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In a matter of the weeks, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have gone from potential Big 12 contenders to a team riddled with questions marks.
The squad first saw a 3-point loss to then No. 12 Utah, before turning around an uncharacteristically losing to Kansas State, 42-20, on the road in Manhattan.
One of the biggest questions marks lies with the team’s quarterback position, which is murky, to say the least.
Seventh-year slinger Alan Bowman — who started in 14 games for the Cowboys last season, amassing 3,460 total yards — has so far started each game this season. But he’s seen just 60% completion, as well as 11 touchdowns to six interceptions. And even the stats don’t quite tell the full picture: OSU’s offense has struggled mightily in recent weeks. To the point head coach Mike Gundy made a mid-game change against the Utes.
Even still, there’s little doubt that Bowman is likely the best choice if the team wants to win games this season. When Gundy pivoted to Garret Rangel mid-game before, there was little success. And Bowman still has the primary rapport with talented pass-catchers like Brennan Presley, De’Zhaun Stribling, Rashod Owens and more.
But with two losses already under their belt, with potentially more on the way and a likely College Football Playoffs omission, it might make sense for Gundy and co. to prepare for the future.
Rangel is still just a redshirt sophomore, and while he’s somewhat behind Bowman now, they’re on somewhat level playing field in terms of broad skill level. He could at least get reps in this season in hopes of coming back even better next year, and that same logic applies down the depth chart.
Bowman is 24, and will be on to bigger and better things next season. While it might be a tough decision for the staff to make in sitting him for the time being, it might be the right one.
More must-reads:
- Penn State QB Drew Allar gets candid about team's struggles against top opponents
- Five SEC games that will shape the College Football Playoff
- The 'Most NBA games played' quiz
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Ohio State Legend Urban Meyer Drops Major Prediction for Texas Game
Former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer was one of the best coaches in the country during his heyday, and now, he is one of the most respected analysts around. When Meyer talks, people listen, so it's always important to pay attention whenever he drops a big prediction. Like with the upcoming Ohio State-Texas season opener. This will obviously be a clash of the titans in a rematch of last year's Cotton Bowl, where the Buckeyes ultimately defeated the Longhorns on their way to the National Championship Game. Things are a bit different this time around, though, as both teams lost a bunch of players to the NFL Draft this offseason, and many actually feel that Texas is the more complete squad heading into 2025. Don't tell that to Meyer, though, who actually thinks Ohio State may hold the edge. “Here’s why I think Ohio State’s got the advantage,” Meyer said on the Triple Option Podcast. “They have Jeremiah Smith, the best player in college football, and I don’t think it’s really that close. You can roll up on him. You can double him and you can slow him down, you can’t stop him but they have other weapons. Carnell Tate’s going to come into his own. That’s a big, freakish athlete as well. There’s Julian Sayin, they say he’s probably going to be the quarterback. But I think the ability to have someone other than, you know, a one-show team and that’s Jeremiah Smith. They've got more than that." Smith dominated last year, hauling in 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns during his freshman season. But the Buckeyes didn't win just because of Smith. In fact, their defense was probably an even bigger reason for their championship run in 2024. Ohio State certainly isn't as talented as last season, but the Buckeyes remain a well-rounded ballclub that could absolutely make another College Football Playoff run this year. It all starts against Texas on Aug. 30.
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani ties franchise record with HR vs. Twins
MLB's midseason break was kind to Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani. On Wednesday, the three-time MVP tied a Dodgers franchise record with a home run in his fifth consecutive game, taking Minnesota Twins right-handed starting pitcher Chris Paddack 441 feet to centerfield on an 0-2 79 mph curveball in the bottom of the first inning. Ohtani entered the All-Star break with 32 home runs but had just two in his 12 previous games before beginning his current streak. He's appeared in 101 of L.A.'s 103 games, putting him on pace for 159 games this season. If Ohtani continues at his home run trajectory, he'll set a personal record for single-season home runs, breaking the record he established last season, his first with the Dodgers. Per ESPN Bet, Ohtani (-1800) is an overwhelming favorite to be named NL MVP for the second consecutive season. With every home run hit, his odds of receiving a fourth overall MVP award likely increase. Also helping Ohtani's case is his return to the mound after not pitching a season ago while rehabbing from 2023 surgery. The Dodgers have slowly eased him back, with Ohtani throwing 12 innings in six starts, allowing nine hits and two earned runs with 13 strikeouts. Per Baseball Savant, he ranks in the top six percent in average fastball velocity (97.8 mph), a promising sign as he continues his progression. While the Dodgers keep him on a pitch count, Ohtani didn't need much warming up at the plate following the in-season break to find his swing. Some might argue he's already in postseason form.
Tua Tagovailoa addresses relationship with Tyreek Hill after controversial comments
Shortly after Miami Dolphins players reported for training camp on Tuesday, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill suggested he wants to be "better as a leader" after he controversially subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale this past January and then told reporters he was "out." While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa addressed the Hill-sized elephant in the room. "I think there’s a lot more vulnerability with Tyreek," Tagovailoa explained, as shared by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "He’s conversating a lot more with the guys, not just about football, but about things off the field, being vulnerable about some of the things people know about his personal life and things of that nature. I think that’s the first step toward him building true relationships and a real connection with a lot of the guys in there." Following Hill's "out" comment, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier revealed that the 31-year-old speedster never requested a trade. While publicly apologizing to his teammates during a Super Bowl week interview, Hill directly said that Tagovailoa is his "guy." Hill also insisted at the time that he loves Tagovailoa. "Everybody makes mistakes," Tagovailoa added about Hill. "It’s just, some people, they’re in the spotlight, and their deals get pushed out more than some others. So you’ve just got to cut him some grace. That’s our teammate. We love him, but as a person, I think if you get to know him, you’ll love him too." Hill and Tagovailoa likely will need to be on the same page if they want to prevent the Dolphins from going through a franchise reset next offseason. At least head coach Mike McDaniel is reportedly on the hot seat this summer, while Tagovailoa's status beyond the upcoming campaign is up in the air after he suffered a third reported concussion since the fall of 2022 last season. "You guys aren’t the only people that heard that," Tagovailoa said about Hill's "out" statement. "...So when you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, 'Hey, my bad.' You’ve got to work that relationship up. You’ve got to build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me but for everybody. But like I said, he’s working on himself, he’s working on the things he says he wants to get better with and do better on. So that’s the first step to me, so I commend him for doing that." As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 2024 Dolphins at -275 betting odds to miss the playoffs. Those who believe the relationship between Tagovailoa and Hill is on shaky ground following Wednesday's developments may want to take a flier on such a wager before the odds change later this year.
Eagles' Jalen Hurts explains why he hasn't been spotted wearing Super Bowl ring
Pictures from the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl LIX championship ring ceremony that took place on July 18 showed that quarterback and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Jalen Hurts elected not to wear his new piece of jewelry during the event. While speaking with reporters at training camp on Wednesday, Hurts was asked why he wasn't spotted wearing his ring during the celebration. "I’ve moved on to the new year," Hurts responded, as shared by Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal. "It’s as simple as that." For a piece published earlier on Wednesday morning, Brooks Kubena of The Athletic noted how Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni "avoids the word 'repeat'" while discussing the club's goals for the 2025 season. According to Kubena, Sirianni instead is repeating a mantra from a portion of a book that stresses "how marathon runners 'run the mile they’re in.'" It appears Hurts and others on the Eagles roster have embraced Sirianni's messages. "It was honestly surreal to see it in person," Hurts said about receiving the first Super Bowl ring of his career. "Almost, not nostalgic, but to see something that you’ve earned and have a moment to appreciate it one last time. It's kind of overdue in terms of when it was supposed to be initially. But it was a moment, and now that moment is behind us." It almost feels as if it were a lifetime ago when reports emerged last summer suggesting that Sirianni was on the hot seat, in part because his relationship with Hurts was allegedly "fractured" after the 2023 Eagles suffered a brutal late-season collapse. Sirianni deservedly received a contract extension this past spring, and it appears he's on the same page as his players early into training camp. "I came there only for the ring," Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown added about the ceremony. "I didn’t eat. I didn’t do anything. The whole ceremony was great. It was good to see some of our old teammates and talk to them, but that ring was speechless. I really enjoyed it. Trying to find a place, or something, to do with it." As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Eagles third among the betting favorites at +700 odds to win Super Bowl LX. One wonders how Sirianni and Hurts would feel about the "repeat" word if the Eagles are once again the last team standing in February 2026.
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