Joining the SEC

[frou]

If OU were to join the SEC today.
I'd say OU football would be 3rd best in SEC
Men's basketball is middle of the pack
Women's basketball upper 8 but barely
Softball would be best team in SEC
Baseball is middle of pack
Gymnastics best in SEC both men's and women's

In the money sports, OU really needs men's and women's basketball to make a huge step up. I think football will be a solid #3 and will tamper with winning the SEC more times than not.

Any thoughts?

 

[CTOkie]

If OU were to join the SEC today.
I'd say OU football would be 3rd best in SEC
Men's basketball is middle of the pack
Women's basketball upper 8 but barely
Softball would be best team in SEC
Baseball is middle of pack
Gymnastics best in SEC both men's and women's

In the money sports, OU really needs men's and women's basketball to make a huge step up. I think football will be a solid #3 and will tamper with winning the SEC more times than not.

Any thoughts?

Agree.
As for women's basketball, I think OU has a good coach in Baranczyk and a 25-win season her first year is a great accomplishment. But after watching the Notre Dame blowout and watching teams like Stanford, UConn, NC State, South Carolina, Ohio State and others, it's clear that OU has a long way to go in reaching an elite level. I believe Baranczyk's ability as a coach will have to win more games than the talent there is on the roster for the next few years. Recruiting has to be upgraded to a much higher level.
Men's basketball for me, since the program's highwater mark in 1988, has been enjoyable but really hasn't gained as much interest for me. 20-win seasons and NIT appearances are of little interest to me.
In football....and assuming it's 2024 or 2025 before OU is an SEC team....I expect Venables to get his program ready then for stiffer competition and playing balanced and more physical football (offensively and defensively). OU should be better by then, but could still have 2-3 losses against a more challenging schedule....and OU never shies away from playing at least one quality non-conference opponent (aside from last season).

 

[WP76]

Right now, I'd say top four/five in football. Our roster simply isn't stacked to nearly the level of teams like Alabama, Georgia or even A&M. Crazy depth is required when you have so few soft spots on the schedule. (That said, A&M has great talent on paper but I'm not sure Jimbo Fisher could consistently outcoach your average schnauzer.)

Women's hoops would be top third trending up. I'd like to be optimistic about men's hoops but we're too early in the Porter era to tell.

Baseball would be mediocre and softball is the gold standard of the country, not just the SEC. I don't know how many SEC teams have gymnastics or wrestling so I don't have a clue how we stack up there.

I just wish we'd get the move over with, out of the Big 12, start our "new life" and end all of the speculation.

 

[Plainosooner]

The SEC has not a single men's gymnastics program. NONE. So when the rest of OU"s athletic program goes to the SEC, the men's gymnastics will stay in a strange looking version of the BIG XII.

 

[frou]

Sorry, did not realize the SEC had no gymnastics.

 

[Scottsdale.Sooner]

The SEC has not a single men's gymnastics program. NONE. So when the rest of OU"s athletic program goes to the SEC, the men's gymnastics will stay in a strange looking version of the BIG XII.

If I recall the Big XII gymnastics conference is already strange looking. U of Denver is Big XII. Iowa State, West Virginia and OU caps it off??

 

[Soonerborn59]

At this point I am not sure where the football team would stack up. If Riley was still here though I wouldn’t think we would be no better than middle of the road. His soft approach just wouldn’t work in the SEC. With BV his approach gives me great confidence that we will compete for top 3 each and every year.

i agree about mens Bskball at this point but I do believe Porters style can be good once he gets his players. Under new leadership the women showed they can compete albeit not against the SC, ND or UConns yet.

OU has been average at best in baseball for years now so unless things change we might not even be middle tier in the SEC. However With PG guiding OU softball they will be the team to beat in softball. Just don’t tell the SEC folks that as many believe OU would just be another team if they had a SEC schedule.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

At this point I am not sure where the football team would stack up. If Riley was still here though I wouldn’t think we would be no better than middle of the road. His soft approach just wouldn’t work in the SEC. With BV his approach gives me great confidence that we will compete for top 3 each and every year.

i agree about mens Bskball at this point but I do believe Porters style can be good once he gets his players. Under new leadership the women showed they can compete albeit not against the SC, ND or UConns yet.

OU has been average at best in baseball for years now so unless things change we might not even be middle tier in the SEC. However With PG guiding OU softball they will be the team to beat in softball. Just don’t tell the SEC folks that as many believe OU would just be another team if they had a SEC schedule.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Direction changed with Rileys deparure. For the good.

 

[Plainosooner]

If I recall the Big XII gymnastics conference is already strange looking. U of Denver is Big XII. Iowa State, West Virginia and OU caps it off??

That's the girls. The men's is even less familiar than that. It's called the Mountain Pacific Sports Conference. It has five teams, none from the Big XII. The five are OU, Stanford, Cal, Air Force and Colorado. OU won it last year, even though Stanford was national champion, eventually.