Tag: oklahoma football news

Texas Football: Guide to not buying the 2023 College Football Playoff hype

It’s hard to see Texas having the consistency to run the table.

The Texas Longhorns are once again a trending playoff pick heading into 2023. 247Sports is the latest to project Texas to contend for the College Football Playoff.

We’re not gonna tell you how to think, but the notion of the Longhorns as a playoff team is absurd. It’s crazy because it would be unprecedented in the playoff era.

Steve Sarkisian’s team is a viable Big 12 championship pick, but only should no other team from the conference emerge as a playoff contender.

Quinn Ewers and the Texas offense will have plenty to prove heading into the 2023 season. Though it’s easy to see Ewers thriving next year, he didn’t exactly light Big 12 defenses on fire in his freshman campaign.

The former Southlake Carroll Dragon completed a pedestrian 58.1% of his passes with 2,177 yards, 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. While he should be improved, the 2022 stat line isn’t promising.

It’s fair to categorize Ewers as a good quarterback who had a bad season. He will need to vastly improve to lead a playoff caliber team.

The Longhorns will also need more consistency in run blocking, pass catching and money down defense to run the table in the Big 12 conference.

Despite the above concerns, Texas is in my estimation a 10-win team. Nevertheless, there’s a great chasm between 10 and 11 regular season wins. Steve Sarkisian will have plenty of work to close that gap.

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Former 5-star OU transfer Caleb Williams reportedly eyeing Georgia football

Former 5-star QB Caleb Williams may be eyeing Georgia football…

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Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback Caleb Williams has entered the transfer portal.

The former five-star recruit is one of the most notable players to ever enter the transfer portal. Williams was the No. 2 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class and the No. 7 player overall (247Sports).

According to CBS Sports college football analyst Blake Brockermyer, Williams is considering Georgia as a potential landing spot.

Pro Football Focus rated the D.C. native as the top true freshman in the country in 2021.

The transfer decision comes after Oklahoma lost head coach Lincoln Riley to USC, and the Sooners’ replaced Riley with former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

If the dual-threat star chooses Georgia, we could see current Bulldog quarterbacks enter the portal as a result.

Still, the transfer process is very volatile and anything could happen as far as destinations go for the talented quarterback.

Check out some of William’s 2021 highlights here:

Report: The Big 12 has sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to ESPN

Report: The Big 12 has sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to ESPN

According to report by Yahoo Sports reporter Pete Thamel, which has since been confirmed by multiple sources, the Big 12 conference has sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN stating the network has been manipulating conference alignment.

Reports surfaced last week describing how Texas and Oklahoma were attempting to leave the Big 12 for the SEC after their contracts end in 2025.

That report was later confirmed after Texas and Oklahoma informed the Big 12 on Monday that they would not be renewing their contracts. On Tuesday, the two schools officially applied to the SEC.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby added context in a report by AP writer Ralph Russo.

“I have absolute certainty they (ESPN) have been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members,” Bowlsby said.

Read the full letter here:

ESPN’s SEC Network, along with the SEC itself, would benefit from the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the conference. The two powerhouses are storied college football programs that would allow the conference and partner ESPN to bank on new TV revenue from the merger. And that’s just one aspect. This move will likely impact the SEC and college football in more ways than we know.

Stay tuned to UGA Wire as the situation develops further.

 

Report: The Big 12 has sent ‘cease and desist’ letter to ESPN

Report: The Big 12 has sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to ESPN

According to report by Yahoo Sports reporter Pete Thamel, which has since been confirmed by multiple sources, the Big 12 conference has sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN stating the network has been manipulating conference alignment.

Reports surfaced last week describing how Texas and Oklahoma were attempting to leave the Big 12 for the SEC after their contracts end in 2025.

That report was later confirmed after Texas and Oklahoma informed the Big 12 on Monday that they would not be renewing their contracts. On Tuesday, the two schools officially applied to the SEC.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby added context in a report by AP writer Ralph Russo.

“I have absolute certainty they (ESPN) have been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members,” Bowlsby said.

Read the full letter here:

ESPN’s SEC Network, along with the SEC itself, would benefit from the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the conference. The two powerhouses are storied college football programs that would allow the conference and partner ESPN to bank on new TV revenue from the merger. And that’s just one aspect. This move will likely impact the SEC and college football in more ways than we know.

Stay tuned to UGA Wire as the situation develops further.

 

5-star WR Mario Williams, a Georgia and Oklahoma target, makes commitment

4-star WR Mario Williams, a UGA football and Oklahoma Sooners target, made his commitment on Friday.

On Friday, 2021 5-star wide receiver Mario Williams announced his decision.

The Plant City, Florida native was considering Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama and LSU.

Williams announced his commitment to Oklahoma via Twitter. He is the nation’s No. 12 overall recruit according to Rivals.

Georgia is still in good shape for the 2021 class despite missing out on Williams. Right now, Georgia has the nation’s 17th ranked recruiting class (per 247Sports), headlined by 5-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff.

Kirby Smart has plenty of time to climb the rankings and still finish with a top-three class, something he’s done in three consecutive seasons.

As for Oklahoma, the Sooners really needed a commitment, and now have the nation’s No. 31 ranked class. Williams is their highest rated commit.

 

247Sports spot on in ranking Kirby Smart 4th best coach in CFB

247Sports ranked Georgia football’s Kirby Smart as the #4 coach in college football. Here’s why he was spot on.

On Thursday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports released his list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

Give credit to Crawford — he took on this story knowing that it would receive mixed reviews from across the country.

Here was his top-five:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Kirby Smart, Georgia

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

I don’t think there’s any question about numbers one and two. Saban and Swinney have taken turns ruling college football for the last decade.

But after those two is when fans start to think their coach should occupy that #3, #4 or #5 spot.

I’m not here to bash Crawford’s ranking of Smart at #4. Instead, I 100% agree with it. How can you not?

I saw a story that stated Georgia fans should be offended by Smart’s ranking on this list. It mentioned recency bias as the main reason Orgeron was put at #3.

I’m not on board with that. Some can call it recency bias, but I call it a national championship win, meaning he’s accomplished something that Smart has not. Meanwhile, they were both playing in the same conference, and LSU kicked Georgia’s butt for the second straight season. At one point, you have to tip your cap to Coach O.

Smart’s time will come where he’ll eventually pass Coach O, but that won’t be until he wins a title. He’s doing everything else right. He’s getting his team to the big games, he’s recruiting better than any coach in America, he catapulted Georgia back into the national spotlight and he’s producing NFL talent.

All that’s left is a ring. That may be a very simplistic way of looking at it, but in the end that’s how success is measured. Have you not been watching the Jordan documentary?

Had Georgia beaten LSU last season in the SEC Championship Game, then we would be having a different discussion. But Georgia did not just lose, it got pounded by a final score of 37-10. The year before, Georgia got spanked in Baton Rouge 36-16. In Smart’s last two games vs Orgeron, his Bulldogs have gotten beat by a combined score of 73-26.

So no, Georgia fans have no right to be offended about the #4 ranking for Smart. If anything, we should be celebrating the fact that Georgia has the fourth best coach in America.

I loved Mark Richt as much as the next guy, but come on, he was never a top-five coach in America. Maybe not even top-10.

Kirby’s time will come.

A few other notable names on the list:

#8 – Florida head coach Dan Mullen

#9 – Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher

#13 – Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn

#15 – Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

#21 – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt

247Sports ranks top-25 CFB coaches: Where is Georgia’s Kirby Smart?

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart was ranked 4th in 247Sports’ list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

On Thursday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports released his list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart checked in at No. 4.

Crawford’s top-five was as follows:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Kirby Smart, Georgia

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

Smart was named the Bulldogs coach in 2015 after serving as Alabama defensive coordinator under Nick Saban for eight years.

Smart has led his alma mater to a 44-12 record over four years as the Bulldogs head coach and has boasted three consecutive No. 1 ranked recruiting classes.

There is no question that Smart has built a powerhouse at Georgia. He recruits at an elite level and has one of the best defensive minds in all of college football.

So, what separates Smart from Saban, Swinney and Orgeron?

A national championship.

Smart has led Georgia to three consecutive SEC East titles, an SEC Championship title, a College Football Playoff victory and a National Championship bid, but a couple of close losses to Bama have held the Bulldogs from the top of college football.

Jan 1, 2018; Pasadena, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart holds the Rose Bowl trophy — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

However, Smart will have another shot at a title in 2020 and it may be with the most talented team he has had in his time at Georgia.

The Bulldogs return many of the starters from the 2019 record-breaking defense and have a new air-raid offensive system behind the arm of Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

A few other notable names on the list:

#8 – Florida head coach Dan Mullen

#9 – Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher

#13 – Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn

#15 – Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

#21 – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt

The Athletic ranks CFB’s best coaches – Is Kirby Smart too low?

The Athletic ranked the best coaches in college football, but did they rank Georgia football’s Kirby Smart too low?

This week, Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic ranked college football’s top coaches.

Kirby Smart checked in relatively high on both lists, but is he high enough?

Here are the two lists.

Stewart Mandel:

1. Nick Saban (Alabama) and Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

5. Kirby Smart, Georgia

6. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

7. James Franklin, Penn State

8. Dan Mullen, Florida

9. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

10. Bill Clark, UAB

Bruce Feldman:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. James Franklin, Penn State

4. Ed Orgeron, LSU

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

6. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

7. Kirby Smart, Georgia

8. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

9. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

10. Scott Satterfield, Louisville

Let’s discuss:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Everything Georgia football fans need to know about Baylor

Georgia won each prior meeting, but the game in New Orleans will be the first in which they’ve faced each other outside Sanford Stadium.

With conference championship week having come to a close, bowl season is upon us. The Georgia Bulldogs are headed to the Sugar Bowl to square off with the Baylor Bears, with whom they’ve competed four times across the programs’ histories.

Georgia won each prior meeting, but the contest in New Orleans will be the first in which the Dawgs have faced the Bears outside Sanford Stadium. It will be the first time the teams have played since 1989.

Baylor and Georgia enter the game with identical records (11-2), both having lost one regular season game and their respective conference title games.

The Bears’ two losses both came against playoff-bound Oklahoma by a combined ten points.

Led by third-year head coach Matt Rhule, Baylor will make its second consecutive bowl game following an incredible turnaround: the Bears finished with just one regular season win in Rhule’s first season, six in his second, and eleven in 2019.

Georgia’s second-longest active bowl streak continues with a second consecutive trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl. It will be Baylor’s first Sugar Bowl appearance since 1957, when the Bears shocked a second-ranked and previously undefeated Tennessee Volunteers squad by a score of thirteen to seven.

Baylor possesses a balanced, powerful offense that averages 257 yards passing and 175 yards rushing per game.

However, The Bears’ powerful offense may arrive to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome shorthanded; starting quarterback Charlie Brewer was knocked out early in the second quarter of this weekend’s Big XII Championship and stayed sidelined for the remainder of the game.

Backup quarterback Gerry Bohanon, who was also recruited by UGA, was later replaced by third-string QB Jacob Zeno against Oklahoma. Zeno led a comeback that took his team to overtime before coming up short. Prior to his team’s most recent game against the Sooners, Bohanon had attempted just 21 passes wearing green and gold. Zeno has attempted nine passes all year.

Baylor has a run-first offense, attempting 82 more rushes than passes in 2019 (476 to 394).

If Brewer, who’s posted a solid 20:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio with a 65% completion rate, remains out, expect an even heavier rushing attack procured by the Bears’ massive offensive linemen (three of whom have played together for over three years). Behind them, shifty tailbacks JaMycal Hasty and John Lovett have combined for 1251 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

On Defense, Baylor hasn’t allowed north of 30 points all year to anyone who doesn’t attend school in Norman, Oklahoma. This group of players amounts to one of the most physical defenses the team has produced in years, nearly half-full of seniors (Henry Black, Jameson Houston, James Lockhart, Chris Miller and Blake Lynch) all playing the best statistical season of each of their college careers.

They give up just 19.3 points per game facing an injury-plagued Georgia team that has failed to score over 27 points in all but one game (against Georgia Tech) since their first loss of the season to South Carolina two months ago.

Baylor presents a cohesive defensive unit against a rattled Silver Britches offense. Whether their signal caller is missing or not, the Bears are not to be underestimated.