The Oklahoma Sooners watched the rest of the college football world in action in Week 12, as they were on their second and final bye week of the 2024 regular season.

OU’s record sits at 5-5 and just 1-5 in SEC play, a disappointing mark for a program that is used to winning and winning big. In the third season under head coach Brent Venables, it’s been a rough go of things in Norman in Year 1 in a new league.

But in at least one metric, Oklahoma may not be as bad as their record indicates. ESPN college football writer Bill Connelly released his weekly SP+ rankings (ESPN+)for all 134 teams at the FBS level.

Connelly defines SP+ as a tempo-and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency, intended to be predictive and forward-facing. It is not a résumé ranking, and is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football.

While the Sooners are far from sniffing the actual Top 25 and are a long shot to making a bowl game for the first time in 25 years, SP+ has them ranked all the way up at No. 27, sandwiched in between Colorado and Virginia Tech.

One saving grace of OU’s poor season, and the most likely reason for the top-30 ranking, is that they’ve played a very difficult schedule. Tulane is one of the best teams in the Group of Five, and Oklahoma beat them by 15 points. South Carolina is far better than anyone expected, and teams like Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, and Missouri have all had their moments in 2024.

Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t get any easier, as Alabama comes to town on Saturday, and Oklahoma will face LSU on the road a week after that. The Sooners will have to win at least one of those matchups if they want to avoid missing a bowl game for the first time since 1998.

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

Join News 9 Sports Director Dean Blevins, News On 6 Sports Director John Holcomb, and Toby Rowland for this week’s edition of the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz.

Sunday, November 17th 2024, 11:27 pm

By:

News 9,

News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY –

This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb, and Toby Rowland begin the show with their opening takes.

Toby’s Top 3

Thunder Recap

Viewer Question

OU Offensive Coordinator Candidates

OU, OSU, TU Opponent Preview

UCO Road To Division II Title

OU, OSU, TU Basketball Recap

Play The Percentages

A top education official in the US state of Oklahoma is facing criticism after ordering public schools to show students a video promoting a new department of religious freedom and patriotism.
State superintendent Ryan Walters, a Republican, announced the department on Wednesday, claiming it will address attacks on religious liberty and patriotism by “woke teachers’ unions.” The new office will operate under the state’s department of education.
On Thursday, Walters emailed school superintendents demanding they show his video announcement to all students and send it to parents.
“In one of the first steps of the newly created department, we are requiring all of Oklahoma schools to play the attached video to all kids that are enrolled,” the email read.
In the video, Walters claims that religious liberty has been attacked and patriotism mocked “by woke teachers unions,” before praying for US leaders.
“In particular, I pray for President Donald Trump and his team as they continue to bring about change to the country,” Walters said in the video.
He further said that students are not required to participate in the prayer.
According to Walters, the new department will “oversee the investigation of abuses to individual religious freedom or displays of patriotism.”

Two of Oklahoma’s largest school districts, Edmond and Bixby, have said they will not show the video. Oklahoma City Public Schools is reviewing the matter.
Oklahoma attorney general Gentner Drummond’s office declared Walters’ mandate unlawful.
“Not only is this edict unenforceable, it is contrary to parents’ rights, local control, and individual free-exercise rights,” the statement read.
This is not the first time Walters’ actions have drawn legal challenges. He is currently facing two lawsuits over a June mandate requiring schools to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for grades 5 through 12, a directive several districts have refused to follow.