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Slow-Cooker Beef Chili Slow-Cooker Chili

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened and translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until brick-red, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a large slow cooker.

2. In same skillet over medium heat, break up beef; season with salt and black pepper. Cook, undisturbed, until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. (It doesn’t need to be fully cooked through.) Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne (if using) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to slow cooker. Discard any excess fat.

3. Add beans, tomatoes, and beer to slow cooker; season with salt and black pepper.

4. Cover and cook on low, uncovering during the last 20 minutes if needed, until chili has slightly thickened, 4 to 6 hours.

5. Squeeze lime halves over chili; season with salt and pepper. Top with Fritos, cheddar, scallions, and sour cream (if using). https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a21581186/slow-cooker-beef-chili-recipe/

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 c.)

Kosher salt

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 lb. (85% lean) ground beef

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

Pinch of cayenne pepper or chipotle chili powder (optional)

2 (15-oz.) cans kidney beans, drained, rinsed

1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 c. beer, low-sodium beef broth, or water

1 lime, halved

Fritos, shredded cheddar, thinly sliced scallions, and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Onemorewin?

Victory in Baton Rouge would create avalanche of good things

Brent Venables said something at his weekly press conference this week and it’s not clear if he was trying to project Sooner fortunes forward or mitigate them backward.

“I think last week [proves] … if we take care of the ball and do some simple basic things that winning requires,” he said, “there’s not a team that we can’t compete with and not a team that we can’t beat on our schedule.”

If looking back, it’s a reach. Sure, who knows what Oklahoma’s record would be if every game it played this season it finished even or ahead in the forced turnover count.

Still, both quarterbacks have been horribly shaky and inconsistent; the offensive line, until very recently, has been even worse; and still all the injuries … that, one way or another, the Sooners were never beating Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina and, probably, Ole Miss.

Looking back it doesn’t wash.

talented, might have everything required to challenge for an SEC crown and reach the playoff, but it’s not happening this season because they’ve lost their mojo, that indefinable, intangible, metaphysical force capable of killing a team faster than turnovers and injuries.

Looking forward is a different matter.

Really, what topping Alabama last week proved was, via better coaching and far better offensive game plans, a season of experience, the right guy being handed the football and an offensive line that’s come miles and miles, OU’s finally become a team capable of not beating itself and playing with confidence, too, and, holy cow, has it put a far better season and offseason on the table than anybody might have dreamed only eight days ago.

Death Valley’s a hard place to play and a harder place to play at night and still, all signs point toward LSU absolutely being a team the Sooners can beat and, all things being equal, should beat.

The Tigers might be more

Traveling home from Arkansas on Oct. 19, the Tigers had won six straight, including a dispatch of South Carolina in Columbia and Ole Miss, and the score in Fayetteville was a sharp 34-10.

Losing opening day to Lincoln Riley’s Trojans was regrettable, no doubt, but LSU appeared righted and on its way.

Instead, it fell to Texas, Alabama and Florida back-to-back-to-back and stopped the slide only by tightly eclipsing Vanderbilt 24-17 at home last week.

Of course OU can beat a team like that.

Everything points toward the combatants being ships passing in the night and only the Sooners heading the right direction. And should they prevail, it’s a river of positives splashing upon OU’s shore.

One, it takes a losing

record off the table, which means taking John Blake era comparisons off the table and that’s huge.

Two, it should mean less players of note jumping into the transfer portal, because no longer would they be jumping off a sinking ship to do it.

Three, it should staunch recruiting losses, for OU would no longer be a losing program with a teetering head coach entering the 2025 season.

Four, it makes the Sooners a more attractive suitor when plucking the best options out of the transfer portal, whoever they may be.

Five, it should add to OU’s NIL coffers, which makes it easier to retain the players it wants to retain, to secure the high school prospects it hopes to secure, to make a bigger and more positive dent in the portal.

Six, it doesn’t just make an 8-5 campaign possible, but makes it probable, given the way the Sooners will have been playing down the stretch entering their bowl.

Seven, if there’s an offensive coordinator Venables really wants but the dude’s on the fence given apparent question marks in the program, it would eliminate many of those question marks.

Oklahoma at LSU

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Not all at once, but winning solves everything. OU won last week and it ought to win today. Do it and the horizon gets much brighter much faster.

Paxson Haws | The Norman Transcript

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold is tackled during the Sooners game against Alabama Nov. 23.

Clay Horning GUEST COLUMNIST

TARIK MASRI TRANSCRIPT SPORTS EDITOR

Oklahoma’s offensive line has had to overcome a lot to make it to last Saturday’s win over Alabama.

For Febechi Nwaiwu, a season filled with adversity is just proof that last week’s win doesn’t change everything. The win made the Sooners bowl eligible and officially extended their season beyond this weekend.

It was also historic in nature, both in the way the Sooners dominated the Crimson Tide unlike any other teams have for a long time, and because it was just the seventh ever meeting between the two powerhouses.

It also restored some much-needed pride in the Sooners’ program after a miserable start to their time in the Southeastern Conference.

“We still have that pain from the past. Of course, you celebrate the win that night, but next day we were in the meeting room getting ready for LSU,” Nwaiwu said. “You can move forward because you feel the pain from the past, and just because you get one win against an amazing Alabama team, it doesn’t mean the job is done. We still got a lot to work on, a lot to

improve on.”

Nwaiwu is the only player to start all 11 games this season for the Sooners. Last week he was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.

The Sooners rushed for 257

yards, the most against an Alabama team in 26 games.

Oklahoma’s rushing attack averaged just 112.1 yards per game over the first seven games, but has averaged 226.8 over the last four. The Sooners have also allowed

just four sacks after giving up 38 over the first eight games (4.8 per game).

“I think each game we kept improving, kept our head down,” Nwaiwu said. “Like we were saying at the beginning of the season, we knew

it would take a lot of work to get to a point where we would feel like an elite offensive line. I still don’t think we’re at that. I still think there’s a lot of things we can work on, but Saturday, of course, it felt amazing. It was a good step

forward, but it’s not done.” Most impressively, they’ve been able to run the ball consistently with a variety of backs. Jovantae Barnes was playing his best stretch of the season before going down with an injury against Maine. Taylor Tatum has flashed at points this season, but has fumbled four times and lost three. True freshman Xavier Robinson has looked very impressive with nine carries for 56 yards against Missouri and 18 rushes for 107 yards and two touchdowns against Alabama.

The Sooners’ top three rushers this season in carries (Barnes, Tatum and Robinson) are each averaging over 4.7 yards per carry this season.

“It’s great to see him having some success,” OU head coach Brent Venables said about Robinson. “and, Taylor, if he takes care of the ball, man, that can be a heck of a tandem. And then Jovantae comes back, and now get Gavin (Sawchuck) coming back, being healthy off of his thigh, that can be a heck of a room, and we’ve known that all year and we’re hopeful for that. But we’ve gotta take care of the ball, we know that, but we’re just getting a little bit better and it was great.”

Paxson Haws | The Norman Transcript

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold runs down the ﬁeld during the Sooners game against Alabama Nov. 23.

See PAINFUL on G6

Scoutingtheopponent:LSUTigers

TARIK MASRI TRANSCRIPT SPORTS EDITOR

Oklahoma has never faced LSU in Tiger Stadium, but head coach Brent Venables has a good idea of what to expect on Saturday night.

Venables has faced the Tigers twice in Louisiana, both times in the Sugar Bowl (2004 and 2019) and both times with the national title on the line. They may have been neutral sites, but the Sooners’ coach puts them near the top of his list of loudest environments he’s coached in.

“I mean that sincerely. It was deafening,” Venables said. “Could not hear on the headsets … and that’s what we’ll probably experience.”

All three of Oklahoma’s previous meetings with LSU came in bowl games. The Sooners won the first in 1950 in a 35-0 win in the Sugar Bowl.

The Sooners and the Tigers met in New Orleans again in the national championship of the 2003 season, a 21-14 win for LSU. In 2019 the two played in their only game outside the state of Louisiana in Atlanta in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

This season they got a big

Herbert |

LSU wide receiver Aaron Anderson (1) pulls in a pass against Vanderbilt linebacker Randon Fontenette in the end zone, that was ruled out of bounds, in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. LSU won 24-17.

road win at Auburn, but have since fallen on the road to Ole Miss and Missouri. The Sooners have won 34 of their last 45 true road games, but

Venables said LSU’s home venue is a unique challenge. The Tigers are 14-1 under head coach Brian Kelly in night home games.

“Listen, I’ve heard from every coach that I love and respect that’s been in the biggest venues, the best of the best and everybody points to

Death Valley, Baton Rouge, night game, hope that your team doesn’t get scheduled, because that’s the toughest challenge there is in college

football,” Venables said. “I know we’re going to get the best out of the LSU faithful. It’s something that we’re really looking forward to as well. You love a challenge and you know that that’s going to be a real thing.”

Here’s a look at LSU on both sides of the ball:

OFFENSE:

Tiger quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has been one of the most productive passers in college football this season, ranking seventh in passing yards per game and ninth in passing touchdowns. He’s thrown at least two touchdowns in every game this season. The Tigers spread the ball out to a variety of players in the passing game, but wide receiver Kyren Lacy has been Nussmeier’s top target with 825 yards receiving and eight receiving touchdowns. Four LSU players have at least 39 catches so far this year including tight end Mason Taylor. some fantastic wide receivers, maybe the league’s best tight end. And really Garrett Nussmeier is a fantastic player,” Venables said. “ … So it’s going to be a different type of challenge this week.”

See LSU on G6

Gerald

Associated Press

Paxson Haws | The Norman Transcript Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson carries the ball during the Oklahoma Sooners game against the Alabama Crimson Tide Nov. 22.

PAINFUL

CONTINUED FROM G4

Over the past month, Oklahoma’s offense has ranked 10th nationally in rushing attempts per game. During that span they’re also 16th in the country in rushing yards per carry (5.51) and seventh

in rushing yards per game (253.3).

The Sooners have worked to establish the run and avoid putting the offense in thirdand-long situations, which led to sacks and turnovers early in the season.

“We’ve got a huge game coming up,” Spencer Brown said. “So we can’t be stuck

in the past. But we can enjoy the moment and let that have confidence for us to go out on Saturday and have another performance like that.”

Tarik Masri is the sports editor for The Transcript covering OU athletics and area sports. You can reach him by emailing tarik@normantranscript.com

CONTINUED FROM G5

DEFENSE:

The Tigers have struggled on the defensive side of the ball at points this season,

ranking outside the top 50 in scoring defense and allowing 144 yards rushing per game. The defense has lost some key pieces including linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., but Whit Weeks is ranked third in the SEC in tackles per game and has

had double-digit tackles in four of the Tigers’ seven conference games.

Tarik Masri is the sports editor for The Transcript covering OU athletics and area sports. You can reach him by emailing tarik@normantranscript.com

Scott Clause | Associated Press

Tigers Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier 13 throws a pass as LSU takes on Vanderbilt Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La.

MUSIC EVERY FRIDAY 7-9PM

ERIC OLSON AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER

It’s the final weekend of the college football regular season, which means rivalry games take center stage.

Built on proximity, high stakes and decades of tradition, the blood pumps a little harder for players and fans alike this week.

With seven at-large bids for the first 12-team College Football Playoff up for grabs, not to mention spots in next week’s conference championship games, some of these games take on even more significance.

Rivalry Central will be College Station, Texas. That’s where the “Lone Star Showdown” will be renewed for the first time since 2011 on Saturday night. The winner between No. 3 Texas (No. 3 CFP) and No. 20 Texas A&M (No. 20 CFP) advances to the Southeastern Conference game to play Georgia.

Speaking of No. 6 Georgia (No. 7 CFP), the Bulldogs host Georgia Tech on Friday in the game known as “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.” The Bulldogs are double-digit favorites — ask Miami how that worked out when it played the Yellow Jackets — and they can save themselves a lot of playoff anxiety by taking care of business here.

Michigan, which has taken

David J. Phillip | Associated Press

Texas kicker Justin Tucker (19) is lifted by teammates after kicking the winning ﬁeld goal as time expired in an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M, Nov. 24, 2011, in College Station, Texas.

a step back since winning the 2023 national championship, will have plenty of motivation to play the spoiler’s role in “The Game” at No. 2 Ohio State (No. 2 CFP). The Wolverines have won three straight against the Buckeyes, and an upset Sat-

urday could keep Ohio State out of the Big Ten championship game again and dent its playoff dreams.

No. 12 Clemson (No. 12 CFP), still alive for a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game against SMU, hosts No. 16 South Carolina (No. 15

CFP) in the “Palmetto Bowl” on Saturday. The winner keeps its playoff hopes alive. No. 13 Alabama (No. 13 CFP) will have its slim playoff chances squashed if it doesn’t beat Auburn at home in the Iron Bowl. Same with No. 15 Mississippi (No. 14 CFP),

which hosts Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Friday. And then there’s the mess in the Big 12 that needs to be sorted out. Nine teams — yes, nine — remain alive for the conference championship game. No. 14 Arizona State (No. 16 CFP), picked

to finish last in the 16-team league, goes to Tucson for the Territorial Cup against Arizona. The Sun Devils, with a win, have the best chance of advancing — though Big 12 number crunchers could be sorting through tiebreakers by Saturday night.

BEST GAME

No. 3 Texas (10-1, 6-1 SEC, No. 3 CFP) at No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2, No. 20 CFP), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST (ABC)

The tradition is back after a 13-year hiatus. That’s a big deal, and even bigger with the winner going to Atlanta next week to face Georgia in the SEC championship game. The Aggies probably need to win the SEC to make the playoff; the Longhorns can get to the playoff if they lose this game but their seeding could take a hit.

Texas has won 10 straight road games and takes a top-20 offense and top-five defense to Kyle Field. Texas A&M has dropped two of its last three, including last week’s four-overtime loss at Auburn.

The Longhorns are 5 1/2point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

HEISMAN WATCH

This week’s Heisman Trophy polls indicate a two-man

TERESA M. WALKER ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One thing is sure as the newly expanded Southeastern Conference wraps up its regular season: Two new teams has just meant more chaos in a league that seemingly had settled in formation behind Georgia and Alabama.

The SEC’s “New Era” with no divisions and 16 teams hasn’t changed that much heading into rivalry week. No. 6 Georgia already has a slot in the league’s championship game for the ninth time since 2011, needing a win in a showdown the Bulldogs might rather have avoided solidify its playoff hopes.

Old foes renew a rivalry for the other spot in Atlanta when No. 3 Texas visits No. 20 Texas A&M on Saturday, the first time the two have played in 13 years.

And then there’s No. 7 Tennessee.

Tied for third in the SEC, the Volunteers might be in the perfect spot Saturday. They can polish their College Football Playoff resume against surprising Vanderbilt, though coach Josh Heupel is focused on the team that beat thenNo. 1 Alabama in October.

“There’s a lot of football to be played,” Heupel said. “That’s for everybody across the country.”

Oklahoma students and fans rush the ﬁeld after Oklahoma defeated Alabama during a NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Norman, Okla.

STAR POWER

Current SEC members, and that includes Oklahoma now, have won the Heisman Trophy in six of the past seven seasons. Not likely this season.

Tennessee running back

Dylan Sampson has a program record and SEC-best

22 rushing touchdowns. The SEC has a pair of Outland Trophy finalists for the most outstanding interior lineman in Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen and offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. of Texas.

Georgia has a pair up for awards with defensive back Malaki Starks a finalist

for the Jim Thorpe Award, while punter Brett Thorson is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. Kentucky kicker Alex Raynor is a finalist for the Lou Groza award.

GOING BOWLING

Auburn snapping a fourgame skid to Alabama would make 14 of 16 SEC teams

bowl-bound, including Vanderbilt for the first time since 2018.

Kentucky’s streak of eight straight bowls is done. Mississippi State also will be staying home, with Friday’s Egg Bowl against rival Ols Miss the Bulldogs’ last chance to salvage something out of Jeff Lebby’s first season.

HOT SEATS

Lebby has some time at a program trying to rebound from the sudden death of Mike Leach. Mark Stoops’ buyout of $44 million should keep him safe this offseason, though the Kentucky coach likely has a short leash in 2025 after failing to beat an SEC team in Lexington and going 1-7 overall.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze has been busy recruiting with a potential top-five class in the works. If the Tigers lose to Alabama, a fourth straight losing season will only further heat up an impatient fan base in 2025.

Florida coach Billy Napier is safe for now after beating ranked teams in consecutive weeks.

Brent Venables improved his job security — after votes of confidence from Oklahoma’s athletic director and president — by beating thenNo. 7 Alabama. That made the Sooners bowl eligible despite injuries at receiver and on the offensive line.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

Alabama’s Ryan Williams finishes this season still just 17. Both he and Auburn’s Cam Coleman have shown why they were two of the nation’s top wide receiver recruits. Williams became an

Alonzo Adams — freelancer, ASSOCIATED PRESS

OU FOOTBALL NUMERICAL ROSTER

21 Xavier Robinson RB 6-0 222 Fr.

22 Peyton Bowen DB 6-0 200 So.

22 Chapman McKown RB 5-5 174 R-Fr.

23 Eli Bowen DB 5-9 186 Fr.

23 Emeka Megwa RB 6-0 211 R-Jr.

24 Samuel Omosigho LB 6-2 236 So.

25 Andy Bass RB 5-11 208 Fr.

25 Michael Boganowski DB 6-2 211 Fr.

26 Kani Walker DB 6-2 205 R-Jr.

27 Jayden Rowe DB 6-2 223 R-So.

27 Gavin Sawchuk RB 5-11 200 R-So.

28 KJ Daniels WR 5-9 152 Fr.

28 Danny Stutsman LB 6-4 241 Sr.

29 Casen Calmus DB 5-10 196 R-Fr.

29 Gabe Sawchuk RB 5-10 185 Fr.

30 Trace Ford DL 6-2 246 R-Sr.

31 Cale Fugate DB 5-10 190 R-Fr.

31 Ashton Logan P 6-2 217 R-So.

32 R Mason Thomas DL 6-2 240 Jr.

33 Phil Picciotti LB 6-3 239 R-Fr.

34 Adepoju Adebawore DL 6-4 251 So.

34 Zach Schmit K/P 5-10 196 R-Sr.

35 Liam Evans K 5-7 181 Fr.

35 Jakeb Snyder DB 5-8 180 R-Fr.

36 Josh Plaster K/P 6-0 187 R-Sr.

38 Owen Heinecke LB 6-2 227 R-So.

39 Peter Schuh DB 5-8 184 R-So.

40 Ethan Downs DL 6-4 265 Sr.

41 Emmett Jones III DB 6-0 182 R-Fr.

42 Wyatt Gilmore DL 6-4 245 Fr.

44 Taylor Wein DL 6-4 267 R-Fr.

45 Hampton Fay TE 6-5 245 R-Jr.

45 Mykel Patterson-McDonald DB 5-10 172 Fr.

55 Ashton Sanders DL 6-1 295 R-Fr.

56 Eugene Brooks OL 6-3 336 Fr.

56 Gracen Halton DL 6-2 291 Jr.

57 Gunnar Allen OL 6-0 297 R-So.

58 Spencer Brown OL 6-6 321 R-Sr.

58 Ethan Lane LS 5-11 230 R-Sr.

61 Kenneth Wermy OL 6-5 305 R-Fr.

64 Joshua Bates OL 6-3 309 R-Fr.

65 Jayden Jackson DL 6-2 300 Fr.

65 Ty Kubicek OL 6-2 294 R-Fr.

66 Geirean Hatchett OL 6-5 312 R-Sr.

70 Michael Tarquin OL 6-6 317 R-Sr.

71 Logan Howland OL 6-6 317 R-Fr.

72 Josh Aisosa OL 6-3 323 Fr.

73 Isaiah Autry-Dent OL 6-6 310 Fr.

74 Evan McClure OL 6-4 275 Fr.

75 Daniel Akinkunmi OL 6-6 321 Fr.

76 Jacob Sexton OL 6-6 322 Jr.

77 Heath Ozaeta OL 6-5 318 R-Fr.

79 Jake Taylor OL 6-6 309 R-So.

80 Josh Fanuiel TE 6-3 250 R-Jr.

80 Bergin Kysar DL 6-3 245 Fr.

81 Zion Ragins WR 5-8 145 Fr.

82 Ivan Carreon WR 6-6 223 Fr.

83 Major Melson WR 5-10 187 R-Sr.

84 Davon Mitchell TE 6-3 250 Fr.

85 Trey Brown WR 5-9 181 R-Fr.

87 Jake Roberts TE 6-4 252 Sr.

88 Jacob Jordan WR 5-9 182 Fr.

89 Eli Merck WR 6-0 206 R-Fr.

90 Caiden Woullard DL 6-4 259 Sr.

91 Drew Heinig DL 6-5 288 R-Fr.

OU Two-Deep Roster

21 Jeremiah Newcombe DB 5-9 182 Fr.

Oklahoma

WR Jayden Gibson — Out

WR Nic Anderson — Out

WR Jalil Farooq — Out

WR Deion Burks — Out

DB Gentry Williams — Out

DB Kendel Dolby — Out

OL Geirean Hatchett — Out

OL Jacob Sexton — Out

OL Jake Taylor — Out

OU Football Schedule

W Oklahoma 51, Temple 3

W Oklahoma 16, Houston 12

W Oklahoma 34, Tulane 19

L Tennessee 25, Oklahoma 15

W Oklahoma 27, Auburn 21

BYE WEEK

L Texas 34, Oklahoma 3

L South Carolina 35, Oklahoma 9

L Ole Miss 26, Oklahoma 14

46 Dax Noles DB 6-0 192 Fr.

47 James Nesta LB 6-3 216 Fr.

48 Luke Elzinga P 6-4 229 R-Sr.

48 Jocelyn Malaska DB 6-1 186 R-So.

50 Ben Anderson LS 6-5 240 R-So.

51 Branson Hickman OL 6-2 301 R-Sr.

52 Troy Everett OL 6-3 308 R-Jr.

52 Damonic Williams DL 6-1 319 Jr.

54 Febechi Nwaiwu OL 6-4 339 R-Jr.

55 Eddy Pierre-Louis OL 6-3 305 Fr.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

OL Joshua Bates — Out

TE Kade McIntyre — Out

RB Jovantae Barnes — Probable

WR Andrel Anthony — Questionable

WR Brenen Thompson — Questionable

LSU

S Jordan Allen — Out

LB Harold Perkins Jr. — Out

CB JK Johnson — Out

93 Ace Hodges DL 6-1 284 Fr.

94 Mari Atchison DL 6-2 268 Fr.

95 Da’Jon Terry DL 6-3 323 R-Sr.

WR Kyle Parker — Out

RB John Emery Jr. — Out

DE Princeton Malbrue — Out

DT Jacobian Guillory — Out

OL Garrett Dellinger — Questionable

DT Jalen Lee — Questionable

WR CJ Daniels — Probable

OL Miles Frazier — Probable

As of Thursday’s availability report

W Oklahoma 59, Maine 14

Nov. 9

L Missouri 30, Oklahoma 23

Nov. 16

BYE WEEK

Nov. 23

W Oklahoma 24, Alabama 3

Nov. 30

at LSU, 6 p.m.

FINAL

CONTINUED FROM G8

instant sensation with a freshman season highlighted by a 177-yard, two-touchdown game against Georgia. He has 42 catches fo 804

WEEK

CONTINUED FROM G7

race between Colorado twoway star Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Ballots go out Monday to the 928 voters.

Hunter had eight catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns and made seven tackles and broke up a pass in last week’s loss to Kansas. The Buffaloes play Oklahoma State at home on Friday.

Jeanty has put together the nation’s first 2,000-yard rushing season since 2019. He’s gone over 100 yards in all 11 games, including four over 200. The Broncos host Oregon State on Friday.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

6 — Tulane’s nation-leading defensive touchdowns, according to Sportradar.

7 — Illinois wins secured in the final minute or overtime since the start of the 2023 season.

9 — Collin Rogers’ career field goals of 50-plus yards for SMU, most in the nation since 2022.

yards and eight touchdowns.

Coleman has 520 yards and seven TDs on 30 catches. He has 15 catches for 228 yards and five TDs in the last two games.

Tennessee freshman Boo Carter plays defense and returns punts. He’s dynamic

enough that redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava wouldn’t mind seeing what Carter could do for the Vols on offense in the future.

Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway has been impressive when healthy.

Napier must show he can develop both Lagway and running back Jaden Baugh along with the roughly two dozen first- and second-year guys on his roster, which includes most of Florida’s secondary.

RECRUITING WATCH

The SEC is poised to dominate the early signing period Dec. 4-6 with 247Sports projecting Georgia atop the team rankings followed by Alabama, Texas, Auburn, LSU and Tennessee with only Ohio State of the Big Ten

Texas A&M wide receiver Noah Thomas carries the ball in for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Auburn, Ala.

14 — Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter’s career lost fumbles, most in the nation since 2021.

16-2 — UTSA’s record in

November games under fifthyear coach Jeff Traylor.

UNDER THE RADAR

Miami (Ohio) (7-4, 6-1

MAC) at Bowling Green (7-4, 6-1), Saturday, noon EST (ESPNU)

Miami, the defending Mid-American Conference

champion, will go to the league championship game in Detroit next week for the third time in six years if it wins. Bowling Green will

cracking the top seven and 15 among the top 31 for 2025. Coaches remain busy recruiting. Tennessee flipped a running back Monday who had been verbally committed to Southern California since April.

play for the MAC title for the first time since 2015 if it wins.

The RedHawks enter on a six-game win streak; the Falcons have won five in a row.

The spotlight will be on BG tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who could give the MAC an NFL first-round draft pick for the second straight year (Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell went to Philadelphia as the No. 22 pick in April.)

HOT SEAT

UCF has regressed in Gus Malzahn’s fourth season, and second since it moved from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12. The Knights are 10-16 since the end of the 2022 regular season and have lost seven of their last eight entering Friday’s home game against Utah.

Malzahn is making $4 million this year under a contract that runs through 2027. He would earn the same next year before making an average of $5.5 million in 2026 and ‘27, according to USA Today.