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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does Auburn-Alabama rank among the best rivalries in the SEC?
Where does Auburn-Alabama rank among the best rivalries in the SEC? Does USA TODAY Sports feel that the Iron Bowl is the best rivalry in the SEC? College football fans from the state of Alabama would agree that the annual Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama is the best rivalry not only in the SEC, but in all of college football. Does one expert from USA TODAY Sports agree? With the discussion of the SEC's possible move from eight conference games to nine, USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer shared his ranking of the SEC's top rivalries and how likely they are to continue should the SEC change its scheduling format. Toppmeyer places the Iron Bowl in a category with the Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State and the Red River Showdown between Oklahoma and Texas as "non-negotioables" and feels that those three rivalries are safe from elimination. Not only does Toppmeyer feel strongly that the Iron Bowl should not be touched with possible expansion, but he feels that it is the conference's best rivalry. He puts the Iron Bowl at No. 1 ahead of Red River, the Egg Bowl, and the World's Largest Cocktail Party, citing implications that are usually at stake when the Tigers and Tide meet on the field. Instate rivalries hit differently, especially when that state is football-crazed Alabama. As an Auburn fan once said, the Iron Bowl isn't life or death. It's much bigger than that. There been national title implications and memorable moments that serve to add to the lore. There are only four SEC rivalries that feature instate teams. Auburn-Alabama and Ole Miss-Mississippi State have been the most intense over the years, with Texas-Texas A&M becoming prominent with the Longhorns joining the conference last year. However, the Iron Bowl takes the cake as far as the magnitude of games it has produced in past years. The 2010 game was special as Auburn stormed back from 24-point deficit to knock off Alabama and keep its national title hopes alive, Auburn won the 2013 game thanks to the infamous "kick six" return, and the Tigers knocked off their second No. 1 team in three weeks when it beat Alabama in 2017. On the opposite end, Alabama snuck away from Auburn in 2009 to stay alive in the SEC title hunt, and used the "grave digger" play to beat Auburn in 2023 with a hail mary on 4th and 31. The game has produced several special memories such as the four-overtime game in 2022 and the 2014 game that saw both teams combine to post 1,169 total yards in Alabama's 55-44 win over Auburn. The Crimson Tide has won five games in a row over Auburn during the Tigers' rebuilding phase. However, Hugh Freeze hopes to begin closing the gap this season when the two teams meet at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 29. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does OU-Texas rank among best rivalries in the SEC?
Where does OU-Texas rank among best rivalries in the SEC? The SEC is home to some of the best rivalries in college football. The Red River Showdown, the Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, and the Battle of the Boot between LSU and Arkansas. Rivalry weekends take the sport to a different level. So which rivalries are the best in the SEC? Blake Toppemeyer of USA TODAY Sports ranked the top 10 rivalries in the conference, and OU-Texas came in at No. 2 on the list. When the SEC added Oklahoma and Texas, the conference didn't just gain two iconic brands, it acquired one of college football's best rivalries. Most games are better when played on college campuses, but this one at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair of Texas stands as an exception to that rule. - Toppemeyer, USA TODAY Sports OU-Texas is a one-of-a-kind rivalry game. The 50-50 split, the State Fair of Texas, and the 120 games in its history make it one of the more storied rivalries in the sport. While the Iron Bowl may have taken the top spot on Toppemeyer's list and is a fantastic rivalry game in its own right, it's been played 31 fewer times, and there was a 41-year gap in the game. Auburn's struggled to have a foothold on the game over the last decade and half. The Tigers have only won four times since 2008. Though Oklahoma holds the edge since 2008, Texas has won the Red River Showdown seven times, making it a much closer rivalry game. The SEC is just familiarizing itself with OU-Texas. Year one of the game as members of the SEC was not a good representation of the back-and-forth nature of the Red River Showdown. This year, the Sooners hope to even the score with the Longhorns under Brent Venables. 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 John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
27-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners take game 2 from Texas behind fantastic pitching performance
Oklahoma Sooners take game 2 from Texas behind fantastic pitching performance The Oklahoma Sooners won game two against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night behind a masterful performance from junior Kierston Deal. Deal threw seven innings, allowing four hits, two walks, and two earned runs. But through six innings, she had only allowed one hit and two walks, keeping Texas hitters off balance all night. By the time the Longhorns put something together in the top of the seventh, it was too little too late. The Sooners offense staked Deal to a lead early in the third inning when Ella Parker homered to put OU on the board first. It was just Parker's seventh home run of the season and second of SEC play. In the bottom of the fourth, Oklahoma added a pair of runs to their lead after Ailana Agbayani scored from first on an Abigale Dayton double. Two batters later, Kasidi Pickering made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly. But the Sooners offense wasn't done there. Dayton provided two more runs on an RBI single and Longhorns error that led to Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Chaney Helton coming across the plate to make it 5-0. Then in the bottom of the sixth, the captain, McEnroe-Marinas provided the exclamation point with a two-run home run to put the Sooners up 7-0 heading into the seventh. Although Texas was able to string together a few two out hits, including a two-run home run to help the Longhorns avoid the shutout, Deal was able to close out the game and get the win. With the win, Oklahoma moved to 41-5 on the season and have sole possession of first place at 15-5. They're a game and a half up on Texas A&M after the Aggies dropped the first two games of their series to the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Sooners and Longhorns will complete their three-game Red River Showdown series at Love's Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. That game can be seen on ESPN2. 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 John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
SEC Softball series that will decide the regular season title race
SEC Softball series that will decide the regular season title race The SEC softball regular season title is going to come down to be a furious race to the finish. With three teams tied at the top with 13 wins and seven teams within three wins of first place. The following two weekends will tell the tale of the SEC regular season. The Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, and LSU Tigers have arguably the toughest finishes to the regular season. The Sooners, Gators, and Aggies will both play two series against a team at the top of the standings. South Carolina arguably has the easiest finish of any team in the hunt. They'll finish the season with against a pair of teams in the bottom half of the SEC standings. More: SEC Softball standings entering final two weeks of regular season 1. Texas A&M vs. Arkansas When: April 25-27 Why it Matters: The Aggies are at the top of the standings currently but have played one less game than the other two teams, with 13 wins on the season. The Aggies are holding onto the top spot, but have to get by a tough Arkansas team this weekend. They can't afford a series loss to the Razorbacks with a road trip looming against Tennessee to finish the season. If Arkansas wants to stay in the SEC title race, they'll need to pull off an upset on the road. The Razorbacks are 3 1/2 games back with six games to play. That's a lot of ground to make up but a strong performance in College Station would go a long way. 2. Florida at LSU When: April 25-27 Why it Matters: LSU is outside the conference title race at this point, but Florida has a chance to put themselves back in the title hunt if they can take care of business against the Tigers. The Gators have to win the series to stay in the title race. A sweep would be even better. More: New No. 1 in SEC Softball Power Rankings 3. Oklahoma vs. Texas When: April 25-27 Why it Matters: Oklahoma and Texas are tied going into the weekend but won't be tied after their Red River Showdown at Love's Field. The winner of the series will put themselves in the driver's seat for the regular season title. The loser will need a lot of help to stay in the title picture. Oklahoma doesn't really have the luxury of a series loss with a road trip to Florida to finish the season. The Longhorns take on Kentucky, who are 6-12 in SEC play. 4. Texas A&M at Tennessee When: May 1-3 Why it Matters: The Tennessee Volunteers hold series wins over both Oklahoma and Texas. They're currently a game behind the Aggies. If they can stay right there or go into the final weekend tied in the win column with Texas A&M, the Lady Vols will have a great chance to win the SEC regular season title at home. 5. Oklahoma at Florida When: May 1-3 Why it Matters: A lot is going to depend on how this weekend goes, but this series will factor into the regular season title race. Florida will want some revenge from the Women's College World Series semifinals when OU eliminated the Gators. 6. LSU at Arkansas When: May 1-3 Why it Matters: Arkansas still has a shot at the regular season conference title, but they'll have to get by Texas A&M and then a game LSU team. 7. South Carolina at Auburn, vs Alabama Why it Matters: South Carolina is 3 1/2 games back of first place entering the final two weeks of the season. They face a pair of teams that are a combined 12-27 in SEC play (.307 winning percentage). Sweeps are always hard to come by, but if the Gamecocks can go 6-0 in their final two SEC series, they'll have an outside shot to be at the SEC title.
USA Today
22-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New No. 1 in SEC Softball Power Rankings
New No. 1 in SEC Softball Power Rankings There are just two weeks left in SEC softball action and the top of the league will be fighting it out through the final pitch for the regular season conference championship. Four teams are currently separated by just one game in the win column. There are five teams within two games in the win column and seven teams with 10 wins in conference play. The conference title race will be frenetic over the final couple of weekends. Oklahoma has the hardest path of any team in the top five in the standings. They'll face Texas and Florida. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, what does our updated SEC softball power rankings look like heading into the home stretch? 1. Tennessee Volunteers (37-9, 12-6) Tennessee owns series wins over two of best teams in softball in Oklahoma and Texas. Coming off of a sweep of Auburn, they solidified their spot at the top of the power rankings. The back-to-back SEC champs have a shot at a three peat in conference play. 2. Texas Longhorns (41-6, 13-5) After dropping their first SEC series to the Volunteers two weekends ago, the Longhorns bounced back with a series win over the LSU Tigers. They've got Oklahoma State in the midweek before a Red River Showdown in Norman. 3. Oklahoma Sooners (39-5, 13-5) After series losses to Tennessee and Alabama, the Sooners have heated up a bit. They got the bats going against Mississippi State for the three-game sweep. The questions surrounding the Sooners ahead of their series with Texas: Can they find consistency at the plate and can they find enough pitching to remain a contender? 4. Florida Gators (39-10, 11-7) The Florida Gators have lost two series this season. One to Texas and one to Arkansas. They own series wins over Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Alabama. Up next, the LSU Tigers before closing the regular season by hosting the defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners. 5. Texas A&M Aggies (39-6, 13-4) The Aggies may be getting some love at the top of the national rankings, but they haven't played Oklahoma, Texas, or Tennessee. They did earn a sweep over LSU but lost a series to Florida earlier in the season. Texas A&M will close the regular season with a showdown against the Volunteers. We still have questions about Texas A&M. 5. Arkansas Razorbacks (35-11, 10-8) Back-to-back series wins over top 10 opponents, the Arkansas Razorbacks have been one of the surprises of SEC play. Their most recent SEC series win came over the South Carolina Gamecocks, including an extra-inning affair in the opener. 6. South Carolina Gamecocks (35-11, 10-8) The Gamecocks earned a three-game sweep of Kentucky and outscored the Wildcats 22-1 in the set. They've been really good this year. They've got pitching that can stifle good line ups and a lineup that can get hot. 7. LSU Tigers (36-10, 9-9) LSU's only series wins in SEC play have come against Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama. They've gone 2-7 against South Carolina, Texas, and Texas A&M. The Tigers have Florida next before finishing the season with Arkansas. Can they find a way to get a quality series win before the postseason. 9. Mississippi State Bulldogs (33-14, 9-9) The Bulldogs hold series wins over Alabama, Auburn, and Missouri and picked up a win against Texas and Tennessee despite losing the series. They battled the Sooners at Love's Field. They've had a tough schedule and could be one of the surprises of the postseason. 10. Ole Miss Rebels (33-12, 9-9) It's been a mixed bag for the Ole Miss Rebels who have a series win over Arkansas this season, but have also lost a series to Kentucky. They're coming off of a big series win over Georgia where they scored 20 runs. Can they finish the season strong against Tennessee and Mississippi State? 11. Alabama Crimson Tide (31-18, 8-10) The series win over the Oklahoma Sooners has been the highlight of the Crimson Tide season thus far. Their only other series win came over Georgia. Last weekend, Alabama dropped two out of three to the Florida Gators. 12. Kentucky Wildcats (27-20, 6-12) Kentucky's only series win this season came over the Missouri Tigers. Last weekend they were outscored 22-1 by the South Carolina Gamecocks. 14. Auburn Tigers (27-20, 4-17) Though they were just swept by Tennessee, Auburn was finally on the right side of a series when they beat Georgia two weekends ago. 14. Missouri Tigers (23-26, 4-14) Missouri hasn't won a series in SEC play but they do hold wins over Oklahoma and Texas A&M. That has to count for something. 15. Georgia Bulldogs (28-17, 6-14) The Georgia Bulldogs haven't won an SEC series in 2025. They're best shot comes at the end of the season when they take on the Missouri Tigers. They lost a series to Auburn, who at one point was 0-12 in SEC play. 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 John on X @john9williams.
