Tag: Big 12

Are the Oklahoma Sooners overrated?

Athlon Sports believes the Oklahoma Sooners are one of the more overrated teams in the nation.

The Oklahoma Sooners remained at No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, after week two, even as teams ranked above them fell. That’s because OU barely escaped on their home field with a four-point win over the Houston Cougars.

Oklahoma’s offense sputtered repeatedly, but the defense and special teams came up big in the 16-12 victory. Former conference foes Oklahoma State and Kansas State jumped the Sooners in the rankings.

While fans and experts are concerned, especially when it comes to the offense, OU’s early-season performance has already led some to claim they shouldn’t be ranked as high as they are.

Dan Lyons of Athlon Sports identified the three teams in the Top 25 poll that he believes are the most overrated. The Sooners appeared on that list, along with No. 8 Penn State and No. 16 LSU.

Houston was picked last in Athlon’s preseason Big 12 power rankings and 15th in the league’s preseason media poll. Yet, that Coogs team effectively shut down Oklahoma, which expects to be in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot. The Sooners were outgained 318 yards to 252. Third-down continues to be a glaring issue for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ team, which is 5 for 26 on conversions, the third-worst percentage in the Football Bowl Subdivision. After scoring touchdowns in each of the first two quarters, the Sooners offense did not score in the second half. The team’s final two points came on a safety late in the game … The offense will need to wake up next week, when OU takes on Fritz’s old team, Tulane, which nearly upset Kansas State in Week 2. – Lyons, Athlon Sports

Quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and the offense were unable to move the ball at all in the second half against Houston, and offensive coordinator Seth Littrell stressed the importance of consistency and cleaning up third downs in his postgame press conference. OU is missing key players due to injuries along the offensive line and at wide receiver, but the lack of conversions and points was alarming.

Tulane nearly upset the Sooners in the season opener three years ago, and they’ll be back in Norman with a better roster than they had in 2021. Oklahoma will have to continue to surge on defense and special teams while also getting far more help from the offense if they want to avoid going into [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play with a loss already on their record.

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Where do the Sooners land in ESPN’s latest bowl projections?

where are the Sooners headed in ESPN’s latest Bowl Projections?

The Oklahoma Sooners survived a battle against the Houston Cougars on Saturday night, winning by a score of 16-12. OU has to get a whole lot better very quickly, especially on the offensive side of the ball if they want to have a successful season in 2024.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Sooners will now turn their attention to the Tulane Green Wave, as OU will be at home once again in week three. With football season fully in swing, ESPN released their latest bowl projections (ESPN+).

After the disappointing win, Oklahoma was not placed in very noteworthy bowls by ESPN staff writers Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, who wrote the article. However, both had the Sooners facing old conference foes come bowl season.

Schlabach had Oklahoma facing the rival Nebraska Cornhuskers in the ReliaQuest Bowl, which will be played on New Years’ Eve at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Formerly known as the Outback Bowl, it pits the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] against the [autotag]Big Ten[/autotag], and has traditionally been played on New Years’ Day.

Of course, the Sooners and the Cornhuskers go all the way back to the days of the Big Eight and the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag], one of the fiercest rivalries in college football that was lost to conference realignment.

OU has won the last three games in this rivalry; the Big 12 Championship Game in 2010, a home game in 2021 and a road contest in 2022. The programs also have another non-conference home-and-home scheduled for 2029 in Norman and 2030 in Lincoln.

Bonagura, on the other hand, sees Oklahoma taking on former Big 12 opponent Iowa State in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, also played on New Years’ Eve. The game takes place at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas and matches up the SEC and the Big 12.

The Sooners are riding a four-game winning streak against the Cyclones, going all the way back to the 2020 Big 12 Championship Game. OU won regular season contests at home in 2021 and 2023, with a road victory in 2022 sandwiched in between. ISU has just seven wins all-time against Oklahoma’s 80 in the series. Unless they meet in the postseason, this will be the first year since 2009 that the teams have not played each other.

For now though, Oklahoma will need to play its best game if they want to defeat Tulane this week. The Green Wave nearly beat Kansas State a week ago, and have been one of the best Group of Five programs in college football over the past couple of seasons. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. in Norman, and the game will broadcast on ESPN.

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Can Kansas State ride momentum and contend for Big 12 title?

Can the Kansas State Wildcats compete for a Big 12 Conference title?

The Kansas State Wildcats went to Yulman Stadium in the heart of New Orleans and came away with a really big, impressive win over Tulane.

The Wildcats were threatened all game long by the Green Wave, but came up strong with 14 fourth quarter points to secure the victory.

After two weeks of college football action, the question remains, can Kansas State ride the momentum of two wins to start the season and contend for the Big 12 title?

Kansas State saw Avery Johnson, their dynamic signal caller, toss 23 times, completing 15 of them for 181 yards and two touchdowns. When Johnson was asked to describe the road win he had this to say:

It means a lot just coming on the road my first season as a starter and getting a win in a tough environment down here. Tulane is a really good team. It was a gritty game. We went through a lot of adversity. For me to be able to come down and be back against the wall on the road and have to put my big-boy shoes on and grit through it, I couldn’t let the whole environment get to me and I had to play my game and trust the guys I’m playing with.

DJ Giddens appears to be one of the elite running backs in the Big 12 if not all of college football. He rushed for 238 yards through two games, on 32 carries. He scored a receiving touchdown against the Green Wave as well.

Chris Klieman has been with the Wildcats since the 2019 season. He has gone three straight seasons reaching a bowl game. In 2022, the Wildcats won the Big 12 but lost in the Sugar Bowl. Last season, Kansas State won the Pop-Tarts Bowl. When Klieman spoke to the media following the game, he had this to say:

We made enough plays. I don’t think we played our best football. Tulane is a good football team. Their quarterback is the real deal. This is a good, big win for us.

Kansas State will face a trio of big games in conference play to wrap up September. The Wildcats will take on Arizona on Friday night. The following week Kansas State is at BYU, and then they wrap up the month at home against Ollie Gordon and Oklahoma State.

Growing unrest for pair of Big 12 coaches as hot seat warms

It was a tough weekend for two Big 12 head coaches on the hot seat coming into the season.

2024 represents a make-or-break season for both Dave Aranda of the Baylor Bears and Scott Satterfield of the Cincinnati Bearcats. Week 2 did not go well for either head coach, as the hot seat got even warmer after the performances of their teams on Saturday.

Things Are Not Well in Waco

Aranda and his Bears were not prepared for their Big 12 opener. They trailed the Utah Utes 23-0 before getting a field goal just before halftime. The Bears then scored nine points in the third quarter to make it somewhat respectable, but that was largely in part due to the injury to Utah’s Cam Rising.

The Bears quarterback play was miserable, with Dequan Finn completing just 9 of 21 passes for 115 yards in the game. On the defensive side, the Bears looked lost. Rising was torching them all over the field before the injury.

The 47-year-old Aranda has been with the Bears since 2020 and is under .500 in his career. He did have a monster 2021 season with the Bears, including a Sugar Bowl win. But, after back-to-back losing seasons, the folks in Waco are growing tired, and patience is running thin.

The heat will remain on as they host Air Force on Saturday, and then go to Boulder to take on Coach Prime and the Buffaloes on September 21st.

Epic Collapse to Rival not a Recipe for Success

Scott Satterfield was awfully good at Appalachian State and Louisville, but the 51-year-old has really struggled at Cincinnati so far. It may be too early, but a loss to a big rival such as Pittsburgh is many times a death sentence for a head coach. The loss dropped him to 4-10 as the leader of the Bearcats.

Cincinnati scored 27 of the first 40 points in the game. They led 27-6 late in the third. Then, disaster happened. Cincinnati saw Pittsburgh score three straight touchdowns and added a field goal to win the game on Saturday.

Running back Corey Kiner finished with nearly 150 yards but had a massive fumble in the game. The defense was good early, but could not get off the field when they needed to the most. Play calling, and lack of ability to put a game away, almost always falls on the head coach.

The Bearcats are at Miami OH on Saturday. A game they better be ready for, because the MAC has already shown up with big massive wins this early part of the season.

Both Aranda and Satterfield are going to be watched every game the rest of the way. If they can make it through this season, it probably is a miracle with the patience these athletic departments have when a coach is not winning.

Oklahoma State lands commitment from 2025 4-star small forward

Head coach Steve Lutz brought in a big time recruit for Oklahoma State for the 2025-2026 season.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are coming off a 12-20 season a year ago, leading to the firing of Mike Boynton and subsequent hiring of Steve Lutz, who is looking to add to his roster for upcoming seasons.

The Cowboys made a splash with a big recruit as 2025 forward Ryan Crotty committed to the program on Friday.

The 6’5, 180lbs small forward out of Charlottesville is a four-star recruit who was getting a ton of interest from other programs, choosing the Cowboys over Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Butler.

Crotty officially visited Stillwater in August, then seven days later committed to the program. He was slated to visit Miami and Virginia Tech later this month and Clemson in October.

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The sharpshooting wing averaged 18.5 points per game and 5.3 rebounds during his junior season at Miller School in Virginia. He played on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer and scored just shy of 13 points per game. He went one game at Peach Jam where he was a perfect 12 for 12 from the free throw line.

Oklahoma State is going to have an entirely new look with 10 new scholarships for the 2024-2025 season. The Cowboys have seven players listed as seniors, which will open up spots for others to join Crotty in Stillwater in 2025.

With this commitment, Oklahoma State is ranked 25th in the country for the 2025 class, which comes in second in the incredibly basketball-rich Big 12 conference.

Oklahoma has the most starting quarterbacks in the NFL

Week one of the NFL season is underway and Oklahoma is proving why it’s QBU once again.

Oklahoma is still the place to go if you want to be a starting quarterback in the National Football League.

The NFL season is officially underway, with the 2024 campaign beginning on Thursday night. All 32 teams have selected their starting quarterbacks for the season and, predictably, the Oklahoma Sooners were well represented.

FOX College Football celebrated the beginning of the NFL season breaking down where each of the 32 starters went to college. To get the season going, the Sooners have the most starting quarterbacks in week one with three.

OU was one of only seven schools with multiple starters. Oregon, Clemson, Cal, Alabama, USC, and LSU had two each.

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Of course, the Sooners are represented by three of the finest players in the past decade of college football. [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], and [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] are responsible for five [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] championships and four [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] appearances over five years. Mayfield also led OU to a win in the Sugar Bowl after the 2016 season, in what would be [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag]’ final game as the program’s head coach.

All three former Sooner greats play in the NFC. Mayfield signed a new three-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason after leading them to the playoffs. Kyler Murray, with Arizona, and Jalen Hurts, with Philadelphia, are among the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL in terms of average annual salary, according to OverTheCap.com.

Hurts and the Eagles begin their season on Friday night in Sao Paolo, Brazil against Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers. Murray and the Cardinals head to Buffalo to take on Josh Allen and the Bills on Sunday. Mayfield get to open the season at home with the Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels coming to town.

Oklahoma’s number doesn’t include [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] (Bears), who spent the 2021 season in Norman before transferring to USC after his head coach left.

Sooner fans hope that their current quarterback, [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], can join this list in a few years after a successful run under head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] at OU.

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3 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners victory over the Houston Cougars

The Oklahoma Sooners have a underrated challenge coming to town and here are three keys for their matchup with the Houston Cougars.

Brent Venables and his team are putting the finishing touches on preparation for their second game of the 2024 season. After a 48-point win over Temple, OU readies to host the Big 12’s Houston Cougars.

The Cougars are the first Big 12 team Oklahoma will face since moving to the SEC. The two teams have played twice in the last decade, with each side picking up a win.

In Week 1, Oklahoma struggled on third down, going 1 of 12. The defense, however, suffocated the Owls. Offensive line play was a focus of much post-game angst, and rightfully so. The Sooners struggled to run the ball, and the depth at receiver was called into action. Most probably weren’t expected to contribute in 2024, but injuries have forced Emmett Jones’s hand.

Willie Fritz left Tulane to take the job at Houston, and his team will be ready to play after a disappointing performance against UNLV.

Oklahoma should win the game convincingly, but the Sooners can’t get caught napping or the action could get weird quickly.

Below, we compiled our three keys to a Sooners victory.

Establish the line of scrimmage

This is a direct message to Bill Bedenbaugh and his offensive line. The big boys up front have been in a battle all offseason to decide who would earn snaps. As the games go by, the Sooners need to put their five best out there so they can jell.

Projected starter at right tackle Jake Taylor looks ready to suit up. Though we haven’t yet seen what Taylor’s capable of as a starting offensive lineman at the collegiate level, with a four-star pedigree, there are high hopes for the 2022 signee.

The Sooners need to come out and let the Cougars know that whatever ideas and inspiration they might have gleaned from the film against Temple will not work. The running game should pop much more often than it did in the first half of their week one win.

Up Next: 2 More Keys to Victory

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Oklahoma Sooners have to improve efficiency per Saturday Down South

The Oklahoma Sooners have to improve their work on third downs when they face the Houston Cougars.

The Oklahoma Sooners will play their first game against a fellow Power Four opponent this season, when they host the Houston Cougars on Saturday night. It’s also the only Power Four opponent outside of the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag] that OU will see in 2024.

The Cougars are in their second season in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and are also the only new member of the conference that OU didn’t play in 2023. As the Sooners enter their first year in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], Houston is far from the most daunting opponent on the schedule. The Cougars fell at the hands of UNLV by a score of 27-7 last week, while Oklahoma defeated Temple 51-3. That being said, anything can happen in college football and OU needs to improve in a couple of areas as league play approaches.

Saturday Down South staff writer Connor O’Gara gave his early thoughts on each SEC matchup as we head into the second week of the season. Oklahoma vs. Houston is far from the most notable matchup on the docket, but there will be a few things to watch for.

Oklahoma’s first-team offense was 0-for-10 on 3rd down in the blowout win against Temple. That was the bizarre stat of the night for a Sooners offense that showed promise with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], but left plenty of opportunities on the board. A depleted group of receivers could’ve played a part in that, but against a defensive-minded coach in Willie Fritz, Oklahoma isn’t guaranteed to figure that out just because the Cougars couldn’t stop UNLV. Oklahoma OC [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] would like to find that identity before the gauntlet really begins. – O’Gara, Saturday Down South

Converting on third downs is something that Oklahoma will have to improve before conference games begin. However, Saturday’s game against Houston is another solid opportunity before tougher opponents come to town.

First-year head coach Willie Fritz is an excellent coach who has moved up a level in competition from Tulane to Houston. Though he doesn’t have the highest level of overall talent on his roster yet, he’ll still be an intriguing matchup of wits on third downs against Seth Littrell.

Oklahoma and head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] didn’t get many breaks when it came to the SEC schedule in 2024. However, one break they do get is that their first big-time game isn’t until week four on September 21st. Having three non-conference games to break in new starters and new coordinators before Tennessee comes knocking is a situation that the Sooners need to take advantage of. That began on Friday against Temple, in a game that showed what OU needs to improve. It needs to continue on Saturday against Houston, beginning with an improved conversion rate on third downs from the offensive starters.

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Last time Oklahoma faced Houston, there were plenty of fireworks

The Oklahoma Sooners and Houston Cougars have played twice in the last decade. Can the Sooners get a win this Saturday night?

The Oklahoma Sooners will look to improve to 2-0 on the 2024 season when they host the Houston Cougars on Saturday night. The two programs have faced off twice in the last decade, splitting the matchups, but this time around is a little different. Oklahoma is in their first season as a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], while Houston, previously of the AAC, enters Year 2 in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag].

Back in 2016, the No. 15 Cougars upset the third-ranked Sooners in the Advocare Texas Kickoff game by a score of 33-23. The game was played at NRG Stadium in Houston. Though OU lost the season opener to fall to 0-1, the Sooners would bounce back with an 11-2 season, winning the Big 12 and the Sugar Bowl in [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag]’ final year at the helm.

But the most recent matchup between these teams came just five years ago. Opening the 2019 season on a Sunday night at home, the No. 4 Sooners defeated the Cougars by a score of 49-31. The game marked the debut of [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] in Norman, as he broke onto the scene in a big way.

Hurts completed 20 of 23 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns. He added 176 yards rushing on 16 carries and three more touchdowns on the ground. It was the beginning of an excellent season that ended with Hurts as the [autotag]Heisman Trophy[/autotag] runner-up. A performance like that from current OU starter, [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], would certainly thrill Sooner fans everywhere and answer a few questions about the Oklahoma offense.

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Oklahoma would finish 12-2, win the Big 12, and make a trip to the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag], all beginning with that win over Houston.

The third matchup between the Sooners and the Cougars since 2016 will also feature the third different matchup of head coaches. Bob Stoops faced Tom Herman in 2016, [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] faced Dana Holgerson in 2019 and [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] will face Willie Fritz in 2024.

Oklahoma will kick things off against Houston at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday in Norman.

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Why Colorado should be on upset watch against North Dakota State

Why the North Dakota State Bison could pull a major upset in Week 1 over the Colorado Buffaloes.

On Thursday evening, Folsom Field in Boulder is going to be rocking with energy to celebrate the return of college football. The Colorado Buffaloes, the team with the most hype a season ago, will host the Bison of North Dakota State, a powerhouse FCS program.

The Bison went 11-4 a season ago and fell in the semifinal game 31-29 in overtime to Montana out of the Big Sky.  After that game, the Bison started a search for a new head coach as Matt Entz left the program after two national titles, taking over as a linebackers coach at USC. North Dakota State hired Tim Polasek to replace him on the sidelines.

For the Buffaloes, they started last season red hot, winning their first three games. The hype machine was strong, but then losses in eight out of their final nine games put them at 4-8 on the season. The Buffaloes finished 12th in the Pac-12 conference. Colorado is the favorite to win this game but will have to fix some things up from the 2023 season.

Bison Looking to Shock the World

Any time a non-power five program can go on the road and win a game is a big deal in college football. That will multiply with the national media all over Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes.

Cam Miller returns as the signal caller for the Bison. He tossed for over 2,600 yards and 19 touchdowns a season ago. He was also the second-best rusher on the team with 629 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Bison will turn to Marty Brown, a redshirt freshman, along with TK Marshall in the backfield. Receivers Zach Mathis and Raja Nelson should get the call. Their best receiver Eli Green from a season ago is now with Iowa State.

Sanders Show in Boulder

Deion Sanders got a full season to recruit, so fewer and fewer of the players on the field are not his recruits. Freshman Jordan Seaton was the big addition to the offense. His job is to keep quarterback Shedeur Sanders upright. The Buffaloes are projected to start six newcomers on the offensive side, with five via the transfer portal.

Sanders tossed for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions a season ago. He was sacked 52 times, which is alarming for the Buffaloes. Charlie Offerdahl is the lead running back coming into the season. He carried the ball just twice last season. Dylan Edwards and Anthony Hankerson led the team, but the Buffaloes offense was never a run first.

Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr are set to lead the receiving core for the Buffaloes. Hunter, who also plays defense, was second on the team with 57 receptions. Horn led the team with six touchdowns and had 58 receptions in 2024.

North Dakota State Bison vs. Colorado Buffaloes Score Prediction:

More of the same from Coach Prime and the Buffaloes. The inability to protect the quarterback, undisciplined at the wrong time, and a lack of getting stops gets the best of the Buffaloes in Game 1. The North Dakota State Bison pull a Week 1 stunner in Boulder.

College Sports Wire score prediction: North Dakota State Bison 31-28 over Colorado Buffaloes.