AUBURN, Ala. — The No. 11 Auburn Tigers (10-3, 3-2) host the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1, 5-1) inside Neville Arena for the second meeting of the year.
The Tigers and Sooners both competed in the American Gold Collegiate Championship, where the Sooners won the Quad Meet with a score of 197.550, while the Tigers finished second with a score of 195.950.
For Auburn they are looking to maintain an undefeated record at home so far this season, and a win against No. 1 Oklahoma is an excellent win headed towards the gymnastics postseason. Oklahoma, on the other hand, is looking to continue their success this season with a win against Auburn and perhaps go three in a row with scores above 198.000.
However, this meet will be a tough one for the Tigers because Oklahoma is ranked in the top two for each apparatus, with the only apparatus where they do not rank number one being Beam. Ironically enough, the only apparatus in which Auburn is ranked inside of the top ten is Beam, where they rank fifth nationally.
Oklahoma’s strength is the fact that for all four events, they have at a minimum two gymnasts who are ranked inside of the top 10, and for the All Around, four of the top ten spots are claimed by Sooners. Auburn’s only apparatus where they have a gymnast ranked inside of the top 10 is Bars, where Katelyn Jong is tied for eighth nationally.
One of Auburn’s keys to victory, though, is the fact that it is a home meet for the Tigers, and the Jungle is always ready and roars during gymnastics meets. Another key for Auburn will be to start strong and continue with that momentum throughout the meet.
Auburn’s last key to victory is the depth and strength of its roster. The Tigers don’t have a predictable roster for each apparatus, which is an advantage, especially since Oklahoma’s roster is much more predictable.
Overall, the Tigers have a big meet ahead of them against the Sooners, and a win against the number one team in the country is a huge momentum builder and confidence boost as the end of the season approaches and the focus shifts towards the postseason.
The first rotation of the Auburn Tigers vs. the Oklahoma Sooners starts at 7:00 p.m. C.S.T. inside of Neville Arena on the SEC Network+.
