Tag: Tulane Green Wave

Sooners’ A.D. releases statement on OU’s Sep. 4 game in New Orleans

With weather concerns growing as Hurricane Ida threatens New Orleans, Sooners Athletic Director Joe Castiglione updated the opener’s status.

Amid weather concerns regarding the potential landfall of Hurricane Ida working it’s way up the Gulf of Mexico, the Oklahoma Sooners Sep. 4 matchup with the Tulane Green Wave has been put in doubt.

As the two universities continue to track the situation, University of Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione released a statement Friday about the upcoming season opener.

Statement from OU Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione:

As the National Weather Service tracks tropical storm and hurricane activity in the Atlantic and Gulf Regions, and as predictive models are updated, we have received many inquiries from fans planning to follow the Sooners to New Orleans next week when we open the 2021 football season at Tulane University. In the spirit of proactive planning and communication, I have been in regular contact with Tulane Athletics Director Troy Dannen for the past month. In the past few days, we have stayed in even closer contact as we continue to monitor the development of Hurricane Ida, which is currently forecasted to arrive along the Gulf Coast this weekend. First and foremost, our concern is with any and all those in the path of the storm. We are praying for everyone’s safety. At this time, the game slated for Saturday, September 4, is still on as planned. However, both universities are considering contingencies should post-storm conditions warrant. It is too early to speculate, but we will continue to monitor the situation and be prepared to take necessary actions as appropriate. Again, our concern rests with our friends at Tulane and all of those who could be impacted by the hurricane. Please follow OU Athletics online accounts for updates. – Courtesy of OU Athletic Department

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Tulane Green Wave will meet for just the second time in their respective histories. The Sooners won the last matchup in a blow out. Next week’s matchup could stay in New Orleans. There’s a possibility the game is rescheduled, relocated, or even cancelled if the weather doesn’t allow for travel.

As the weather situation continues to evolve, the University of Oklahoma will continue to update the status of the Sooners’ opener.

[listicle id=36380]

Which School has the easiest, toughest non-conference schedule in the Big 12?

Which Big 12 school has the easiest and the toughest non-conference schedule according to CBS Sports?

It doesn’t take much analysis to think the Oklahoma Sooners have one of the easiest non-conference schedules in the country. In the Big 12, it was dubbed the easiest by CBS Sports college football analyst Jerry Palm. Palm took a lot at each conference and selected the toughest and easiest non-conference schedules for each.

With little surprise, Palm picked the Sooners as the team from the Big 12 with the easiest nonconference schedule, while their rival, and realignment travel buddy Texas, was selected as the toughest.

Palm cites the Longhorns as the only team playing a full FBS schedule in non-conference play, while the rest of the Big 12 has FCS schools on their schedule.

Because of the size of the league and the full round-robin conference schedule, the Big 12 has the fewest number of nonconference games at 30. Still, only Texas is playing a full schedule of FBS teams, which means the Big 12 is playing the greatest percentage of games against FCS opposition (30%). Texas is one of three schools to have not played a lower-division opponent since Division I-AA was formed in 1978. Notre Dame and USC are the others. – Palm

Palm also notes that Texas’ matchup with the University of Louisiana features the only game with two opponents currently ranked in the top 25. Texas will also play former Southwest conference rivals in the Arkansas Razorbacks and Rice Owls.

While Texas is taking the road less traveled compared to its Big 12 counterparts, Oklahoma has arguably the easiest path to an undefeated non-conference slate.

There’s a dearth of big games on the Big 12 nonconference slate. Besides Iowa-Iowa State, Texas hosting Louisiana is the only game featuring two teams ranked in the preseason polls. That certainly bodes well for Oklahoma, which looks to have an especially easy nonconference path.

Oklahoma’s schedule of Tulane, Western Carolina, and Nebraska features a group of teams that went 10-19 in 2020. Not really a murderer’s row of teams.

If the Sooners don’t start the season 3-0, it would be an incredible upset for a team with national championship aspirations. The question in these games isn’t, “will the Sooners win?”, but “how much will the Sooners win by?”

[listicle id=36380]

Blowouts and building blocks : Takeaways from Lincoln Riley’s four season openers

With week one of the college football season fast approaching, how has Lincoln Riley faired in season openers?

While Oklahoma didn’t punch its way into the College Football Playoffs in 2020, the COVID-altered campaign still provided some very positive takeaways for the Crimson and Cream.

In week five, the Sooners took down the Horned Frogs, 33-14 in Fort Worth. Quarterback Spencer Rattler dissected the TCU defense for 332 yards and a pair of touchdowns. More impressively, the young signal-caller proved he had learned a valuable lesson following his benching in the previous game versus Texas as he completed 13 of his 22 passes with no interceptions. Rattler would throw just two more picks that season as the Oklahoma offense became as efficient as it was explosive.

A 41-13 beatdown of Oklahoma State in week eight showcased to the nation that Alex Grinch’s defense would only improve from there. The Sooners bottlenecked now-Carolina Panthers running back Chubba Hubbard to 43 yards on the ground while tormenting Spencer Sanders into three sacks and an interception.

Last, but certainly not least is the 2020 Cotton Bowl. Where OU’s 55-20 blowout win over Florida cemented the Sooners’ beliefs that they could hang against SEC competition.

Each season brings unique opportunities and challenges in the world of college football. However, looking back at a program’s past can help predict future tendencies.

With Oklahoma’s season opener against Tulane just 14 days away, here’s how the Sooners have faired in week one during the Lincoln Riley era.

Ranking the Oklahoma Sooners’ 12 games on the 2021 schedule

Ranking the Oklahoma Sooners’ 12 games on the 2021 schedule

2021 has a chance to be a fantastic season for the Oklahoma Sooners. Already one of the higher-ranked teams in the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches’ poll (3rd) and the AP Top 25 (2nd), the Sooners look destined for a remarkable season.

Before they can take their place in the College Football Playoff and contend for their eighth national championship, the Sooners must navigate a regular-season schedule that doesn’t look too bad on the surface but has some potential hazards.

With 18 days remaining until the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Tulane Green Wave, let’s power rank the schedule from the easiest matchups to the toughest.

Tulane to require proof of negative COVID test or vaccination for admittance to home games

With a growing number of positive COVID tests and hospitalizations, New Orleans has implemented new protocols. OU plays Tulane September 4th.

[mm-video type=video id=01fd0krdx1mwygx8jwps playlist_id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fd0krdx1mwygx8jwps/01fd0krdx1mwygx8jwps-fdc60a6f6365049bfaac9d9884026bf7.jpg]

COVID-19 has been the reality of our lives in the United States for nearly a year and a half now. It doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon either. A virus that has claimed countless lives and has impacted the financial and social constructs of the country will continue to play a role in how society operates in the fall of 20212.

As positive cases and hospitalizations soar in recent weeks, many cities and states across the countries are working to determine how to combat this recent surge. Universities will have to figure out how best to address it for the safety of their student bodies.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Tulane University looks to be the first to require proof vaccination or a negative PCR test within 72 hours to gain admittance to athletic events on campus.

The Oklahoma Sooners will travel to play the Tulane Green Wave on September 4th in New Orleans. With testing procedures already in place for the Sooners, it’s unlikely this will affect Oklahoma all that much.

When speaking to the media, D.J, Graham estimated that 90% of the team was vaccinated. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated players will submit to testing and the schools must meet certain thresholds to play or games may be subject to forfeit.

Those it may impact are fans hoping to make the trip for the game. Regulations stipulate that proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test within 72 hours of game time — and not the antigen testing that’s done more rapidly — will be required to enter.

Questions will soon turn to capacity levels in stadiums as states look to stem the rate of positive tests and hospitalizations.

Oklahoma Sooners 2021 Football Schedule

Oklahoma Sooners 2021 football schedule

The Oklahoma Sooners are set to embark on what could be a run at their first national championship in 21 seasons. Hoping to capture their seventh straight Big 12 Championship, the Sooners will be returning one of the most explosive offenses in college football led by Lincoln Riley and Spencer Rattler.

Finally, Lincoln Riley has a defense he can feel comfortable with heading into the season. Alex Grinch’s squad is looking to be a unit that can win this team games by taking the ball away and giving it back to the high-powered offense.

The 50th anniversary of the “Game of the Century” highlights the non-conference schedule as part of Fox’s Big Noon Saturday kickoff show. Games against Iowa State and Kansas State offer opportunities for redemption and the Sooners must navigate their way through the annual minefield that is the Red River Rivalry.

Some game times and broadcast information are still to be determined. Times are listed in the central time zone.

Week
Date
Opponent
Time
1 9/4 at Tulane Green Wave (ABC) 11 a.m. 
2 9/11 vs. Western Carolina Catamounts TBA
3 9/18 vs Nebraska Cornhuskers (FOX) 11 a.m.
4 9/25 vs. West Virginia Mountaineers TBA
5 10/2 at Kansas State Wildcats TBA
6 10/9 vs. Texas Longhorns in Dallas, TX TBA
7 10/16 vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs TBA
8 10/23 at. Kansas Jayhawks TBA
9 10/30 vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders TBA
10 11/6 BYE WEEK TBA
11 11/13 at Baylor Bears TBA
12 11/20 vs. Iowa State Cyclones TBA
13 11/27 at Oklahoma State Cowboys TBA

[listicle id=31013]

Penn State’s all-time record against every American Athletic Conference member

Penn State has a lopsided history in games played against current AAC members, but Navy has hung tight historically.

Penn State does not have a tremendous amount of history against most members of the American Athletic Conference. But Penn State has a lopsided history in their favor against one member, the Temple Owls, and a slightly favorable all-time record against another, the Navy Midshipmen.

Games against other current members of the AAC have been limited to small numbers, with a handful of bowl matchups in the record books. The most recent meeting with the AAC came at the end of the 2019 season when Penn State topped Memphis in the highest-scoring Cotton Bowl to date.

All data referenced is credited to College Football Reference. Rankings referenced are AP Top 25 where available.

If you want more, check out Penn State’s all-time records against current members of the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC.

Note: Penn State has never faced Tulsa.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. 

Television information for two of Oklahoma’s first three games announced

Television information for two of Oklahoma football’s first three games was announced on Thursday afternoon.

In late May, any piece of football news is a blessing for fans clamoring for the season’s return in three months. On Thursday, they received a little something to chew on and look forward to with television information being announced for two of Oklahoma’s first three games.

The Sooners will open in New Orleans against Tulane with an 11 a.m. CT kickoff on Sept. 4 that will be broadcast on ABC. While fans probably will not be thrilled about the morning kickoff time, the time slot will provide Oklahoma with one of the bigger stages of opening weekend with many eyes glued to Heisman hopeful Spencer Rattler’s first game of the year.

The Sooners will return home to face Western Carolina the following week on Sept. 11 before hosting rival Nebraska on Sept. 18 for the first time since the Cornhuskers left for the Big Ten.

We don’t have a kickoff time for that game yet, but we know the game will be carried on a Fox Network. Whether that means Fox itself or Fox Sports 1 will be determined – although it can probably be safely assumed the game will be featured of Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff.”

Sooners Wire will continue to provide updates as more pieces of Oklahoma’s 2021 schedule fall into place.

 

UPDATE:

A FOX Sports official release has confirmed that Oklahoma’s game against Nebraska will kick off at 11 a.m. CT and be broadcast on FOX.

Army’s attempted kickoff return trick play ended in complete disaster with a Tulane TD

Oh no!

This could be a fabulous trick play if executed properly. But that’s a big “if,” and Army showed exactly what can happen when something like this is botched. But let’s rewind.

Tulane was crushing Army on Saturday, and in the fourth quarter, the Green Wave took a 31-12 lead with less than five minutes left after the Black Knights turned the ball over on downs on their own 17-yard line. Things weren’t looking good for Army, so it tried something tricky.

Unfortunately for the Black Knights, this attempted trick play on the subsequent kickoff return ended in complete disaster.

Freshman running back Tyrell Robinson caught the ball at about the goal line and ran 10 yards. Then he suddenly turned to his right and launched a (questionable) lateral in the general direction of two of his teammates.

But Tulane senior wide receiver Jaetavian Toles was right there and picked off the pass and easily ran eight yards in for the touchdown.

Just like that, Tulane went from having a 24-12 lead to having a wild 38-12 lead in about a minute.

And even though only a few minutes were left on the clock, things somehow got worse for Army. After giving up this disastrous touchdown, the Black Knights junior quarterback Christian Anderson threw an interception on their final drive of the game.

Tulane was able to run out the clock and hand Army only its second loss of the season while earning its first win against a ranked opponent since 1984 (Army is No. 15 in the Coaches Poll).

But Army’s failed trick play — points for creativity, but that’s probably going to sting for a while.

[jwplayer 9n9zqDb4-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=959167]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

AAC Preview: 2021 NFL Draft prospects to watch and team predictions

Josh Keatley takes a dive into the win totals and top prospects for each AAC team in 2020

Despite the college football season being up in the air, a great gambler continues to study and evaluate. The AAC as a Group of 5 conference is even more up in the air, but we still need to examine the Vegas win totals and my expectations for each. I also highlight three prospects on each team that have the most intriguing NFL potential.

Cincinnati Bearcats: Vegas Win Total- 8.5

This team won 11 games last season and head coach, Luke Fickell has this team rolling and ready for another double digit win season. Fickell turned down Power-5 jobs and a big reason has to be that he believes this team can reach the next level after winning 11 games in back-to-back seasons. Nebraska, Memphis & UCF are not going to be fun games on the schedule, but they should be able to go 1-2 against that trio and still hit this over confidently. This already impressive defense returns ten starters and Fickell has taken the recruiting up a notch. Prediction: Over 8.5

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Top Prospects:

James Wiggins, S, 6-0, 205 pounds, Sr.: Wiggins is the forgotten man as far as preseason draft hype goes, but the All-AAC selection checks a ton of boxes you look for in an early-round safety selection. His 2019 season was lost due to an injury, but he will remind scouts of his potential in 2020.

James Smith, P, 6-5, 232 pounds, Sr.: Smith had a disappointing 2019 season after his net punting average fell from 44.3 yards to 41 yards in 2019, but he is still one of the top punters in college football. The All-AAC selection will be looking to return to his Ray Guy Award finalist form.

Gerrid Doaks, RB, 6-0, 230 pounds, Sr.: It is crazy to think Doaks was actually slated to be the starter in 2018, but due to injuries and the emergence of Michael Warren II, Doaks was forced to take a backseat. Doaks is now 100% and will be a name to watch after gaining 526 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11