While it’s a homecoming game, the Sooners face a tough schedule ahead, making Saturday’s matchup crucial for setting up the smoothest path to a winning season.

Oklahoma is reeling from a disappointing loss to Texas, where they failed to score a single touchdown. Their next opponent, South Carolina, almost upset Alabama last week. With a 4-2 overall record and 1-2 in SEC play, this game is vital for the Sooners’ postseason and bowl game hopes.

Oklahoma and South Carolina have never faced each other in the history of their programs. Heading into the matchup, OU is a four-point favorite but will likely need to grind out a win against a tough South Carolina team that has performed well against some of the top programs on its schedule. The Gamecocks have had two of their games come down to the final plays, narrowly losing to both LSU and Alabama, with a combined margin of just five points against these Top 10 teams.

“Going into the year, I said that at some point I felt South Carolina was one of the more undervalued teams on our schedule,” said Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables. “Based on what they had coming back, what they recruited, and how they looked after the spring, they were set to be a strong team. They had a rough start against ODU in their opener, but since then, they’ve played really well. Last year, they struggled on the road, but this season, they’ve competed hard in two away games, giving themselves a chance to win at both Kentucky and Alabama.”

In Week 1, South Carolina narrowly defeated Old Dominion, securing a 23-19 victory at Williams-Brice Stadium. The following week, the Gamecocks made a statement on the road, dominating Kentucky with a 31-6 win. However, their close loss to LSU became a hot topic, as discussions centered around the officiating and several controversial penalty flags thrown during the game, according to Hale McGranaham of 247Sports.

“They have quarterback-designed plays,” Venables stated, “and he can improvise when things break down. He makes a lot of plays on the perimeter with his eyes downfield, creating explosive opportunities. They’ve done well in recruiting tight ends and receivers, and they have some players who can really make an impact. Their offensive line has remained consistent, with the same five starters across all six games this year, boasting a total of 179 career starts. Many of these players are in their second or third year now, and they’ve also strengthened their roster through the transfer portal. Additionally, they bring back eight starters on defense.”

Given this, the Sooners are aware that South Carolina may be more formidable than their 3-3 (1-3 SEC) record suggests. For Oklahoma, this poses a significant challenge, and they will need to step up their game on Saturday.

“There aren’t any easy games in this conference or on our schedule,” Venables noted. “We need to perform well and improve in all the areas we’ve discussed. This team is very similar to us in many respects when you look at the stats. They’re a talented group that will be coming in here this weekend.”

Kenny Brooks’ women’s basketball team has been ranked 22nd in the Preseason Associated Press Top 25, as announced on Tuesday.

This marks the 11th time in the last 15 seasons that the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team has received a preseason ranking from the AP, having missed the cut in the falls of 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023.

The Wildcats are led by returning players Cassidy Rowe and Saniah Tyler, along with 11 newcomers, including All-American graduate student point guard Georgia Amoore. With a roster that blends youth and experience, the Cats feature three freshmen, three sophomores, four juniors, a redshirt senior, and two graduate students.

Brooks has also signed several freshmen with significant potential, including unanimous four-star guard Lexi Blue and 6-7 center Clara Silva from Portugal, who will match Anna Cole’s height (2010) as the tallest player on record for the program. In November 2023, Shane Laflin of ESPN remarked about Silva, stating, “If she were a player in the U.S., she’d easily rank in the top 10 of the recruiting rankings.”

This year’s Kentucky squad is the tallest in program history and represents Brooks’ tallest team in his 22 seasons as a head coach. More than half of the team—eight players—stand 6’1″ or taller, with four players measuring 6’3″ or above.

The Wildcats also feature one of the oldest backcourts in the nation, with graduate student Georgia Amoore and redshirt senior Robyn Lawrence, both 23 years old. Together, they have played in 217 career games and made 185 career starts, winning three conference championships. Both players are 1,000-point scorers, with Amoore totaling 1,853 points and Lawrence contributing 1,170 points. They are coming off their most productive seasons, having scored 602 and 565 points last year, respectively.

In addition to their 22nd ranking in the preseason poll, Kentucky is projected as a six-seed in Charlie Creme’s latest bracketology report.