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How the SEC gutted Big 12, became a softball juggernaut, Oklahoma to Texas | Toppmeyer

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How the SEC gutted Big 12, became a softball juggernaut, Oklahoma to Texas | Toppmeyer


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The “Fantastic Four,” they called it.

The Big 12 rested on the brink of change in 2011 – much as it does now. Colorado and Nebraska had their bags packed for new conferences. Missouri and Texas A&M weren’t far behind, soon to be off to the SEC.

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The 2011 Women’s College World Series provided a moment of celebration and conference pride that briefly interrupted that period of Big 12 turbulence.

Four of the eight WCWS participants in 2011 hailed from the Big 12: Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Texas and Texas A&M also fielded top teams that season, although they were eliminated before reaching Oklahoma City.

“It’s a testament to this conference being one of the best,” Sooners softball coach Patty Gasso told a reporter at the time.

That was true then. By next spring, it’ll be but a memory.

One by one, the SEC gutted the Big 12. The ramifications are especially apparent in softball.

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Big 12 softball took a curtain call this past week. The WCWS finals pit rivals Oklahoma and Texas against one another. Oklahoma swept the best-of-three series to four-peat as national champions after Texas had earned the No. 1 seed.

[ This column was featured in our SEC Unfiltered newsletter, emailed free to your inbox five days a week. Want more commentary like this? Sign up here the USA TODAY Network’s newsletter on SEC sports. It’s free. We invite you to join the conversation. ]

In less than a month, both schools will call the SEC home.

By now, Missouri and Texas A&M know the terrain. The SEC qualified all 13 of its softball-playing members for the NCAA Tournament this season – the Tigers and Aggies among them.

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The decay of the Big 12, as we once knew it, coincided with the surge of SEC softball. Many analyses have been penned from softball aficionados about the shift in conference dominance from the Pac-10 to the SEC. The SEC invested in its coaches, facilities and recruiting to help fuel its softball takeover.

Part of the SEC’s ascent, though, simply stems from brute force and its seizure of Missouri and Texas A&M and now Oklahoma and Texas. The former two made the conference stronger in softball. The latter two will solidify it as a juggernaut.

I don’t blame the SEC. When desirable schools became available, it pounced and strengthened itself. It’s not personal. Just business. And good for the business of SEC softball, at the Big 12’s expense.

Missouri, Texas A&M and now Oklahoma and Texas became the SEC’s “Fantastic Four.”  

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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfilteredand newsletter, SEC Football Unfiltered. Subscribe to read all of his columns.





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Oklahoma

Does Drew Mestemaker Have Path to Heisman at Oklahoma State?

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Does Drew Mestemaker Have Path to Heisman at Oklahoma State?


Oklahoma State hasn’t had a Heisman winner since 1988, but it might have a candidate next season.

Throughout OSU football history, there have been some iconic players to roll through Stillwater and plenty more iconic college football seasons. Most recently, Ollie Gordon’s 2023 campaign sent shockwaves through the college football landscape as he broke out to become the nation’s leading rusher and led OSU to a Big 12 Championship appearance and a 10-win season.

Of course, that would be the final big season of the Mike Gundy era. After that 10-4 campaign that saw OSU reach heights no one could have expected, the Cowboys fell off a cliff, winning only four games since.

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With Gundy now out at OSU, Eric Morris is looking to bring another era of success to Stillwater, and it might all start with a bang with Drew Mestemaker running the show under center in 2026. Last season, Mestemaker was the starting quarterback for Morris’ North Texas squad and established himself as one of the top passers in the country.

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While OSU has seen guys like Brandon Weeden, Mason Rudolph and Zac Robinson over the years, it’s been a while since the Cowboys have had an elite gunslinger, which Mestemaker could soon be in Stillwater. With the Mean Green in 2025, Mestemaker finished with 4,379 yards, 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions, marks which would make him the talk of college football if he can repeat that against Big 12 competition.

Of course, any Heisman campaign for Mestemaker will be about much more than his impressive numbers on the field. OSU has managed to win only two games against FBS teams in the past two years and is riding a 19-game Big 12 losing streak.

Anything Mestemaker can do in the stat sheet is great, but his real impact that would catch Heisman-like attention is how his play changes the Cowboys’ fate. If OSU can climb back into the Big 12 title picture in just one season after a 1-11 record in 2025, Mestemaker will almost certainly be at the front of that story. After Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman run at Indiana, the stage is clearly set for players like Mestemaker to use immense team success to their advantage in the Heisman race. 

Perhaps putting Mestemaker in any sort of Heisman talks is premature, but considering his year at North Texas and how quickly turnarounds can happen in this era of college football, don’t be shocked if a Cowboy is at the Heisman ceremony in December.

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Two arrested on murder complaints following fatal NW OKC sledding crash

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Two arrested on murder complaints following fatal NW OKC sledding crash


OKLAHOMA CITY –

Two people were arrested on murder complaints following a deadly sledding crash in northwest Oklahoma City Sunday night, according to police.

Police said the crash happened near Northwest 81st Street and Northwest Walker Avenue.

According to police, Makayla Mitchell, 31, was on a sled being pulled by a car driven by Angel Walzier, 22. Police said the rope connecting the sled to the car broke, and caused Mitchell to stop in the street.

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Police said James Kirk, 24, was in a separate car and hit Mitchell.

Mitchell was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.

Kirk and Walzier were both evaluated by a Drug Recognition Officer, who believed they both showed signs of impairment.

Police said blood draw warrants were completed for Kirk and Walzier.

Kirk was arrested on multiple complaints, including murder II, aggravated DUI, child endangerment, and causing fatality collision w/o a license.

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Walzier was arrested on complaints of murder II and aggravated DUI.





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ODOT warns Oklahomans of black ice forming overnight Sunday

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ODOT warns Oklahomans of black ice forming overnight Sunday


OKLAHOMA –

Oklahoma Department of Transportation is warning travelers of black ice throughout the state, discouraging any travel overnight Sunday.

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Black ice is defined as a dangerous hazard that blends in with the dark road where it appears wet, but is a thin layer of ice that can cause cars to slide while driving.

Agency officials say they are continuing the roadway treatments and plowing statewide, with minor improvements in West and North/Central Oklahoma roadways.

ODOT says there are still various interstates and highways that can remain slick and snow-covered, including some in OKC and Tulsa.

If travel is necessary, drive with extreme caution.

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You can find traffic advisories through the official ODOT portal here.

Live blog tracking Oklahoma traffic impacts, snow totals, and closures in Oklahoma City and surrounding areas.

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