Oklahoma Sooners (26 days until)
1. INJURIES – Wide Receiver + Defensive Line Updates
- Keontez Lewis exited Saturday’s game against Temple in the second quarter after taking a hit to the head. Venables said he thought Lewis “had a really good game before getting knocked out” and added, “we expect for him to hopefully be back, so we’ll see.”
- Before the injury, Lewis logged 33 snaps and caught three passes for 26 yards. Through three games, he has been one of John Mateer’s most reliable weapons, totaling 15 receiving yards for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Most of that production came in the opener against Illinois State, when he hauled in nine passes for 119 yards and two scores.
- Venables also addressed the defensive line, which will be without R Mason Thomas for the first half against Auburn after his ejection for targeting last weekend. The good news: Oklahoma will get more help with Danny Okoye, who was in street clothes for Saturday’s game against Temple, set to return.
- “Okoye will be back here this week,” Venables said.
- Alongside Okoye, Venables noted that Marvin Jones, Taylor Wein, PJ Adebawore, and even Wyatt Gilmore, who recorded his first career sack on Saturday, will all play key roles in filling the void left by Thomas in the first half.
2. AUBURN – “Brent Venables addresses going up against Jackson Arnold in Auburn game: ‘It’s not about Jackson”
- The goal for Venables might be to keep the game everybody’s main focus. However, players are still being asked about going up against their former teammate. Running back Jovantae Barnes admitted it will be “crazy” but also defended how Arnold managed the whole situation.
- “People are going to have some things to say about you,” Barnes said. “But I think he did a great job with just being him and being who he is and what he’s good at. Like I said, I’m proud of where he’s at and what he’s doing. So, I’m looking forward to playing against him and seeing him after the game.”
3. RECRUITING – Peyton Houston to.. LSU?
- OUInsider Parker Thune posted this on Sunday night: “File this one under Things I Never Thought I’d Write.”
- Based on conversations with several different sources tonight, there’s a queasy sense of uncertainty on the OU side tonight about Peyton Houston. There appears to be a very real chance he commits to LSU tomorrow, and to that effect, the confidence is increasing from the LSU end.
- Thune wrote: “If this one falls through on the Sooners, it’ll be a pretty stunning development.”
- He added: “Oklahoma has made it clear to Houston from the jump that he is their only priority at the position, and the OU buzz had obviously intensified to a great degree over the last couple of weeks.”
4. FRESHMAN – Tory Blaylock named SEC Freshman of the Week
- The Sooners’ running back was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after his standout performance in Saturday’s 42-3 win over Temple. The true freshman tallied 14 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns, averaging over seven yards per carry.
5. FAN COMMENTS – “About Texas”
- OP: “Offense looks like booty cheeks.”
- Comment: “But they have the Heisman favorite. And what’s even funnier than that, is everyone thinks Ohio St is a great team now.”
- Comment: “Seems that offensive “wizards” like Sark are “wizards” when their QB plays like a top-tier QB, huh?”
- Comment: “Could be a long day for Texas at the RRR.”
- Comment: “So I got bored and watched some of the UTEP game replay. Yeah Arch looks bad, but I’m shocked how bad their OL looks. They outbid almost everyone for these guys and they suck. They need to improve fast or Stone/Jackson/Williams are going to destroy that OL and Arch.”
– All notes are from OUINSIDER.com and SOONERSCOOP, not my own sourcing.
Way-too-Early Texas vs. Oklahoma Score Prediction “where I am, today” – (20-18 Texas Wins)
My Week 4 Orangebloods SEC Power Poll
1. LSU (-)
2. Georgia (+1)
3. Tennessee (+1)
4. Texas (-2)
5. Missouri (-)
6. Alabama (+2)
7. Oklahoma (-1)
8. Texas A&M (+1)
9. Vanderbilt (+2)
10. Ole Miss (+2)
11. Auburn (-2)
12. South Carolina (-5)
13. Arkansas (+1)
14. Florida (-1)
15. Mississippi State (-)
16. Kentucky (-)
Texas A&M Aggies (74 days until)
1. NOTRE DAME – “The Aggies proved that they’re a quality team that can contend for the College Football Playoff this season, but there’s still some work to do. In spite of a ton of self-inflicted wounds, A&M still found a way to win a game that, in past years, they lose.” – Mark Passwaters
- Passwaters says, “The defense needs a lot of work. Some of the concerns I had coming into the session are manifesting themselves, while others are becoming less of an issue.”
- He added, “My biggest concern was run defense, and it’s baffling. A&M had 8 tackles for loss last night, stuffed Jeremiyah Love on two fourth downs (ok, one they screwed up massively). In terms of yards per carry, A&M won the stat as Notre Dame only averaged 3.5 YPC. So it was really feast or famine for the Irish. But they feasted way too much.”
2. WIDE RECEIVERS – Mario Craver and KC Concepcion (Most Receiving Yards by Duo in Power 4)
- Craver: 28 targets, 20 receptions, 443 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Leads CFB in Yards
- Concepcion: 23 targets,13 receptions, 227 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Leads CFB in aDOT
From last week’s NIL Nuggets Thread
– KC Concepcion, Texas A&M – $1 million deal this season.
– Mario Craver, Texas A&M – Making upwards of $600,000 this season.
3. RECRUITING – Tre Moore, 2027 WR – Pflugerville Weiss, TX
- AggieYell reporter Jaxson Callaway says, The standout wide receiver has set a visit to College Station for the weekend of September 27th when they host Auburn in their first game back from the Bye Week to kickoff conference play, according to a source.
- He adds, “Moore, a consensus top-150 prospect in the 2027 class, has long been viewed as a tug-of-war between the state’s two premier programs. Sources indicate, however, that the early performances from the Aggies — led by their key offensive playmakers — have turned heads and strengthened Texas A&M’s case to land another elite target on the outside.”
- Moore was on the Forty Acres just over a week ago against San Jose State
– All notes are from AGGIEYELL.com, not my own sourcing.
Way-too-Early Texas vs. Texas A&M Score Prediction “where I am, today” – (24-22 Texas A&M Wins)
