Oklahoma
Joel Klatt believes Oklahoma, Missouri schedule strengths are 'not in the same hemisphere'
Sooners Football: Paul Finebaum talks Oklahoma defense
Scheduling has not been the SEC’s strength since expanding by two teams. Not just long-term, where there still has not been a decision made about playing eight or nine conference games per season. But for the next two years, schedules are not viewed as equal, at least from the outside.
For FOX’s Joel Klatt, the difference between Missouri and Oklahoma might be the most egregious. He does not view them “in the same hemisphere” over the course of eight games. Klatt sees an easier path to success for Eli Drinkwitz than the coaching staff in Norman.
CLICK HERE to go to PrizePicks and use code ON3 to receive a guaranteed $50 once you play $5 in lineups!
“If you’re Brent Venables, and anybody from OU, how do you look at your schedule and then you look at Missouri’s schedule and you’re like ‘Time out. Are we in the same league? What is going on?’ Look at those two schedules. They’re not in the same hemisphere. One might as well be a Group of Five schedule vs. an NFL schedule. They’re miles apart,” Klatt said.
Oklahoma kicks off SEC play on Saturday against Tennessee, the current No. 6 ranked team per the AP poll. Texas (ranked No. 1), Alabama (4), Ole Miss (5), Missouri (7), and LSU (16) will face the Sooners at one point this season.
Watch College Football Games Live -Try for Free Fubo! Click HERE NOW
Save $30 on your first month of Fubo by CLICKING HERE NOW! For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
For comparison, the only current ranked matchups for Missouri outside of Oklahoma are Alabama and Texas A&M (currently No. 25). Quite a difference, at least on paper, heading into Week 4 of the season.
This could lead Missouri to have a bit of an inflated record, one potentially good enough to get into the College Football Playoff. On the flip, Oklahoma facing such a number of high-quality teams might lead to a few more losses than what Venables’ squad deserves in their first-ever SEC season.
“Missouri’s record is going to be better than their team,” Klatt said. “Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s record is going to be worse than their team.”
Next season might not be any better with the same scheduling playing out and the venues just flipped. A balance should come to the SEC beginning in 2026 once deciding the long-term future, setting permanent opponents, and making sure teams play each other every other year.
For now, Venables has quite the hill to climb against quality foes over eight games. Tennessee might wind up being one of the tougher challenges for his team, hoping to start their time in the SEC off with a statement victory.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA (KOKH) — The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a home fire late Tuesday evening, around 10:42 p.m.
According to OKCFD, fire could be seen from a window of the home located in the 4200 block of N. Phillips Avenue.
Firefighters were able to rescue an adult female from inside the home. No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.
Investigators believe that the fire may have originated from an outlet near the refrigerator that had a power strip plugged in that was supplying multiple appliances.
There was also no smoke detector present within the home.
For more local news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter by clicking here.
NORMAN — The Sooners were behind the eight ball for much of Tuesday’s game against Oral Roberts.
But one swing of the bat got them in a more favorable position.
Shortstop Jaxon Willits blasted a grand slam in the sixth inning to give No. 14 Oklahoma its first lead before eventually winning 7-6.
The Sooners trailed by as many as five runs before they rallied late.
In the first inning, Oral Roberts’ Cooper Combs hit a two-out grand slam to give the Golden Eagles a comfortable cushion. OU infielder Deiten Lachance got the Sooners on the board in the second inning with a solo home run, but ORU responded with a solo shot of its own in the next frame.
The Golden Eagles made it a 6-1 run game in the top of the fourth, and they appeared to be on cruise control. But in the bottom of that frame, OU’s rally began.
Dasan Harris made it a four-run game again with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth before Camden Johnson hit a sacrifice fly of his own in the fifth.
Then, in the sixth, the Sooners took their first lead of the game.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
Harris singled before Kyle Branch and Connor Larkin walked to load the bases. Willits then swung at the first pitch he saw, sending it well over the right-center field fence.
Neither team scored after Willits’ home run, as OU relief pitcher Xander Mercurius retired nine ORU batters in a row to seal the Sooners’ one-run win.
Michael Catalano started on the mound for Oklahoma, but his outing was short-lived — he gave up four earned runs on two hits and five walks in 1 ⅓ innings.
After coach Skip Johnson relieved Catalano in the second inning, six different OU arms entered the game. Reid Hensley collected the win, while Mercurius got the save.
OU improved to 28-12 overall with the win, while Oral Roberts dropped to 23-15. The Sooners are 7-3 in midweek games this season, and they clinched the season sweep of the Golden Eagles on Tuesday.
Next, the Sooners will hit the road for a three-game series against Auburn. The Tigers, ranked No. 11 by D1Baseball, are 10-8 in SEC play and took two of three games against Florida over the weekend.
The series will open on Friday, and first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Follow
NORMAN — After an up-and down week that saw Oklahoma drop the lone Bedlam match of the season, and then split two tight games with Arkansas before blowing out the Razorbacks on Sunday, the Sooners remained No. 1 in the NFCA/Go Rout coaches’ poll released Tuesday.
But there’s far from a consensus.
Oklahoma received 12 first-place votes — the same total they had last week — but five other teams received first-place votes.
Texas Tech remained No. 2 with four four-place votes and Alabama No. 3 with seven. Nebraska moved up two spots to No. 4 with four first-place votes, followed by Florida with two and UCLA with two.
Texas is No. 7, followed by Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida State.
Texas A&M, the Sooners’ opponent for the final regular-season weekend in two weeks, comes in at No. 11.
Other SEC teams include Georgia at No. 15, Mississippi State at No. 17 and LSU at No. 20.
OU hosts the Georgia Bulldogs in a three-game series beginning Friday.
Other Sooners’ opponents this season in the polls include No. 14 Duke, No. 18 Oklahoma State, No. 19 Arizona, No. 24 Arizona State and No. 25 Washington.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
Oklahoma also remained in the top spot in the D1Softball poll, with Alabama No. 2 there followed by Texas Tech, Nebraska at Texas.
The Sooners dropped a spot in the Softball America poll, with Nebraska elevating to No. 1 behind the two-way stardom of former OU standout Jordy Frahm (formerly Jordy Bahl).
Frahm is 13-4 with a 1.36 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 118 2/3 innings in the circle and hitting .440 with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs. Another former Sooners player, Hannah Coor, is among the Cornhuskers’ regulars as well.
The Sooners have 158 home runs, just three away from tying their own season record in the category, but UCLA has closed the gap in a major way, sitting just four behind Oklahoma.
OU freshman sensation Kendall Wells leads the nation with 34 home runs, three ahead of UCLA’s Megan Grant. Wells tied Jocelyn Alo‘s program record for home runs in a season with her home run in Sunday’s win.
The Sooners host Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 6 p.m. Tuesday in their final non-conference game of the season before opening the series against Georgia at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Love’s FIeld.
Follow
-
Culture3 minutes agoPoetry Challenge Day 4: What The Stars Can Teach Us About Love
-
Lifestyle9 minutes agoThe Japanese Designers Changing Men’s Wear
-
Education15 minutes agoOpinion | Yale Has Come Up With a Surefire Way to Make a Terrible Situation Worse
-
Technology21 minutes agoThe Iranian women Trump ‘saved’ from execution are simultaneously real and AI-manipulated
-
World27 minutes agoFormer Mexican beauty queen found shot dead as investigators examine possible family involvement: reports
-
Politics33 minutes agoManhattan DA’s office employee charged with sexual abuse after alleged incident on Queens subway
-
Health39 minutes agoRed hair may be increasing as study points to surprising evolution trend
-
Sports45 minutes agoTrump envoy asks FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in 2026 World Cup: report