Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners ‘trap game’ on the 2023 schedule per Heartland Sports

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2023

Oklahoma Sooners ‘trap game’ on the 2023 schedule per Heartland Sports

Each and every year, there are certain games teams look over because of a bigger matchup the following week. These are called “trap games.”

The best teams know how to be prepared for any game but at the end of the day, these are college kids. It’s natural to look at other teams on their schedule as games they are more excited about.

Heartland Sports identified one “trap game” for each Big 12 team, who did they select for the Sooners? That is theKansas Jayhawks.

Oklahoma narrowly escaped an offensive shootout with Kansas in 2022, winning 52-42 in Norman. However, that was without Jalon Daniels on the field. If Daniels can stay healthy in 2023, the Jayhawks’ offense should be even more potent than it was a season ago.Dillon Gabriel faces his former team with UCF coming to town in Week 8, while the last-ever Bedlam game is scheduled for Week 10. Brent Venables had better have his guys ready for a trip to Lawrence, because KU will certainly be ready to give the Sooners their best. – Bryan Clinton Heartland Sports

As I mentioned in my season preview, Kansas could be a problem. The Jayhawks have a high-powered offense and return just about everyone on both sides of the ball. They could have won the matchup a year ago if not for the injury suffered by Jalon Daniels.

That game is sandwiched between two emotional games for the Sooners. One versus Gabriel’s old team, the UCF Knights. The other is the final Bedlam matchup for the foreseeable future. Don’t be fooled. This isn’t the Kansas of old. Lance Leipold is doing a great job of building something there.

Their defense isn’t great, but as Sooner fans know, if you have an elite offense, you can compete with anyone. If the Sooners aren’t ready to play and overlook that game, the Jayhawks will gladly send them to the SEC with a loss.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

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Oklahoma

Beers, Verhulst Named to Preseason All-SEC Coaches Team – University of Oklahoma

Published

14 minutes ago

October 23, 2025

Press Room

Beers, Verhulst Named to Preseason All-SEC Coaches Team – University of Oklahoma

NORMAN – The SEC released its preseason poll and All-SEC teams Wednesday, as voted on by the league’s coaches, who could not vote for their own teams. Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers earned a spot on the first team, Payton Verhulst was named to the second team and the Sooners were picked to finish fourth.

On Oct. 13, a panel of media that cover the league picked Oklahoma to finish fifth and named Beers a first-team honoree.

Beers, a senior from Littleton, Colo., was named an All-SEC First Team selection last season after averaging 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 assists per game last season. A finalist for the 2025 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, she led the SEC in player efficiency rating (35.9) and was the only player in the nation to average at least 31.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per 40 minutes. She was also a preseason All-SEC first-team selection by the league’s media and an AP All-America honorable mention.

Verhulst, a redshirt senior from De Soto, Kan., was an All-SEC Second Team selection last season when she averaged a career-high 14.9 points per game, shooting 42% from the field and 35% from deep. She was one of only two players nationally to average at least 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in under 30 minutes per game.

Oklahoma was picked fourth by the coaches, trailing Texas, South Carolina and LSU, and ahead of Tennessee, who was picked fifth.

Led by fifth-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk, Oklahoma returns the second-highest percentage of scoring (60.3%) in the SEC, led by Beers (17.3 PPG), Verhulst (14.9) and Sahara Williams (10.6). The Sooners enter the season ranked sixth in the Associated Press preseason poll, their highest ranking to open a season since 2009-10. Baranczyk also added the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class, highlighted by the country’s No. 1 freshman, Aaliyah Chavez.

Fans can get an early look at the Sooners in an Oct. 29 exhibition vs. Oklahoma Christian set for 6 p.m. in Norman. Admission to the exhibition is free as no television broadcast is scheduled. Fans can listen to a radio broadcast on the Sooner Sports Radio Network and Varsity App.

Oklahoma opens the regular season Nov. 3 against Belmont at Lloyd Noble Center at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Season tickets are on sale now starting at just $99 for general admission. Single-game tickets and mini plans are also available. For more information, contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 405-325-2424, email outickets@ou.edu or visit SoonerSports.com/Tickets.

Courtside seats for the 2025–26 season are now available on the west sideline and south baseline near the Oklahoma bench. Fans interested in more information should contact the Sooner Club at (405) 325-8000 or soonerclub@ou.edu.

Stay connected with Oklahoma Women’s Basketball by following the Sooners on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Want to make an impact? Join the 3-Point Club and help power the program’s continued success.

MEDIA POLL

Texas

South Carolina

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Ole Miss

Kentucky

Vanderbilt

Alabama

Florida

Georgia

Mississippi State

Texas A&M

Missouri

Auburn

Arkansas

PRESEASON ALL-SEC (COACHES)

First Team All-SEC
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Madison Booker, Texas*
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

* SEC Preseason Player of the Year

Second Team All-SEC

Essence Cody, Alabama

Liv McGill, Florida

Teonni Key, Kentucky

Clara Strack, Kentucky

Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss

Payton Verhulst, Oklahoma

MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina

Rori Harmon, Texas

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma State on Verge of Elimination from Bowl Contention

Published

19 hours ago

October 22, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma State on Verge of Elimination from Bowl Contention

Oklahoma State is set for more Big 12 action this weekend, but it could make the inevitable official.

On Saturday, OSU will head to Lubbock to face No. 14 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are coming off their first loss of the season but still have arguably the best team in the Big 12. As one of the frontrunners for the conference’s spot in the College Football Playoff, they shouldn’t have many issues taking care of business against an OSU team that hasn’t won a Big 12 game since 2023.

Along with being on a years-long drought in conference play, the Cowboys haven’t beaten an FBS team since September 2024. With this being the eighth game of the season, that also means OSU is down to its final hopes of making a bowl game.

Of course, the Cowboys have effectively been out of bowl contention since losing to Tulsa. While at that point there were still plenty of games left to play, that loss showed that OSU might not be ready to compete with anyone of note.

That assumption turned out to be entirely correct, as OSU hasn’t had another game within one possession since that loss to its in-state rival, which also led to the firing of Mike Gundy. While falling out of bowl contention seemed inevitable for the Pokes for much of the season, this weekend could be when it officially becomes reality.

Sitting at 1-6, the Cowboys would need to rattle off five straight wins to get to bowl eligibility. Considering they will start that journey as nearly 40-point underdogs in Lubbock this weekend, it’s safe to say that won’t happen.

While this is the reality OSU football is in at this point, it’s still a stark reminder of how quickly things can change in college football. Just two years ago, OSU won 10 games, made the Big 12 title game, which led to an appearance in the Texas Bowl, marking the Pokes’ 18th straight bowl appearance.

The last time OSU missed bowl games in consecutive seasons was 2000-01, when Bob Simmons’ final season and Les Miles’ first season at the helm both ended with losing records. Of course, Gundy missed a bowl game only twice in his 20 full seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach, but this year likely would have been his third had he gotten the opportunity to see it through.

While nothing about OSU’s outlook will change on Saturday when the Cowboys are likely eliminated from bowl contention, it is still a reminder of how far the program has fallen.

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Thunder receive NBA championship rings, raise title banner: Check it out

Published

2 days ago

October 21, 2025

Press Room

Thunder receive NBA championship rings, raise title banner: Check it out

The 2025-26 NBA season started Tuesday night in Oklahoma City as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder hosted Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.

Before tip-off, the Thunder celebrated their 2024-25 NBA championship season and raised their first title banner since the organization moved to Oklahoma City.

OKC players were greeted by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as they were introduced to the home crowd and received their championship rings.

Here’s how the players reacted to the championship rings and banner being raised: