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USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
College football analyst thinks Oklahoma Sooners will be much improved in 2025
With SEC Media Days wrapping up on Thursday, the countdown to the 2025 college football season is officially on. In a few short weeks, the waiting will be over, and it'll finally be football time in Oklahoma again. Josh Pate, who covers college football for CBS Sports and is the host of "Josh Pate's College Football Show," was on hand in Atlanta this week to cover SEC media days and had plenty of thoughts about the Oklahoma Sooners heading into the season. Pate believes OU will be a vastly improved team this year, though he did admit that he seems to be a bit higher on Oklahoma than most other people in attendance were. The college football analyst believes that the Sooners will be a significantly improved team in 2025, despite facing one of the toughest schedules in the nation. "So like if you think Oklahoma's going to be subpar this year, they'll get swallowed by that schedule," Pate said. "If you think they're going to be good, and I happen to think they'll be a top 10 caliber team this year just in terms of quality, then they'll find a way through that. Not find a way through it unscathed, but they'll find a way through it." It's no secret that the Sooners had a multitude of flaws last year, most of them on offense. However, those flaws are issues that Pate believes can be addressed and aren't fatal to the program's future success. "So my theory on them is they were not a terminally flawed team last year," Pate said. "My theory on them is that offensive line combined with Seth Littrell and, just not being the guy for Jackson Arnold or Jackson Arnold not being the guy for that system, that was the terminal flaw. I don't think lack of talent, lack of (recruiting) classes stacked on top of each other, has been the terminal flaw. Defense is not the terminal flaw for them. So organizationally, that's always been a rock-solid place. Obviously, the pairing of starting quarterback and offensive coordinator(s) last year was not a good thing for the Sooners. QB Jackson Arnold and the OC trio of Seth Littrell, Joe Jon Finley, and Kevin Johns didn't get the job done, as Oklahoma struggled to move the ball and score points. OU hopes they've remedied that problem with the pairing of QB John Mateer and OC Ben Arbuckle, which Pate thinks can make for more success in 2025. "I think they've got plenty good enough players this year," Pate said. "I think offensive line play will be significantly improved. But I also think that quarterback play, play-calling synergy offensively, complimentary style of play, all that'll be there the way it should be for them, and if it is, you know, 9-3, they're one of the teams where 9-3, I would feel comfortable saying that will be good enough to get them into the Playoff." As the Sooners exit media days and get ready for fall camp, we're about to find out if everyone who thinks OU will be better is right this year. 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 @Aaron_Gelvin.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hugh Freeze: 'I truly believe' Auburn will be in the mix for the College Football Playoff
Is Auburn a playoff-caliber team in 2025? Tigers coach Hugh Freeze certainly thinks so. Freeze said Tuesday at SEC media day that he believed his team would be in the playoff conversation at the end of the season. Auburn went 5-7 in 2024, but Freeze said that he felt his team was better than it was a season ago. Advertisement 'I truly believe that in the playoff run we're going to be in this discussion because I love this team,' Freeze said. '… Now we've got to stay healthy and we need the ball to bounce our way a couple times this year instead of against us, I'm sure, but that's our full expectation. We embrace the fact that is what Auburn should be, in those talks year in, year out.' 'It takes a little time to build it, and we've been doing that. Certainly I wish we would have won more games a few times, but the future is very bright in my eyes. We've been blessed everywhere we've been to win, and I expect nothing less than that at Auburn.' The Tigers are 11-14 in Freeze's two seasons and 5-11 in the SEC. Former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold is in line to start after arriving from Norman in the offseason. But Arnold struggled himself in 2024 and was replaced as Oklahoma's starter during the season. Auburn's schedule is one of the toughest in the country as well. In addition to annual rivalry games with Georgia and Alabama, The Tigers have road games at Oklahoma and Texas A&M and also host a Missouri team that went 10-3 in 2024. A trip to Baylor is on tap in Week 1 too. The Bears ended the 2024 regular season on a six-game win streak and finished 8-5. Advertisement If Auburn is in the playoff discussion, Freeze will get serious consideration for the SEC coach of the year. Conversely, if the Tigers are under .500 for a third straight season, Freeze may find himself under serious pressure. Especially after setting expectations so high before the season.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Hugh Freeze, QB Jackson Arnold are confident Auburn can be a winner in 2025
ATLANTA (AP) — Hugh Freeze is in unfamiliar territory as he heads into year three as Auburn's coach. The former Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty coach only had one losing season in his decade as a Division I head coach, but his first two seasons at Auburn have yielded meager results at 6-7 and 5-7. Last fall marked the first football season without a head coaching change in the SEC since 2018, but Freeze certainly enters 2025 on the hot seat. 'I'm glad I'm at a place that has those expectations,' Freeze said Tuesday at SEC media days. 'I think when you've done this awhile, you really don't give into a lot of the pressure stuff.' Everything starts at quarterback with the highest profile of Auburn's 19 incoming transfers. Freeze signed former Oklahoma starter Jackson Arnold, hoping he can finally provide stability. Starting quarterback Payton Thorne and his backup Hank Brown both struggled last season particularly with ball security, as the Tigers threw 13 interceptions as a team and finished 119th nationally in turnover margin. Arnold himself struggled through a difficult season with the Sooners, losing his starting job for two games and playing the final five games of the regular season with an interim offensive coordinator. But between Freeze's quarterback-friendly system and a year of SEC experience now under his belt, there is optimism about the fresh start being mutually beneficial. 'Coach Freeze isn't scared to push the ball down the field, which I absolutely love,' Arnold said. 'I thought with my experience running the RPO game, I think it meshed well with what Coach Freeze wants to do with his offense.' He will have two of Auburn's top three receivers from last year in terms of both yards and touchdowns back with Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, along with incoming transfer Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech. That combined with a returning nucleus on the offensive line led by center Connor Lew has Freeze expecting a sizable jump offensively. 'This is my favorite offensive line when I look at it on paper,' Freeze said. 'We'd better be able to run the football and protect the quarterback, because I think we're pretty talented up there.' Heading into 2025 Freeze is not only 11-14 overall, but 5-11 in SEC play, 2-6 in one-possession games and perhaps most damaging in the eyes of fans and administrators, 0-4 against rivals Alabama and Georgia. 'Our roster is one that can compete with those teams,' Freeze said, directly addressing the rivalry shortcomings. 'We've been in the games the first two years, but we haven't found a way to win.' Auburn will get both games at home, with Georgia playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 11 and Alabama coming in for the regular-season finale Nov. 29. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hugh Freeze, QB Jackson Arnold are confident Auburn can be a winner in 2025
ATLANTA (AP) — Hugh Freeze is in unfamiliar territory as he heads into year three as Auburn's coach. The former Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty coach only had one losing season in his decade as a Division I head coach, but his first two seasons at Auburn have yielded meager results at 6-7 and 5-7. Advertisement Last fall marked the first football season without a head coaching change in the SEC since 2018, but Freeze certainly enters 2025 on the hot seat. "I'm glad I'm at a place that has those expectations,' Freeze said Tuesday at SEC media days. 'I think when you've done this awhile, you really don't give into a lot of the pressure stuff.' Everything starts at quarterback with the highest profile of Auburn's 19 incoming transfers. Freeze signed former Oklahoma starter Jackson Arnold, hoping he can finally provide stability. Starting quarterback Payton Thorne and his backup Hank Brown both struggled last season particularly with ball security, as the Tigers threw 13 interceptions as a team and finished 119th nationally in turnover margin. Arnold himself struggled through a difficult season with the Sooners, losing his starting job for two games and playing the final five games of the regular season with an interim offensive coordinator. But between Freeze's quarterback-friendly system and a year of SEC experience now under his belt, there is optimism about the fresh start being mutually beneficial. Advertisement 'Coach Freeze isn't scared to push the ball down the field, which I absolutely love,' Arnold said. 'I thought with my experience running the RPO game, I think it meshed well with what Coach Freeze wants to do with his offense.' He will have two of Auburn's top three receivers from last year in terms of both yards and touchdowns back with Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, along with incoming transfer Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech. That combined with a returning nucleus on the offensive line led by center Connor Lew has Freeze expecting a sizable jump offensively. 'This is my favorite offensive line when I look at it on paper,' Freeze said. 'We'd better be able to run the football and protect the quarterback, because I think we're pretty talented up there.' Heading into 2025 Freeze is not only 11-14 overall, but 5-11 in SEC play, 2-6 in one-possession games and perhaps most damaging in the eyes of fans and administrators, 0-4 against rivals Alabama and Georgia. Advertisement 'Our roster is one that can compete with those teams,' Freeze said, directly addressing the rivalry shortcomings. 'We've been in the games the first two years, but we haven't found a way to win.' Auburn will get both games at home, with Georgia playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 11 and Alabama coming in for the regular-season finale Nov. 29. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Auburn and former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold said about his return to Oklahoma
When Oklahoma finally made its SEC debut last season, quarterback Jackson Arnold was considered an integral piece in the Sooners being immediate contenders. After all, Arnold had been a ballyhooed five-star recruit coming out of Denton (Texas) Guyer High School, and Sooner fans salivated at the thought of Arnold paying huge dividends in helping make the transition of going from the Big 12 to the SEC an easier one. Advertisement However, it didn't quite work out that way. The Sooners' offense was hit by a bevy of injuries, particularly at offensive line and wide receiver. And Arnold was besieged by a double whammy of turnovers and inconsistency, evidenced by him being benched during OU's very first SEC game, a nationally televised home loss to Tennessee. Eventually, it led to head coach Brent Venables firing offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, who was in that role for only a handful of games. Although Arnold eventually regained the starting job, and helped lead the Sooners to a rousing upset win against Alabama, the struggles all season by him and the offense eventually led Arnold to leave the program at season's end. He ended up going to SEC rival Auburn. Advertisement And, as luck would have it, OU's SEC home opener this year is none other than Arnold's new team, as Auburn comes to Norman on Sept. 20. Arnold was one of the players invited to speak during SEC Media Days in Atlanta, as Auburn was one of the four teams represented on Tuesday. Naturally, Arnold was asked about his return to Oklahoma in an interview on the SEC Network. 'Yeah, it'll be a fun game; extremely excited for that one and, you know, no animosity whatsoever,' Arnold said in the interview. 'I just think it's gonna be a fun environment to go in and play. 'I really enjoy playing in that stadium.' Then, Arnold was inevitably asked why things didn't work out the way it should have when he signed with OU out of high school. Advertisement 'I mean, for whatever reason, you know, I just didn't play good. … Things happen; things happen for a reason,' he said. 'Sometimes, things don't work out the way it's supposed to be. You know, we're on God's timing, not our timing, and you know, for me, I thought the best decision for me was to move on and move on somewhere else and get a fresh start like you said, and go out and do what I know I can do with this Auburn squad this year.' Later in the interview, Arnold was asked about Auburn's wide receiver room. He raved about their athletic ability; in particular Eric Singleton Jr., a transfer from Georgia Tech. 'It's impressive; it's like getting a whole bunch of unicorns in that room,' Arnold said of his receivers. 'They're one of a kind, they really are. … Like we've got dudes that can actually stretch the field and then on top of that, they can run fantastic routes. Advertisement 'I feel like throwing to Eric Singleton is like throwing routes on air. … We were doing striders the other day and he was hitting like 22, 23 miles an hour while his toe was hurting. I'm like, 'What?' And he was talking like, 'My toe's bothering me,' and I'm like, 'You just ran 22 miles per hour, what are you talking about, your toe's bothering you?' … It's a special group.' But Arnold's impending return to OU remained a major topic of conversation at SEC Media Days. He was also interviewed by Toby Rowland, the recently named sports director of Oklahoma City TV station KWTV who is also the radio play-by-play voice of the Sooners, with Rowland asking Arnold the biggest difference between Oklahoma last year and Auburn now. 'The scenery,' Arnold said. 'They have a lot more hills and trees.' MORE SPORTS NEWS Former SEC head coach and offensive guru finds new role with Louisiana college program Advertisement Nation's longest actively tenured athletic director at one school to announce his retirement Successful Oklahoma high school football coach receives honor from his college alma mater Bixby (Oklahoma) standout continues family tradition with commitment to Oklahoma State Former Baylor, BYU quarterback lands coaching position at Arkansas high school Instant replay approved for Missouri high school football championship games Former Oklahoma QB commit now commits to Florida State Oklahoma high school football defensive standout commits to New Mexico Top Texas '26 tight end prospect decides to stay close to home, commits to TCU Advertisement Texas Tech football lands commitment from East Texas 4-star 2026 cornerback Standout tailback from East Texas decides to stay in-state after making college commitment ESPN's "SportsCenter" program to be on location at Texas high school football scrimmage Who made the covers of popular Texas football preseason magazine? Texas UIL football championship games to be broadcast for free via a new broadcast agreement
