The college football season has witnessed remarkable coaching performances and team turnarounds. Mike Gundy led Oklahoma State to a 9-win season, including a final Bedlam win and a Big 12 title appearance, despite significant player departures from the previous season. Oklahoma's Brent Venables praised Arizona as a formidable opponent ahead of the Alamo Bowl, where Arizona achieved six takeaways and extended their 7-game win streak, including five wins against ranked opponents. Coach Jedd Fisch completed a historic season with a 10-3 record, marking the team's first 10-win season since 2014. Kansas, under Lance Leipold, achieved a 9-win season for the first time since 2007, with a record progression under Leipold of 2-10, 6-7, and 9-4, signifying a significant program turnaround. The Alamo Bowl also marked the beginning of a new chapter for Oklahoma with the debut of quarterback Jackson Arnold and offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Arnold's performance, including a touchdown pass to Nic Anderson, showcased his potential despite the team's overall season ending with a need for more talent around him.
He’s right. 10-3 is an excellent season for this Oklahoma team. They need to get way more talented and quickly. https://t.co/z8k3FXSopt
Brent Venables: "Jackson (Arnold) had many things tonight that was just fantastic. He's going to have any amazing future. We've got to be a little better around him to help him."
what a season from @ArizonaFBall 👏🏻 https://t.co/PUzsWB4al5
Arizona wins 10 games in a season for only the fourth time in school history 🤯 This is the Wildcats (10-3) best record in 25 years. https://t.co/9spo7boTQY
What a joy watching Arizona football this season.
Arizona had 6 takeaways tonight They had 6 the entire 2021 season 1 win in 2021 to 10 wins in 2023. No #Pac12FB program has ever gone from 1 or fewer to 10 or more wins over a 2 year period until now. Incredible. #BearDown https://t.co/HAl7e7F3zp
Huge win for @CoachJeddFisch & the entire @ArizonaFBall program. Dominant at times, resilient all game/all season, built team systematically via HS—then the portal. A NY6 caliber team & favorite to win Big-12 next year IMO. Congrats @ArizonaFBall - you earned it.#ItsPersonal
Arizona finishes 10-3. U of A’s best record in 25 years. Remarkable turnaround job by Jedd Fisch at a place that was riding a 12-game losing streak when he showed up. He's hit all the right notes from the moment he took over. https://t.co/u6DFLCfVgj
Arizona finishes the season 10-3, on a 7-game win streak - with five of those wins coming against ranked opponents (at the time). Don't care who wins the natty - there isn't a better *story* in college football this year, than what Jedd Fisch and his team accomplished 😤😤
Arizona has their first 10 win season since 2014👏🔥 https://t.co/fbfarS3B5A
Arizona goes from 1-11 in 2021 (coach Jedd Fisch's first season) to 10-3 this season with win over Oklahoma in Alamo Bowl. Fisch does not get bonus for this win, but if Wildcats move up to final top-10 ranking, he'll get additional $25,000. As of now, he has $50,000 in bonuses.
Incredible season for Jedd Fisch and Arizona. And the Wildcats bring back pretty much everyone in 2024.
Strong finish to a great season for Arizona. Perfect springboard into the Big 12 for Jedd Fisch and his program.
Jedd Fisch: From 1-11 in Year 1 to 10-3 in Year 3. Job well done, sir. Arizona in good hands.
Prior to being named head coach at @ArizonaFBall, @CoachJeddFisch had a plan for when he got a head coaching job. If you’ve followed from day 1 he and his staff have laid out that plan, and executed it at an elite level. Our convo from 2019: https://t.co/1zsnsrdaZH
What a season for Arizona. Jedd Fisch had a vision and built to it. He was relentless in pursuing it. Hired a great staff and let them work. Now just a few minutes away from 10 wins. Quite the way to close out an era of Pac-12 football and head into the Big 12.
First time with six takeaways since the 2019 opener at Hawaii. A game Arizona lost, BTW.
Quickly becoming an Arizona FB fan. This team plays relentless defensive football. So impressive.
Man, the story of Martell Irby is simple fascinating. The defensive turnaround led by @CoachNansenUofA is equally incredible. @ArizonaFBall is a blast to watch
Four takeaways are a season high for Arizona. Wildcats have nine takeaways in the past three games. They had eight in the first 10 games.
Pure Speed on the deep route 💨 The Sooners are clicking on all cylinders in the 2nd half in San Antonio. @valeroalamobowl | @OU_Football | 📺 ESPN | https://t.co/xUBylf03YH
Jackson Arnold is going to contend for a Heisman at his time at Oklahoma. He's a complete stud.
Oklahoma true freshman QB Jackson Arnold on fire after a slow start in the Alamo Bowl The SEC is going to be loaded at QB next season https://t.co/o2A6nyCSGQ
Jackson Arnold can sling it. Going to be fun to watch him for the next couple of years.
Momentum squarely on the #Sooners side after Nic Anderson's fantastic TD catch and then R Mason Thomas' sack. https://t.co/Mb2haGCL6S
Jackson Arnold finds Nic Anderson for a 10 Yard TD Going to see a lot of this duo in 2024🗣️ https://t.co/cmsVJWNUzU
Tremendous throw by Jackson Arnold. Not entirely sure any feet were down, but also hard to see that they weren't.
I'm not sure how Jackson Arnold got that throw off. And I'm doubly not sure how Nic Anderson stayed inbounds for that touchdown catch. But, if that holds up, sheeeesh
Man, that was quite a play there from Jackson Arnold throwing against his body but is there any way Nic Anderson got his feet down?
Don't lose sight of that throw from Jackson Arnold on that play. He's getting more and more comfortable. https://t.co/sOQ6yV5WMK
Jackson Arnold's first completion goes to Nic Anderson short of the first down. Luke Elzinga on to punt now. Surprised we've only seen one hand off to Gavin Sawchuk. Arnold still settling in.
Solid crowd here in San Antonio. #Sooners face definitely making themselves known here at the Alamodome. Kickoff coming up shortly. https://t.co/Mb2haGCL6S
Your new snapping partnership between Sooners QB Jackson Arnold and center Troy Everett. Peep the pass rush move from OC Seth Littrell in white. https://t.co/eJV4ZEjGq7
The Sooners’ Alamo Bowl QBs with Jackson Arnold, Davis Beville (headed to the portal) and General Booty all suited up and warming up in San Antonio. https://t.co/95sz2KH3EH
-A Jackson Arnold bowl week anecdote from McKade Mettauer -Words from Brent Venables and Seth Littrell on the Sooners' freshman QB -Insight into how first-time starting quarterbacks have fared in bowl games lately It's all in this pre-Alamo Bowl read: https://t.co/7hdAWkcSU6 https://t.co/TKNH84Rw3c
Noah Fifita and the Arizona Wildcats play Oklahoma tonight in the Alamo Bowl. Fifita is one of nation's best young quarterbacks. He has prepared for this moment his whole life -- actually before. (Subscribe $1 month/12 months) https://t.co/KYJxCJjafw
Jackson Arnold and Seth Littrell learned the Sooner offense together; now they’re the quarterback and offensive coordinator, respectively, launching an OU era in the Alamo Bowl. @JenniCarlson_OK and I preview OU/Arizona before tonight's game. https://t.co/gElFogR1iL https://t.co/6bdP09fS8y
OU’s Jackson Arnold era begins in the Alamo Bowl vs. Arizona @JenniCarlson_OK and I discussed what we hope to see from Arnold tonight in the Alamo Bowl. https://t.co/gElFogR1iL https://t.co/NUp0BhAZR3
Get set for tonight’s Alamo Bowl by listening to the OU-Arizona preview on the latest @OK_Breakdown: Apple: https://t.co/xtPkUMihgy Spotify: https://t.co/JxnYsE5BpN
Before @ArizonaFBall hired @CoachJeddFisch it was clear that he had a vision for the program. Been a blast watching them build this team in a meaningful & powerful way. Should be a blast to watch them tonight. Coach Aliotti & I preview the Alamo Bowl https://t.co/4ESAhwWKHy
Coach Gundy finishes with his eighth 10-win season in his time as head coach at OSU. 🤠 #GoPokes | #DAT https://t.co/M8tHMmRI5m
After last season, Oklahoma State lost it's: Starting QB, leading rusher, two best WRs, best CB and best linebacker to the portal. This year they beat Oklahoma, played for a Big 12 title + won a bowl game to finish with 10 wins. Mike Gundy really is THAT DUDE 🤠🤠
Mike Gundy getting OK State back to 10 wins, a final Bedlam win and a Big 12 title appearance after all the departures of last season was a heck of a coaching job this year.
After last season, Oklahoma State lost it's: Starting QB, leading rusher, two best WRs, best CB and best linebacker to the portal. This year they beat Oklahoma, played for a Big 12 title + won a bowl game to finish with 9 wins. Mike Gundy really is THAT DUDE 🤠🤠
SAN ANTONIO — @Eddie_Rado and I with another #Sooners report from the Alamo Bowl: https://t.co/xqKOXV9vmV https://t.co/MuLpdkKjWV
Oklahoma's offensive changes -- a new offensive coordinator in Seth Littrell and a first-time starting QB in Jackson Arnold -- have Arizona wary of "chasing ghosts" in preparation for the Alamo Bowl https://t.co/FMaFH0g00m https://t.co/oR2H4Fhj2O
Brent Venables stated that Arizona “might be the best opponent we’ve seen all year” in Wednesday's Alamo Bowl press conference. @GuerinEmig and @ByEliLederman break down that bold Venables statement, talk Jackson Arnold's debut, and more: ⬇️ https://t.co/AtWBwdyri1
#Sooners coach Brent Venables says consistency has been one of Jackson Arnold's biggest areas of growth during bowl prep
In this episode, @MizShelbyK and I preview the Alamo Bowl. Players to watch, how Arizona can win, the approach going into the game, all of it. https://t.co/5ZGpiDwDKS
The Alamo Bowl is the end of Oklahoma’s season and the start of a new chapter — the opening act of OC Seth Littrell and QB Jackson Arnold’s now-intertwined stories. “Like I told him, we're both getting our 1st start together… No one better to do it with” https://t.co/mK9pZyMasf https://t.co/ltCCGUSRfP
With win over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, @CoachLeipold has officially raised Kansas football from the dead. Jayhawks were 9-60 in the six seasons before the Jefferson (WI) native arrived in Lawrence, including 0-9 in 2020. Under Leipold, Kansas has gone 2-10, 6-7 and 9-4. https://t.co/RVMzvDOzrY
Jayhawks finish 9-4. Nine victories for the first time since the 2007 season (12-1) under Mark Mangino. Back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 2007 and '08. KU won a combined nine games in the six seasons before Leipold and staff arrived. https://t.co/ISWfE68bVI
It says everything you need to know about how good Lance Leipold is that he just took *Kansas* to a 9-win season — without the preseason Big 12 player of the year! — and we’re all just nodding our heads in approval about it, as if it’s expected at this point under him. https://t.co/FLCDnVyGGP
In Year 1, Lance Leipold told me they were hoping to keep games close going into halftime to give Kansas players more confidence. In Year 3, Kansas won 9 games. One of the greatest turnarounds I’ve ever seen. And 2024 could be even better.
Amazing what @CoachLeipold and his staff have done to turn this program around. Great accomplishment and can't wait for what is ahead. Thanks Jayhawk nation for representing in the desert 🌵Rock Chalk! 🔴🔵 https://t.co/ixrSVm2w5n