ve seen after kickoffs.

The Athletic spoke to the NCAA National Coordinator of Officials, Steve Shaw, who explained how this would help with the back-to-back stoppages.
“We’d really like to avoid the back-to-backs. Nobody likes that. If we did it, the media partner would have to hold their last timeout to that, so they couldn’t get their timeouts in and then get a freebie. It would be the last media timeout and give them assurance they’ll get them all in. I think TV would be supportive of it.”

This would affect game management strategy going forward like when to use your timeouts and when not to. It also would affect how you run your offense. Maybe you’re okay with running the ball just before the two-minute mark, knowing you will get a stoppage.

Clock management will become an even bigger emphasis for coaches going forward. In the game vs. the Texas Longhorns last year, [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] sacked Quinn Ewers just before the two-minute mark. The Sooners ended up using two timeouts after their following two plays, but if you had the two-minute warning, the Sooners could have saved one of their timeouts for that final drive.

Obviously, it didn’t matter. But that is an area where it could impact teams going forward. For now, we’ll have to wait and see how much backing it gets and if it is something the committee can move forward with.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

How do the Oklahoma Sooners compare to SEC teams in ESPN’s SP+ rating?

The Oklahoma Sooners are heading into a new era in the SEC and come in at No. 8 in the preseason SP+ rankings.

The Oklahoma Sooners had a really good season in 2023 as they bounced back from their 6-7 season in 2022 to win 10 games last year. Now, they prepare for a new era of Oklahoma football with the move to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

But they aren’t the only change coming to college football in 2024. The landscape as a whole has changed. The [autotag]Pac 12[/autotag] is essentially no more as everyone but Washington State and Oregon State left for the [autotag]Big 10[/autotag] or the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag].

With the new changes and the 2024 recruiting cycle coming to a close, it’s time to look at where Oklahoma ranks in ESPN data analyst Bill Connelly’s SP+ preseason rankings (subscription required).

For those that don’t know, Connelly releases a preseason SP+ ranking every February where he bases his projections on three primary factors weighted by their predictiveness. Those would be returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history.

So, let’s take a look at how Oklahoma stacks up against the rest of the SEC.

What is Oklahoma getting in transfer WR Deion Burks?

Taking a look at what Purdue transfer Deion Burks can bring to the aOklahoma offense next year.

Oklahoma made a significant splash in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] market this week when they landed Purdue wide receiver Deion Burks. Burks entered the portal after a solid year as a Boilermaker in the Big Ten, but middling quarterback play did him no favors.

Burks is as talented a playmaker to enter the portal this cycle, and his commitment to Oklahoma is significant. The Sooners weren’t particularly searching for additional wide receiver help and would only take a commitment from someone they knew was a stone-cold killer and could contribute immediately.

That fits Burks to a tee, considering multiple people, including Pete Thamel, are reiterating that Burks has the ceiling of a top 100 prospect in the NFL Draft. Thamel confirmed he had also spoken to NFL sources that corroborated this notion. Specific metrics like explosive and chunk play percentage compared Burks favorably to upcoming first-round draft pick Keon Coleman of FSU. Those types of guys are the types you take flyers on, no matter what your numbers look like.

In landing Burks, they have found a replacement and potential upgrade to Drake Stoops in the slot. Stoops is a fan favorite, but Burks is a better and more explosive athlete. For obvious reasons, he may never endear himself to fans the way Stoops did. However, his athleticism what he can do as a slot receiver adds layers to the Sooners’ offense under offensive coordinators  Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley.

Burks was a track star in high school. His vertical straight-line speed is a nightmare for opposing defenses. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound receiver could stretch the field from the slot while opening up the intermediate areas for other Sooners receivers.

His tape showcases his ability to make tough catches in traffic. He isn’t limited to just the slot. Purdue isolated him outside the numbers, where Burks utilized his speed to stack defenders and create separation to win routes. This should open up Oklahoma to get creative because of the depth of their receiver room. Not being able to bracket coverage any receiver next year will be paramount.

If Burks’ ability to win downfield isn’t appealing enough, he is a player the Oklahoma offensive brain trust can also get involved in the run game with handoffs, sweeps, and screens. He is explosive and dynamic with the ball in his hands. The apprehension of jet sweeps from the Lebby days may still exist among many, but the jet sweeps aren’t the problem. The person running them or the situation in which they were called never made much sense. Someone like Burks is precisely the type of athlete you scheme to get the ball in their hands and sit back while he gets to the edge or finds open space.

We’d also add that with a dynamic slot guy like Deion Burks, Oklahoma can create matchup advantages in the running game next year.

With their wide receiver depth, Oklahoma should consider utilizing more ten personnel (one running back, four wide receivers, and no tight ends) next year. It would take the tight end off the field but allow the Sooners running backs and Jackson Arnold to see lighter boxes in the running game. Teams would have to deploy more defensive backs to respect the capabilities of the receivers Oklahoma has. Instead of seven or eight-man boxes, Gavin Sawchuk may see five or six-man boxes. That one less defender makes all the difference between a decent play and a chunk play.

To conclude, Burks should improve this offense next year. His inclusion gives Oklahoma five legitimate receivers with production. Jackson Arnold will have no shortage of weapons in his first season as the starting quarterback.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

The Big Ten is teaming up with DIRECTV for exclusive, year-round sports coverage

Big Ten fans will have access to exclusive programming and expanded coverage across all teams and sports.

The Big Ten has entered into a multiyear partnership with DIRECTV to bring subscribers exclusive access to year-round programming dedicated to the college sports conference.

DIRECTV subscribers will be able to access exclusive Big Ten content with expanded coverage for the conference’s men’s and women’s teams, including football, basketball, volleyball and more.

“We want our brand to be where the sports fans are,” says DIRECTV chief marketing officer Vince Torres. “We need to deliver the content that those customers want… So, associating ourselves with the Big Ten is a bit of a no-brainer for us.

“[The Big Ten] is a nationally recognized brand that, come next year, is also going to have a national footprint once USC and UCLA come into the mix… This alignment between these two brands makes a lot of sense for us, both from a content perspective, but also from a brand presence perspective.”

DIRECTV’s “all-access” broadcast programming will include the upcoming Iowa women’s basketball trips to Italy and Croatia, Volleyball Day at Nebraska and more.

Programming will also include exclusive insight into the conference’s rivalries, including the annual Michigan/Ohio State games.

“We are truly trying to cover the year… and be there with the college sports fans through the course of the year,” Torres says. “[The exclusive content] will live on both DIRECTV digital and social platforms, but also show up on the Big Ten Network… This will evolve as the relationship evolves.”

As an official conference partner, DIRECTV will also sponsor diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the conference and be a presenting sponsor of an upcoming Big Ten Championship event.

The company also recently entered in with broadcast partnerships with Notre Dame and the UFC to further the sports access that DIRECTV customers will receive.

Where Autzen Stadium ranks among biggest stadiums in Big Ten

Autzen Stadium holds a lot of prestige and respect, but the Ducks will now travel to “the cathedrals of college football.” Here’s what they can prepare for.

With the Oregon Ducks announcing earlier this week that they will be joining the Big Ten in 2024, everything we know about the Ducks’ frequent opponents changes. One of the fundamental things that will shift, is the venues Oregon will visit during away games.

On Monday, Oregon’s defensive lineman Casey Rogers — who spent three seasons playing for the Nebraska Cornhuskers — said that the Big Ten is home to “the cathedrals of college football.”

While the Pac-12 has plenty of impressive football stadiums, the Big Ten is home to some of the largest football stadiums on the planet, amateur or professional, which breeds a different atmosphere on Saturdays than any Oregon fan will be used to.

Below is the stadium of every team that will be in the Big Ten for 2024, the city it is in, and the capacity.

Five unique programs the SEC should at least consider regarding expansion

Five teams the SEC could add during the conference realignment chaos

Conference realignment has always been a part of college sports, but when Oklahoma and Texas both agreed to leave the Big 12 in favor of the SEC something just felt different.

The following summer, UCLA and USC announced their decision to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, an indication that we were entering a new era that was moving away from the five power conferences. The Big 12 quickly responded by adding UCF, BYU, Houston and Cincinnati to form an even 12 teams again and stay afloat.

All had been calm since then, until last week when Colorado decided to leave the Pac-12 to join the Big 12. The move seems like it could possibly end the Pac-12, which now has nine members, with other conferences actively trying to recruit who is left. At this point, it is just a matter of time until the Big Ten and SEC strike again, but what will happen with the Big 12, Pac-12 and ACC in the meantime?

Here are five programs the SEC should at least reach out to in order to gauge interest in potentially joining the program.

Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from four-star EDGE Wyatt Gilmore

Oklahoma’s 10th commitment of the 2024 class comes from four-star EDGE Wyatt Gilmore out of Minnesota.

Oklahoma’s recruiting momentum is starting to materialize indeed. For the second straight day, the Sooners landed a commitment. Yesterday it was three-star 2024 RB Xavier Robinson. Today, it’s four-star EDGE and the No. 2 player in Minnesota, Wyatt Gilmore.

Gilmore committed to Oklahoma over Miami, Minnesota, Oregon, and Kansas State.

Oklahoma offered the 6-foot-4 240-pound defender in February and, after visiting the schools in his top five, chose Oklahoma when all was said and done.

Landing Gilmore helps open the door for other defensive linemen to commit to Oklahoma too. Defensive line in particular is where some of Oklahoma’s most highly sought-after targets for 2024 play.

Gilmore’s official visit to Oklahoma for the ChampU BBQ was the cherry on top. Not long after, predictions from recruiting services started to pour in.

Oklahoma hasn’t recruited the state of Minnesota often, so being able to pull any talented defender away from the allure of playing in the Big Ten is a solid recruiting win. Miguel Chavis continues to find success on the recruiting trail.

Gilmore’s commitment gives Oklahoma No. 10 for the class of 2024 and brings them up to 35th in the nation.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1367]

 

Michigan State earns early signing period win with Keyshawn Blackstock

Michigan State’s 2023 recruiting class now ranks No. 24 in the country.

The early signing period began this morning, and Michigan State has scored the first big recruiting win of the day. Keyshawn Blackstock, one of the top offensive linemen in the class of 2023 has signed his letter of intent to play for the Spartans.

Blackstock broke the news of his commitment on Twitter:

While he technically plays left tackle, he is the No. 1 ranked interior offensive line prospect in his class, second overall in the state of Georgia and No. 8 nationally.

Blackstock (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) was an incredibly popular recruit. The first college team to make an offer was the Georgia Southern Eagles back on September 7. Since then Blackstock has gotten 45 other offers, including Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee and USC. According to On3’s prediction model, Oregon had been the favorite to land him.

Michigan State’s 2023 recruiting class now ranks No. 24 in the country.

More recruiting stories

Every Colorado commit since Deion Sanders arrived

QB Marcel Reed flips from Ole Miss to Texas A&M

[listicle id=101503216]

College Football Week 10 Scoreboard: 3 in top 6, 9 in top 25 go down!!

One of the biggest Saturdays of the fall is underway. Keep updated here!

The final month of the 2022 college football season opens with what is perhaps the second-biggest day of games so far this year.  It will be tough to ultimately top the events of October 15 when Tennessee and Alabama highlighted an all-time afternoon, but Saturday, Nov. 5 will go a very long way in determining not just the College Football Playoff but conference and division titles alike.

Upsets will cost teams big-time dreams and goals while heavy winds across the midwest could make things really interesting in more than a couple of contests.  Here are all the happenings for each CFP top-25 team this week.

Each Big Ten team’s top recruit in the class of 2023

The latest look at the Power 5 conference’s recruiting race

Michigan and Ohio State are still undefeated and on top of the Big Ten so far in 2022. The race to crown the king of next year’s recruiting class is still very much undecided, though.

Let’s look at the highest-ranked commit in each Big Ten program’s 2023 recruiting class.

[listicle id=101501059]

Live-Stream High School Football:

NFHS Network