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New York Times
12-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Oklahoma's SEC debut was a flop. The Sooners believe it was just a blip
The final play took five seconds. And nothing went right after the snap to quarterback Michael Hawkins. He retreated and scanned the end zone. The Navy defense held against Oklahoma's wide receivers, a group decimated by injuries weeks before. Hawkins stepped forward in the pocket. His protection collapsed. Advertisement The last sack did not count statistically among the FBS-leading 50 that the Sooners allowed in 2024. But this failure, on a two-point conversion attempt as Oklahoma trailed 21-20 with six seconds to play in the Armed Forces Bowl, ended OU's season with a losing record. A series of crushing events — summarily depicted on the final play — hit the Sooners last season. 'It was just a perfect storm,' ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy said. Oklahoma beat Auburn and Alabama but finished 6-7, the second losing season at the school in 26 years. The other sub-.500 finish came in 2022, coach Brent Venables' first season. He enters Year 4 with a 22-17 record and new coordinators on offense and defense. Amid a move to the unforgiving SEC with an offensive system in flux, coaching turnover, looming administrative change and two losing seasons in three years, has Oklahoma lost its edge? Despite Oklahoma's four College Football Playoff appearances and the fifth-highest win total in the sport since 2010, a case exists to argue it could slip toward a fate that befell its once equally powerful Big 12 rival, Nebraska. Nebraska tumbled as a result of mismanagement and shifting times on both sides of a move from the Big 12 to the Big Ten. A culture of change and poor decisions caused it to lose much of its identity. The Huskers' winning season last year marked their first since 2016. Oklahoma remains steadfast in representing the brand of football that built its reputation as a giant. 'Oklahoma is going to be great,' athletic director Joe Castiglione said on the cusp of his 28th and final season in charge. 'We're not getting caught up in any hyperbole. We don't need to. Everybody else (talks). We are responding to questions, of course. We'll give you straightforward answers, explain what's going on. Advertisement 'We're living it every day. We know we're in a league with so many great teams. But that's exactly where we want to be and what we signed up for — and we couldn't be more proud to be a member of the SEC.' Venables won 10 games in 2023, his second season and the Sooners' last in the Big 12. Oklahoma rose to as high as No. 6 in the AP poll, but it lost consecutive games at Kansas and Oklahoma State to derail CFP hopes. Last year, Jackson Arnold, the former five-star QB who transferred to Auburn in December before the postseason loss against Navy, struggled to achieve consistency. The offensive line started eight lineups before the second week of November. The Sooners, in the first year of a move to the SEC, scored 13.5 points per game in six league losses. 'We aren't excuse makers,' Castiglione said. 'Things happen. OK? They happen. That's it. Now we've got to respond appropriately to get better.' They've responded resoundingly, Castiglione said. OU doubled down on its commitment to athletes, according to the AD, by fostering creativity in its fundraising and promotional efforts around NIL. It hired Jim Nagy, former director of the Senior Bowl, as the general manager for football, and surrounded him with a robust staff. And Venables made personnel moves to address recent woes. The coach fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell last October after a third loss in four SEC games. His permanent replacement, 29-year-old Ben Arbuckle, came from Washington State after the season. Arbuckle coached No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward in 2023 and helped turn John Mateer into the top available QB in the transfer portal last December. Mateer followed Arbuckle to OU, along with standout running back Jaydn Ott from Cal, and reinforcements on the O-line led by Western Carolina transfer Derek Simmons. Advertisement 'Making those hard, tough decisions at a tough time, we showed that we were willing to do that,' Venables told reporters in Norman this month. 'And that's what the players deserve. But I'm really excited about this football team. And that's where the energy and focus has been.' The Sooners' group of incoming transfers ranked 12th nationally this year, according to 247Sports, on the heels of recruiting classes from 2022 to 2024 under Venables that rated eighth, sixth and eighth, respectively. 'I understand we're in a performance business,' Castiglione said, 'and we have to go out on the field of play to prove ourselves. But I feel really confident in the moves that we've made, and I'm excited for the season ahead.' The roster is better than a year ago, Venables said. The preseason consensus among pundits suggests Oklahoma does not look like a program moving in the wrong direction. The Sooners were ranked 18th in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 on Monday. 'Guys are remembering what happened last year,' defensive lineman Gracen Halton said, 'and showing up to put in the work.' A harsh schedule in 2024 left little room for error in the Sooners' adjustment to the SEC. They lost against Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU, all of which won nine games or more. Only LSU on that list did not finish among the top 20 in the last CFP rankings. The schedule this year does not soften. Oklahoma hosts Michigan in Week 2. In SEC play, it faces Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU at home, Texas in Dallas, and South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama on the road. 'We're probably looking at (Oklahoma) through a lens that is a little unfair with how we judge them,' McElroy said. Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns last year. Ott in 2023 rushed for 1,305 and 12 touchdowns. Deion Burks, the only returning receiver among five at the top of the depth chart last year to sustain injuries, projects as a top Mateer target in the new Air Raid scheme. Advertisement Arbuckle said he watched the O-line come together in the offseason more than any other position group. 'It made me excited as a coordinator,' he said. 'It made me want to work harder for them.' No matter the reassurances internally that Oklahoma has not veered off track, the foundation shifted underneath the Sooners in the summer of 2021 when school leaders said yes, alongside Texas, to the SEC invite. Four months later, Lincoln Riley left after five seasons to take over at USC. Former five-star quarterback Caleb Williams, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2022, also followed the coach out of Oklahoma. 'Whether or not you want to acknowledge that, it's crazy to think that someone would leave Oklahoma for another head-coaching job in college football,' McElroy said. 'That was shocking.' On top of the sudden coaching departure, the Sooners' move to the SEC compounded a difficult transition. 'You may not feel it on the surface,' said Adi Kunalic, co-founder of Opendorse, a technology company that specializes in the NIL industry, 'but it is happening.' Kunalic kicked for Nebraska from 2007 to 2010, its final years in the Big 12. The Huskers' move to the Big Ten in 2011 redefined their identity — for fans of the program and the people working and playing inside of it. 'Very likely, Oklahoma is experiencing some of that,' he said. 'Because the way you recruit and what you tell people, it changes.' The Sooners' recruiting footprint has largely stayed intact, though, in contrast to its old foe. Nebraska was forced to rethink roster building, geographically and as it related to style of play. Even before the league change, Nebraska lost its footing in a cycle of moves that included the firing of five head coaches and the untimely departures of four athletic directors over two decades. The Huskers' dramatic shift two decades ago away from an option-based offensive style erased an advantage that it held over nearly all of college football. Advertisement Aside from Riley's departure, Oklahoma has endured little such recent trauma. Castiglione, the AD since 1998, announced last month that he would step down during the 2025-26 academic year. He's staying two additional years in an emeritus role to ease the transition. Randall Stephenson, the former chairman of AT&T and executive adviser to the president and AD, is leading the search for Castiglione's successor. Undeniably, his move comes during a treacherous time as Oklahoma further navigates the SEC while college sports plunges ahead into revenue sharing. Is it more difficult today than eight years ago to sustain a dominant program in college football? Ask Riley, 26-14 entering his fourth season at USC. He took over at Oklahoma for the retiring Bob Stoops in 2017 and won four Big 12 titles in five years. 'In some way, yes,' Riley said last month at Big Ten media days. 'In some ways, no. It depends where you're at.' Where is Oklahoma in comparison to its place two or three years ago? 'They're no longer at a disadvantage,' McElroy said, 'because they're aligned with the league that is most synonymous with sending kids to the NFL.' Indicators in 2025 show that OU, on the rebound from a rare dip, is situated favorably. 'I know a lot of people like to look at one year as the sample size and extrapolate that,' Castiglione said. 'But I can promise you we are setting up our program to be in the position that the best teams are — playing for a conference championship, getting into the College Football Playoff and playing for a national championship. 'That's OU's DNA. And that will never change.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judges Deal Crushing Blow to Trump on Birthright Citizenship
A federal appeals court has dealt a blow to President Donald Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship, ruling that his executive order was unconstitutional. 'The district court correctly concluded that the Executive Order's proposed interpretation, denying citizenship to many persons born in the United States, is unconstitutional. We fully agree,' Judge Ronald Gould, a Bill Clinton appointee, wrote for the 2-1 majority on the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals. The majority concluded in Wednesday's ruling that the executive order was 'invalid because it contradicts the plain language of the Fourteenth Amendment's grant of citizenship to 'all persons born in the United States.'' Gould was joined on the majority by Judge Michael Hawkins, who was also appointed by Clinton. Judge Patrick Bumatay, a Trump appointee, partially dissented, arguing the states did not have the right to bring the case. The decision prevents the government from nationwide enforcement of Trump's order, which aimed to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents. Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his presidency titled, 'Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship.' It attempted to limit birthright citizenship even though it is enshrined by the 14th Amendment. The order was swiftly challenged in the courts, and was blocked within a month by three federal district judges who issued nationwide injunctions. The Trump administration sought relief from the Supreme Court, which did not rule on the constitutionality of the order, but instead argued in June that lower courts do not have the authority to block the policies nationwide. The 9th Circuit case was filed by Democratic attorneys general in four states: Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon. They argued that it would be problematic for the order not to apply nationwide. It marks the second time a court has ruled against Trump's order since the Supreme Court's decision to restrict injunctions. Earlier this month, a federal judge in New Hampshire also blocked Trump's order nationwide by certifying a class-action lawsuit. Trump's order was first blocked in February by U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee based in Seattle. Wednesday's decision keeps that decision in place. Each court to rule so far on the legality of Trump's order has found it to be unconstitutional.
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Former Mercer QB Whitt Newbauer commits to Oklahoma
May 7 - Ex-Mercer quarterback Whitt Newbauer announced Tuesday that he has transferred to Oklahoma. Newbauer passed for 1,398 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games as a freshman last season. He started the team's last seven games, including two FCS playoff games. Newbauer completed spring drills with Mercer early last month before shopping his services. He found the Sooners to be the right fit. "Forever grateful to Mercer -- my coaches, teammates, and the entire community -- for believing in me and helping me grow on and off the field," Newbauer said on social media. "After much thought and prayer with my family, I'm incredibly excited to announce my commitment to the University of Oklahoma #BoomerSooner" Newbauer provides depth behind starter John Mateer, the former Washington State star who joined Oklahoma earlier this offseason. Holdover quarterback Michael Hawkins also returns; he passed for 783 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions last season.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Trenton police rescue an anxious Labrador, trapped in icy water it could not escape
Trapped in freezing water, the dog was struggling. But two Trenton police officers, who arrived just in time, went in after it. Their selfless bravery not only saved the black Labrador — and possibly its owner who might have risked his own life to go after it — but is exactly what the public should expect from their officers, Police Chief Michael Hawkins told the Free Press. "We will go to no ends to protect people, animals and anyone in our community," Hawkins said, noting that the Monday evening rescue was "a job they do every day" and, while no thanks are really necessary, it always is appreciated. The department didn't hesitate to tout the rescue and post body camera video, edited only for brevity, to social media, mostly because, the chief said, "people love animals" and especially dogs. Neither the name of the owner or dog was released. But the rescue was a reminder to be vigilant, especially an approaching snowstorm. More: Deep snow, ice to blanket southeast Michigan starting Wednesday According to police, the dog had broken through the ice in a canal in Elizabeth Park at about 5:20 p.m. After receiving a 911 call, Cpl. Seth Bond and officer Michael Bedsun stripped off their gear and waded into the waist-deep water shirtless. In the one-minute video, you can hear one of the officers say: "I'm going to take care of everybody." And then they both go into the frigid water, while whistling to the dog. They grab it, pulled it out and save it from hypothermia. The dog, police said, appeared to be about 70-80 pounds. "If you see a person or animal in distress, call 911," the police said in it's rescue announcement on Tuesday. It also urged residents to "avoid putting yourself at risk by attempting a rescue." In this case, the dog was saved with no injuries and reunited with a grateful owner. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trenton police rescue dog from icy water, warn of winter's dangers
