Tag: South Carolina Gamecocks Football

Way too early 2024 SEC Football Power Rankings

The Sooners and Longhorns are making the jump to the SEC in 2024, so where do they land in our way-too-early power rankings?

In 2024, college football will look like nothing we’ve ever seen. Conference realignment did plastic surgery to the game we’ve grown up with.

The Pac-12 is essentially gone as Oregon, USC, Washington, and UCLA move to the Big Ten. The Big 12 added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. Stanford and Cal are off to the ACC, along with SMU getting a promotion from the AAC. The SEC is adding Texas and Oklahoma.

The College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams, coming off its most competitive four-team version.

All of this is happening in 2024.

It’s a new era of college football. For the SEC, the Sooners and Longhorns are coming off of double-digit win seasons and Texas made the playoff. But how do they stack up against their future SEC counterparts?

Here’s a look at our way-too-early SEC power rankings.

Way-too-early ranking of Oklahoma Football’s 2024 opponents

A way-too-early look at how the Oklahoma Sooners 2024 opponents stack up.

For all but two teams, the 2023 college football season has come to a close. That means it’s time to look ahead to the 2024 season.

After making significant improvements on both sides of the ball in 2023, the Sooners jumped from six to 10 wins in Brent Venables’ second season. But now they move to the SEC and are breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball.

Additionally, they’ll have a completely new offensive line from the group that started for the majority of the season and a new starting quarterback after [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] left for Oregon.

Jackson Arnold takes the reins at quarterback for the Sooners. Despite his Alamo Bowl performance, the ceiling is very high for Arnold and the Sooners offense.

But they’ve got a difficult schedule in 2024, in particular when they get to SEC play. But how would you rank their opponents in 2024? Here’s how we ranked them here at Sooners Wire.

What did 247Sports give the Oklahoma Sooners for Christmas this year?

247Sports shared what they’d give each of the top 25 teams in the nation for Christmas, so what did they give the Oklahoma Sooners?

The Oklahoma Sooners went into the final week of 2023 with another top-10 recruiting class and are preparing for their Alamo Bowl matchup with the Arizona Wildcats.

Ahead of the bowl, 247Sports shared what it would give each of the top 25 teams in the nation for Christmas. For the Oklahoma Sooners, it was a more favorable 2024 schedule.

The SEC unveiled its 2024 schedule earlier this month, and it did no favors to conference newcomer Oklahoma, which received one of the most difficult draws in league play. Battles with LSU, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri headline the slate. – Carter Bahns, 247Sports

More: Oklahoma Sooners Full 2024 schedule

The Oklahoma Sooners have five programs on the schedule inside the top 13 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Texas and Alabama highlight the list as they prepare for the College Football Playoff, but Ole Miss and Missouri have been making moves on the recruiting trail to try to take another step next season. The road trip to LSU at the end of the year will make for an incredibly difficult atmosphere. Throw in Tennessee, which has become one of the better offensive teams under [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag]. Oh, and let’s not forget traveling to face Auburn or hosting a South Carolina team with an improving defense. The Sooners have one of the more difficult schedules in the country in 2024.

But that’s to be expected heading into the SEC. The Sooners wouldn’t want it any other way. That was the point of joining the conference. A schedule full of marquee matchups is what the Oklahoma brass was hoping for when they made the move to the SEC.

More: Way too early 2024 schedule prediction

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Early Reaction: The 2024 Texas A&M football schedule provides a path to the College Football Playoff

The Aggies will have seven home games at Kyle Field, four road contests and one neutral site matchup, deep in the heart of Texas. What’s most encouraging about the schedule is that the most difficult games on paper, will all be played in College Station.

The 2024 Texas A&M football schedule was released on Wednesday evening and it may be extremely early, but the slate is simple yet encouraging.

The Aggies will have seven home games at Kyle Field, four road contests and one neutral site matchup, deep in the heart of Texas. What’s most encouraging about the schedule is that the most difficult games on paper, will all be played in College Station.

New head coach Mike Elko will see a familiar face on the opposing sideline to begin the new campaign. On Aug. 31, Texas A&M hosts Notre Dame, led by senior quarterback Riley Leonard, who recently transferred to South Bend in the portal following the departure of Elko from Durham.

The Aggies will remain at Kyle Field the following week and play McNeese State. Texas A&M begins SEC competition on Sept. 14 at Florida. The Aggies return home to battle Bowling Green in week four.

The Southwest Classic is back on Sept. 28. Texas A&M will travel three hours north to play Arkansas at AT&T Stadium. The Aggies defeated the Razorbacks 34-22 at Jerry’s World this season.

Texas A&M hosts Missouri on Oct. 5 in its SEC home opener then has its first bye week. The Aggies will play at Mississippi State on Oct. 19.

If Texas A&M defeats Notre Dame to begin the season, the Aggies could be undefeated entering a home game against LSU on Oct. 26. With Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels likely departing for the 2024 NFL Draft, Texas A&M may be betting favorites entering this SEC showdown.

The Aggies play at South Carolina on Nov. 2, have their second bye the following week, then host New Mexico State on Nov. 16. The final road game of the regular season is at Auburn on Nov. 23.

Days after giving thanks on Turkey Day, the Lone Star Showdown officially returns after a decade-plus, which is certainly something to be thankful for. Texas A&M hosts the University of Texas on Nov. 30 at Kyle Field. The Longhorns will be competing for a national championship to conclude 2023 as 1-of-4 teams to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

With the CFP expanding to 12 teams in 2024, the Aggies’ chances of making it have tripled. Therefore, if Texas A&M plays its cards right, the Texas Series could not only be for a berth to the SEC championship but perhaps an opportunity to bring home to College Station the first national title in nearly a century.

Without Alabama or Georgia on their 2024 regular season schedule, the Aggies have a clear path to competing for a national championship next season. Whether or not they capitalize on that opportunity is to be seen.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2024 football schedule

A look at the Oklahoma Sooners full schedule for 2024, their first in the SEC.

The SEC unveiled its schedule for the 2024 season, so now we know when the Sooners will play their new conference foes next season.

The schedule was always going to be daunting. You don’t move to the SEC without an understanding that you’re playing the best of the best nearly every week. But there are some positives in the Sooners’ schedule, such as the bye week before the Red River Showdown and another before the closing two-game stretch against Alabama and LSU.

The Sooners start with four consecutive games at home before going on the road to Auburn, Alabama, for their first SEC road game in their new conference.

Here’s a look at the Oklahoma Sooners’ full 2024 football schedule.

Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper received one off the highest PFF grades after the Aggies’ 30-17 win over South Carolina

After the Aggies’ 30-17 win over South Carolina, standout linebacker Edgerrin Cooper recorded a prolific PFF grade.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) matched their 2022 win record after defeating South Carolina (2-6, 1-5 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, led by another incredible defensive performance, junior standout linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who, yes, we talk about a lot in Aggie media due to his outstanding play this season, set another personal record.

While the Aggies’ defense limited the Gamecocks to 209 total yards, including 33 yards rushing, quarterback Spencer Rattler was harassed all day, sacking the senior signal caller four times while notching ten tackles for loss.

Leading the country in sacks (33) tackles for loss (75), and 13th in run defense, Cooper, who personally leads all active players with 15.5 tackles for loss, and the Aggies with 52 tackles and seven sacks, once again finished the game at the top of the stat sheet with seven tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss. According to PFF (Pro Football Focus), Cooper recorded a nearly perfect 93.6 defensive grade and a 93.3 coverage grade, rounding out his 91.7 overall grade, the best among linebackers, and ranked third in the FBS.

Cooper’s incredible jump this season is based on hard work and dedicated coaching, as second-year defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin’s new role as the team’s linebacker coach has elevated not only Cooper but freshman LB Taurean York, who is second on the team with 47 tackles.

Traveling to face the 11th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday morning, Texas A&M’s surging D has yet to face a Top 10 offense, as the Rebels present a challenge through the air and on the ground, making Edgerrin Cooper’s consistent impact that much more critical as it tougher down the stretch.

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 5, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

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Best Photos: Texas A&M 30-17 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks

The Aggies bounce back at Kyle Field, beating South Carolina 30-17 on Saturday afternoon

With a much-needed win to avoid a three-game losing streak, the Aggies got the job done against a struggling South Carolina team. Texas A&M hit the 30-point threshold for the first time in a month, giving the offense a little bit of juice to close out the season.

DJ Durkin has continued to call solid defensive game plans since the Miami loss and found a few ways to help his lackluster secondary play. That improvement also saw Edgerrin Cooper make a huge jump to the next level as the season progressed, seeing him play at an All-American level.

With just a few weeks left in the regular season, the Aggies need to win out for this to be considered a successful season. Another 8-4 season will result in more calls for changes at the head coach position. Even with the team’s issues this year, they are still confident they can end the season on a high note.

Below, you can check out the best photos from the game on Saturday.

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Texas A&M’s second half scoring woes are an issue that must be solved in the final four games

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher’s lack of second-half adjustments must change with two key SEC road trips remaining this season.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) finally entered the win column after defeating South Carolina (2-6, 1-5 SEC) 30-17 on Saturday afternoon, ending their two-game SEC skid, while matching last season’s win total.

Yes, the Aggies offense scored 30 points for the first time since netting 34 in the win vs. Arkansas, but 21 of said points came in the second quarter, including a late 42-yard touchdown strike to WR Ainias Smith with just seconds remaining in the half. Oh, and Max Wright’s incredible end zone grab that was called incomplete? That was a touchdown, folks.

However, just like we’ve seen throughout SEC play, Texas A&M’s offense scored nine points by way of three Randy Bond Field goals and have yet to score a touchdown in the second half of their past four games (Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina) including 18 total points scored with a 2-2 record, as most of the blame falls on head coach Jimbo Fisher’s last of half time adjustments.

I agree that simply stating a lack of “adjustments” is vague. However, this unwelcome trend was blatantly evident in the loss to Alabama after the Aggies held a respectable but susceptible 17-7 halftime lead. At the same time, Fisher, in his usual conservative nature, opted to allow the clock to run down instead of calling a timeout after sacking Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe to drive down the field for another potential scoring opportunity.

Fast forward to the second half, as Alabama head coach Nick Saban, dealing with a ten-point deficit in front of a packed Kyle Field, took advantage of the weak spots in A&M’s secondary while imposing their will against the Aggies’ porous offensive line with more blitz through the A and B gaps. Scoring just three points due to the uptick in pocket pressure, Aggies quarterback Max Johnson was officially rattled, and the Crimson Tide had won the battle by an underwhelming score of 26-20.

On Saturday, if it wasn’t for the Aggies’ suffocating pass rush and solid play in the secondary, we could have been discussing a complete offensive turnaround from the Gamecocks, who brought the score within seven after a quick 6-play scoring drive with just over two minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

I’m not a coach, and I don’t play one on TV, but next weekend’s early kickoff on the road vs. Ole Miss, one of the top remaining contenders in the SEC West, is the perfect matchup to finally implement several second-half adjustments, such as relying on 12 personnel looks in pass protection, implementing a quick passing game to get Johnson in rhythm, and making wide receivers Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart the offensive focal points is a good start.

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 5, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

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Five takeaways from Texas A&M’s 30-17 bounce back win over South Carolina

The Aggies’ sluggish second half traits continue, while Cooper and Ainias shined. Here are the takeaways from Texas A&M’s Week 9 win.

For at least one more week, all is well in Aggieland after Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) picked up a much-needed win against South Carolina (2-6, 1-5 SEC) in Week 9.

The Aggies trounced the Gamecocks to the tune of 30-17, with much of their victory coming off the heels of a 21-0 second-quarter offensive surge. While there remain clear areas of improvement, namely on offense, A&M improved just enough to put them in a comfortable position to win on Saturday.

Of course, their goal was much much easier thanks to another elite performance from the Aggies’ defense, which forced three intentional groundings on Spencer Rattler while allowing just two offensive scoring drives from South Carolina all afternoon.

There’s little time to relish in the victory, however, as A&M prepares to go back on the road for a significant matchup against Ole Miss. Of course, it’s always worth looking back at the takeaways in order to build off of what worked, and to address what needs fixing.

Here are five takeaways from Texas A&M’s much-needed bounce-back win against South Carolina.

Social Media Reacts to Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina

Here are the best social media reactions to Texas A&M’s potentially season-saving 30-17 win over South Carolina.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) was in dire need of a victory after the bye week, previously dropping their last two SEC matchups in close losses to Alabama and Tennessee. Facing a beatable South Carolina team who were also coming off of consecutive losses, head coach Jimbo Fisher’s shaky future needed a jolt of energy, coming in the form of a blowout home victory.

Behind yet another impressive defensive effort led by star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (7 tackles, one sack, one TFL) and safety Bryce Anderson (7 tackles, two sacks, 2.5 TFLS), the Aggies offense, still a painfully slow work in progress, did find the end zone three times in the first half, including an impressive second quarter explosion capped by by quarterback Max Johnson’s 45-yard strike to do-it-all wide receiver Ainias with to take a 21-7 lead into halftime.

After the game, every Aggie fan, media member, and general Texas A&M hater made their way to social media to either congratulate or continue to mock the Maroon & White in an always entertaining fashion.

Here are the best social media reactions from Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.