Jan. 8, 2018 was supposed to be Jalen Hurts’ big day. Hurts had led the Alabama Crimson Tide to their second straight College Football National Championship after narrowly losing to Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers in 2017. Entering his second year, he was looking to lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship against their SEC foe, the Georgia Bulldogs. Hurts struggled in the first half, and was benched for the second half in favor of true freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who took over for Hurts and never looked back. Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a historic comeback over the Bulldogs...
Shohei Ohtani’s free agency was the story of the 2023–24 offseason. After six years of mammoth home runs and ten strikeout games resulted in zero playoff appearances with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani was eager to hit free agency. Ohtani, 29 at the time, was primed to go play for a franchise with a history of winning. In come the Los Angeles Dodgers. Located just a short drive away on I-405, the Dodgers have cemented themselves as perennial contenders, making the playoffs every year since 2013. In 2020, they reached the pinnacle, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series. They also...
Super Bowl LIX is set to be a historic showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. On Sunday, just two years after these teams met in Super Bowl LVII, Patrick Mahomes looks to lead the Chiefs to become the first team in NFL history to three-peat in the Super Bowl Era, winning three consecutive Super Bowl titles. In their way stands an NFL-leading Eagles defense, as well as a high-powered offense headed by Saquon Barkley whose MVP-caliber season has been nothing short of extraordinary. In his first season with the Eagles, Barkley has brought life back to the running back...
For fans of the NFL, Thanksgiving Day is as much about football as it is about sitting around the table and enjoying a turkey feast with the family. Watching the Detroit Lions start off the day at Ford Field, followed by the Dallas Cowboys hosting a game in the afternoon slot, capped of by a primetime game — which kicks off right after the second serving of food starts to feel more like a regret rather than a triumph — has become an integral part of many families’ Thanksgivings. The tradition of football on Thanksgiving is a tale as old as time … well, almost as old as time. In 1934, George...
The storied rivalry between the Ohio State Buckeyes and University of Michigan Wolverines ended wildly this past week, culminating not only in a shocking 13–10 upset victory for Michigan, but also in a heated postgame brawl that magnified the intense emotions surrounding the game of football. While the passion and dedication displayed by players and fans alike are part of what makes college football so special, the fights that erupted raise questions about the limits of sportsmanship and the role of emotional control in high-stakes competition. After Michigan’s narrow victory, a Wolverines...
A triple-digits fastball, a mid-90s “splinker” — a combination of a splitter and a sinker many pitchers are trying to replicate today — a 6’6” frame, and a presence on the mound that lets the hitter know “I’m better than you are”: Paul Skenes had all the tools to be one of the best pitchers of the 21st century coming out of college. In his junior and final season at Louisiana State University, Skenes led the Tigers to the College World Series. The right hander went 13–2, with a 2.05 ERA, and struck out 209 in only 122.2 innings of work during the regular season. He wasn’t...
As the snow continues to come down in mid-February, the Oberlin College baseball and softball teams have been doing their best to prepare for their upcoming seasons. Despite the inability to practice outside, both teams have been making strides thanks to innovative ideas that range from implementing a more challenging weight-lifting regimen, to making the most of the indoor facilities, to scheduling away games in warmer climates early in the season. Both teams are coming off of rocky seasons last year. Softball struggled throughout the year, going 6–26, while baseball went 15–24. Some bright...
Bringing together students from different , majors, and athletic backgrounds, Oberlin’s club soccer meets multiple times a week to play the world’s sport. The club’s practice times and locations are dribbled around by scheduling conflicts; a scrimmage can occur on the sun-drenched North Fields, where midges and gnats are kicked up by the hundreds; head indoors to Williams Field House for 7-on-7 turf scrimmages; and even run late into the night on Bailey Field, where the stadium lights illuminate every pass and shot. Regardless of location, attendance, or insect population, Oberlin club...
At the end of every semester in Oberlin, the Cat in the Cream holds an event that radically departs from the usual concert, Conservatory recital, or trivia night. The metamorphosis is subtle yet striking; excited parents, siblings, and grandparents from the Oberlin community fill the seats to face a stage populated by young girls and boys, who, along with an Oberlin instructor, perform a choreographed routine they have been practicing all semester. This is Kids in Motion: an Oberlin ExCo that sends College students into the classrooms of Langston Middle School and Oberlin Elementary School to offer...
In a display of unyielding determination, the Oberlin men’s open Ultimate Frisbee team soared to victory at the Division III Ohio Valley Regional Championships, earning a spot in the National Championship. The journey to this moment was paved with countless hours of sweat, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication. The weekend prior, the Flying Horsecows faced many disappointing defeats at Sectionals: plagued by injuries and illness, they finished with a 0–4 record in the Miami, OH competition. However, looking forward to a redeeming performance in Butler, PA, the Flying Horsecows entered the...
Fourth-years Allison Lupatkin and Sumner Wallace both joined the Preying Manti, the women’s and trans ultimate frisbee team on campus, their first year and have been heavily involved since. As they get ready for their first spring tournament in two weeks, they reflect on their last four years with the Manti. Many Manti come from different backgrounds and levels of frisbee. Lupatkin got started with frisbee her first year at Oberlin. It was fall 2020, during the pandemic, and many first-years were doing outdoor social distancing activities. Her friend group tossed in North Quad, and although...
Nate Thompson is a third-year Financial Economics major. He is the co-captain of the Oberlin Men’s Soccer Team. He recently partook in the Ashby Business Scholar Program...
Second-year Meaghan Kramer is a forward/midfielder on the field hockey team. An international student from the Netherlands, she is planning on double majoring in Biology and...
Fourth-year Yuuki Okubo is a guard for the Oberlin men’s basketball team. Originally from Los Angeles, Okubo was an internet sensation who went viral multiple times before...
Fourth-year Ethan Price is an assistant defensive line coach for the football team. He played football his first two years at the College, but transitioned into a coaching...
Assistant Athletic Trainer JoAnna Simon is an athletic trainer for the Oberlin men’s basketball, football, baseball, and women’s tennis teams. She arrived on campus in...
Third-year Jacob Epps is a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball at Oberlin. He suits up at wide receiver and defensive back in football and plays third base...