Rivals national analyst Marshall Levenson is joined by OStateIllustrated’s Jeff Johnson, AggieYell’s Landyn Rosow, and OUInsider’s Parker Thune to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each topic is FACT or FICTION.
1. Oklahoma State is set to dominate the Big 12 in 2024 and beyond.
Levenson: FACT – Oklahoma State is in the top 10 of conference winning percentage among the power conferences since 2010. The Cowboys are 83-44 in that span with 10 of those losses coming solely to the Oklahoma Sooners. Mike Gundy has instilled an elite level of consistency in Stillwater and with the primary bugaboo now in the SEC, the Cowboys should finally be able to flex their conference dominance. And it will be a good year to start their run with Doak Walker winner Ollie Gordon back for his third season, super seniors Alan Bowman and Brennan Presley back to control the passing game along with veteran playmakers in all three levels of the defense.
Johnson: FACT – Oklahoma State is coming off of a Big 12 Championship Game appearance. That one didn’t go well for Gundy, but championship game opponent Texas (and Oklahoma) is off to the SEC. OSU returns starters at almost every position on both sides of the ball (19 total), including second-year starting quarterback Alan Bowman, who will be playing his seventh year of power conference football. And of course Ollie Gordon. Defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo is in his second season with the Cowboys after making the jump from Division II and his defense should make its own jump.
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2. Texas A&M can reel in a top-10 class in year one of Mike Elko.
Levenson: FACT – Texas A&M has never had a problem recruiting. In fact, it has been one of the best at it, no matter who the head coach was. And for what it’s worth, many recruits have said they prefer the style of recruiting new head coach Mike Elko has displayed compared to that of Jimbo Fisher. Elko has done a fantastic job of connecting and establishing relationships with recruits. The Aggies hold four commitments, three of which are ranked inside the top-150 prospects in the country. I expect to see Elko and his staff continue this trend with a very good chance to land in the top-10 when it’s all said and done.
Rosow: FACT – The Aggies can absolutely put together a top recruiting class this year, but the on-field results will be the make or break. Elko has shown he is a strong recruiter and has started with some strong additions in Texas. The Aggies are in it for several five-stars in the state and potentially lead for top prospects Husan Longstreet, DJ Sanders, Kaliq Lockett and a number of others that could launch Texas A&M to a top class.
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3. Oklahoma will go above .500 in conference play in year one of the SEC.
Levenson: FICTION – Oklahoma will be perfectly fine in the SEC, but I just don’t see it happening in year one. My primary concern is the offensive line, of which the Sooners will be replacing the entirety of from last year. I don’t envision they will be far off though as I see a 4-4 SEC record in year one, losing to Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama and LSU. Oklahoma certainly has playmakers and it has a young quarterback with a bright future in Jackson Arnold, but facing SEC defensive lines is a different animal.
Thune: FACT – The Sooners are well positioned to be immediately competitive in the SEC, as they return nine of last year’s 11 starters on defense and turn the reins over to ballyhooed sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold. They’ve got plenty of depth and talent at the offensive skill positions, and Purdue transfer Deion Burks has the potential to be one of the most dynamic receiving weapons in America.
Not every single question is answered yet for this Sooners team, especially with regard to the offensive line picture. But they dodge Georgia in their first SEC conference slate, and have the firepower to go blow-for-blow with the likes of LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss. Are they SEC champions in Year 1? Probably not. But this is a team that’s very capable of winning double-digit games and scoring a marquee win or two along the way. It’s a reasonable expectation that this team will easily hit the .500 threshold in conference play.
