College gymnastics Week 7 preview: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 LSU headlines stacked weekend
The past two women’s national champions will come face-to-face Friday as No. 1 Oklahoma visits No. 2 LSU down in the bayou. Keep reading for a preview of that and more of the top college gymnastics meets this weekend.
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No. 1 Oklahoma visits No. 2 LSU
Oklahoma and LSU have already faced each other once this season – at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad a month ago – but they haven’t gone head-to-head yet, and certainly not in an electric venue like the Tigers’ PMAC. That all changes Friday night.
The Sooners were victorious in January, beating the Tigers by three-tenths, but that was just the second meet of the season for both teams. Since then, they’ve gotten more established, with OU the steady No. 1 in all six rankings to date. LSU has the edge with the highest score of the two teams this season, having hit 198.000 against Missouri two weeks ago at home.
This meet will almost certainly come down to the last rotation. LSU is known for some enthusiastic home-scoring, but so far this season, the Tigers’ home judges haven’t been too generous and haven’t awarded a 10. We’ll see if that remains the case.
Some stats for perspective on this matchup:
- Oklahoma and LSU have faced each other more than 30 times in program history, with OU leading the series. Whether they lead 24-10 or 25-11, the programs aren’t aligned, but the Sooners have a sizable lead nonetheless. They’re currently on an 11-meet win streak over the Tigers, dating back to 2016.
- The Tigers are on a 13-win streak at home in the PMAC. Their last home loss? Against the Sooners on January 16, 2023.
- Since 2019, the Sooners have been part of five No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups (before Friday’s meeting), with a record of 4-1. The lone loss was on the road at No. 2 Michigan in 2023.
- A win on Friday night would mark the 900th in Oklahoma program history.
| Friday, February 14 |
| 9:00 pm | Oklahoma @ LSU – Live Stats | Video (ESPN2) |
Best of the Rest
What other meets should you watch this weekend? Well, while there is no shortage of options (see the full schedule and how to watch here), here are our recommendations.
Friday, February 14
- No. 15 Arkansas vs. No. 11 Georgia @ 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network
- The lowdown: Arkansas needs to put up a good road score as the Razorbacks try to move ahead of Alabama in the SEC rankings and avoid being left out of the conference championship meet. Meanwhile, Georgia continues to build under its new coaching staff and a strong and steady roster.
- No. 14 Alabama, No. 26 Illinois, No. 28 Iowa, No. 9 Missouri (Zou in the Lou) @ 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network
- The lowdown: Alabama is looking for its first conference win and could get it in this quad meet including Missouri, but the Tigers won’t make it easy for the Crimson Tide, especially in home territory.
Saturday, February 15
- No. 6 Michigan State vs. No. 23 Nebraska @ 8 p.m. ET on B1G+
- The lowdown: Nebraska is looking to rebound after a close loss to Michigan last weekend. Michigan State is coming off a win over Minnesota and continues to hover around the top 5 mark, nationally (currently No. 6 after losing to UCLA recently).
Sunday, February 16
- No. 16 Minnesota vs. No. 20 Ohio State @ 2 p.m. ET on B1G+
- The lowdown: This is expected to be a close matchup between two similarly-matched teams. Minnesota is looking for a rebound win after falling to Michigan State last weekend – the Golden Gophers’ first loss of the season.
Last men’s matchups before Winter Cup break
There are four men’s matchups to keep fans busy over Saturday and Sunday. This is the last week of competition before Winter Cup break next week, when teams are off and individuals who qualified will compete at the first U.S. elite meet of the season in Louisville, Kentucky.
The All-Academy Championships will happen Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas, with No. 10 Air Force, No. 9 Army, and No. 8 Navy facing off in their annual armed forces battle. No streaming information has been made available by the schools, who will be competing at a neutral site, but watch the teams’ social channels for individual streams. Air Force won All-Academy last season, with Navy second and Army third.
The primetime meet Saturday night is No. 6 Michigan and No. 14 Simpson at No. 1 Oklahoma, which will be streamed on ESPN+. These teams boast four Olympians, with Michigan having Paul Juda (USA), Fred Richard (USA), and Lais Najjar (Syria) and Oklahoma being led by Emre Dodanli (Turkey). Oklahoma is coming off a win over reigning national champion Stanford last weekend, when the Sooners scored a 329.100. Michigan had both Juda and Richard in lineups last weekend and earned its top mark of the season so far, earning a 322.100 to defeat Illinois.
