The Temple Owls head into the 2024 season with significant challenges on the defensive side of the ball, primarily due to the departure of key playmakers. One of the biggest losses is linebacker Jordan Magee, who has moved on to the professional ranks. Magee was a standout for the Owls in 2023, leading the team with 80 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. He also tied for the team lead with 3.5 sacks. Replacing Magee’s production will be a difficult task for the Owls, as his presence was felt in both run defense and pass rush.

During the offseason, defensive coordinator Everett Withers introduced a new 4-3 defensive scheme, a significant shift from the strategies Temple has employed over the past few seasons. This change could bring some positive outcomes, particularly by adding more size and strength to the box. However, the transition also raises questions about how well the current roster will adapt to the new system.

In 2023, the Owls struggled to contain the run, allowing 198.3 rushing yards per game, which ranked them near the bottom of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) at 13th. They also managed to record only 22 sacks, placing them 10th in the AAC. The new scheme might help tighten up the run defense, but the question remains whether it will generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

For Oklahoma, this matchup offers an excellent opportunity for quarterback Jackson Arnold to gain valuable experience early in the season. With Temple’s defense undergoing a scheme change and facing personnel challenges, Arnold could find the game conditions favorable to work on his development and establish confidence.

Additionally, the Sooners’ receiving corps, which is being tested for depth following several offseason changes and camp injuries, will face a Temple secondary that could be vulnerable. This gradual challenge should allow Oklahoma’s wide receivers to build chemistry with Arnold and find rhythm before facing tougher competition later in the season.

Overall, Temple’s defensive unit, while adjusting to a new scheme and trying to replace key players like Magee, presents a potentially advantageous scenario for Oklahoma to fine-tune their offense. The matchup could serve as a building block for the Sooners as they prepare for the more rigorous tests that lie ahead in their schedule.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (KVIA) — The El Paso Chihuahuas fall in game five against Oklahoma City, 1-0.

Andy Pages hit a line drive solo home run to left field with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning in the Oklahoma City Baseball Club’s 1-0 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas Saturday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Oklahoma City has won four of the first five games of the series.

Chihuahuas starter Nabil Crismatt struck out eight batters in 5.2 shutout innings. It was the second time in the last three games that El Paso’s starter has pitched more than five innings and allowed one run or less. Tom Cosgrove pitched a scoreless relief outing for El Paso and he’s allowed only one earned run in 18 innings since June 1.

Oklahoma City starter Alec Gamboa pitched five hitless innings and hasn’t allowed any runs in 10.2 home innings against the Chihuahuas this season. Brandon Lockridge’s single in the sixth inning was El Paso’s only hit. The one hit tied the Chihuahuas’ team record for fewest hits in a game. It was the sixth time this season the Chihuahuas were shut out.

Box Score: Gameday: Chihuahuas 0, Baseball Club 1 Final Score (08/24/2024) (milb.com)

Second Half Team Records: El Paso (16-34), Oklahoma City (25-25)

Next Game: Sunday at 5:05 p.m. Mountain Time at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. El Paso RHP Jared Kollar (2-2, 5.87) vs. Oklahoma City LHP Justin Wrobleski (0-2, 5.23). The game will air on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com.

Oklahoma State is one of the top contenders in the Big 12 next season, but it does not have the trust of some national media.

On Saturday, the first games of the 2024 season are set to kick off, beginning with Florida State and Georgia Tech in Ireland. That also means the first College GameDay of the season. 

The Gameday crew picked its playoff teams and conference champions for 2024. After no one picked the Cowboys to make the College Football Playoff, the GameDay crew doubled down, with no one picking them to win the Big 12.

Pat McAfee and guest picker Sheamus picked an underdog in West Virginia to win the conference. Meanwhile, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit picked Utah, the favorite to win the conference.

The Cowboys enter the season at third in conference title odds and also finished third in the Big 12’s preseason poll. As Mike Gundy begins his 20th season as head coach, he is looking to win his second conference title and make the College Football Playoff for the first time.

OSU will face Gameday’s picks to win the conference and Kansas State, which finished second in the preseason poll, over the first three weeks of conference play.

While getting past a three-week stretch of Utah, Kansas State and West Virginia will be a tough task, a 6-0 record could nearly guarantee a spot in the playoff. As OSU’s schedule eases over the final half of the season, its season will be judged heavily by its early three-week stretch.

Of course, a trip to Arlington is the expectation for the Cowboys after making the Big 12 Championship in two of the past three years. While OSU could not get past Baylor and Texas in past opportunities, this could be a chance for the team to stake its claim as the premier team of the new-look Big 12.

READ MORE: ESPN’s College GameDay Leaves OSU Football Out Of College Football Playoff Prediction

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