Oklahoma Memo

The companies racing to build increasingly powerful artificial intelligence are now talking about the need for government guardrails. Why would an industry ask Washington to regulate it?

Ryan Welton and Grant Hermes unpack the competing motivations behind the push, from legitimate concerns about increasingly capable AI systems to the enormous economic advantages companies could gain by helping shape the regulations themselves.

Then Ryan and Grant turn to Washington: the latest legal fight involving mail-in voting, a withdrawn ICE nomination with an Oklahoma connection, congressional impeachment efforts and what Justice Sonia Sotomayor says Americans are missing about civics.

Plus: Why understanding the machinery of American government may be just as important as following the political fights happening inside it.

Grant Hermes hosts Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes. Ryan Welton is the founder of Oklahoma Memo. Sign up for the daily local newsletter at https://www.oklahomamemo.com/subscribe

Oklahoma State went from a frustrating loss to Tulsa to a stunning 39-31 win over Oregon. So what exactly are these Cowboys?

Bedlam Buds Ryan Welton and Jeremy Cook revisit OSU’s huge win, Drew Mestemaker’s emergence and a defense that held Oregon to just 281 total yards. They also dig into one of the most fascinating details from the game: Oklahoma State linebackers identifying tendencies on film that helped the defense anticipate run and pass plays.

Then it’s time for Murray State. Ryan and Jeremy break down the Racers, Oklahoma State’s injury situation and why this should be an opportunity to build depth, improve the running game and get the starters off the field early.

Plus, the story behind OSU’s goalposts ending up in Theta Pond, Jeremy introduces the world to his traveling rubber duck, and the guys make their final score predictions.

Be sure to sign up for the Oklahoma Memo local news recap. It's free — at OklahomaMemo.com/subscribe

Oklahoma’s 17-10 loss at Michigan raises a much bigger question than whether the Sooners can recover from one defeat:

Is this offense fundamentally broken?

Oklahoma Memo founder Ryan Welton and longtime Oklahoma sports columnist Clay Horning break down a miserable offensive afternoon in Ann Arbor and examine where the blame belongs.

John Mateer finished 17-of-33 passing and missed several critical throws. Oklahoma again struggled to run the football. The offensive line remains a problem. And offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle faces increasingly serious questions about whether his system — and his quarterback — can work at Oklahoma.

Ryan and Clay discuss whether the Arbuckle era may already be headed toward its conclusion, why Bill Bedenbaugh deserves more scrutiny, whether Kevin Wilson could eventually become part of the solution and what all of this says about Brent Venables’ ability to manage the entire program rather than just an elite defense.

Plus: Oklahoma State suddenly looks alive. Ryan and Clay watch the Cowboys threaten Oregon in real time and discuss how quickly expectations can change in college football.

Topics include:

What a difference a week makes.

Oklahoma State responds to its ugly Tulsa loss with a stunning 39-31 win over No. 16 Oregon, and suddenly Bedlam Buds Ryan and Jeremy have an entirely different Cowboys team to talk about.

Jeremy joins the show fresh from the sideline at Boone Pickens Stadium, where he photographed the game, survived turf temperatures reportedly reaching 142 degrees and found himself in the middle of the postgame field storming.

The guys break down Drew Mestemaker’s breakout performance, big games from Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young, OSU’s surprising dominance at the line of scrimmage and the early momentum that changed the game.

Plus: Is everything really back on the table for Oklahoma State? Why does Jeremy still consider West Virginia the benchmark? And, most importantly, can a pair of Nikes actually survive a September afternoon in Stillwater?

It’s a victory edition of Bedlam Buds from the Oklahoma Memo Network. Watch the full video on the Oklahoma Memo YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@oklahomamemo

Can Oklahoma State make Oregon sweat—or will this be another long afternoon for Cowboys fans?

Ryan Welton and Jeremy Cook make their picks and explain why they disagree on the likely margin. Ryan expects Oregon to cover the 23.5-point spread discussed during recording; Jeremy sees the Cowboys keeping it closer.

Beyond the predictions, they discuss what meaningful improvement would look like after Tulsa: fewer turnovers, smarter fourth-down decisions, better quarterback protection and fewer penalties that erase defensive stops.

Also in this episode:

There’s also blueberry wine, an appreciation for press-box ice cream and a trip back to Ryan’s lingering Oregon grudge from 2006.

Send us your final score prediction, leave a comment and tell an OSU friend about Bedlam Buds.

Ryan Welton and Clay Horning both expect Oklahoma to beat Michigan. Neither is convinced the Sooners will resolve their offensive concerns along the way.

This week on The Long View, the conversation centers on OU’s search for a dependable running game, Ben Arbuckle’s play-calling and whether a defense-led victory will tell us enough about the Sooners’ potential.

In this episode:
• Why winning ugly against Michigan would still matter.
• What Clay wants to hear—and see—from Ben Arbuckle.
• How offensive line uncertainty complicates the running game.
• Whether OU will give John Mateer more opportunities to attack.
• Why Bryce Underwood faces a difficult test.
• The debate over Oklahoma’s running back usage.
• Why Ryan and Clay differ on how much hope Oklahoma State fans should retain after Tulsa.
• What a competitive showing against Oregon could mean for the Cowboys.

Read Clay’s columns at https://oklahomacolumnist.com.

Sign up for the Oklahoma Memo at https://www.oklahomamemo.com/subscribe

Have a question or disagree with a take? Leave a comment for a future conversation.

Oklahoma State’s loss to Tulsa was ugly, but does one bad Saturday mean the Cowboys’ season is already over?

Ryan Welton and Jeremy Cook dig into the Bedlam Buds comment section and respond to fans questioning Eric Morris, Drew Mestemaker, OSU’s offensive line and the direction of the program. They also discuss Tulsa’s performance in the trenches, the impact of four Oklahoma State turnovers and why Jeremy refuses to abandon the Cowboys after one game.

Plus: viewer trolls, Pony Express jokes, the emotional hazards of OSU fandom and the bottle of whiskey Jeremy may (will) need if the Cowboys upset Oregon.

John Croisant is asking voters a familiar question: Are you better off today?

The Democratic candidate for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District joins Ryan Welton for a wide-ranging assessment of President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress and Oklahoma’s Republican-controlled state government.

Croisant argues that tariffs, rising fuel costs, federal spending and cuts to public benefits have failed to deliver the affordability voters were promised. He also questions Oklahoma’s heavy reliance on tax incentives to recruit businesses, saying the state should invest more aggressively in education, health care and workforce development.

Ryan and John discuss:

Learn more about Croisant’s campaign at https://www.croisantforcongress.com.

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Mail ballots are beginning to move, but a legal battle over the Trump administration’s proposed Postal Service rules remains unresolved.

Journalist Grant Hermes joins Oklahoma Memo founder Ryan Welton to explain the administration’s attempted mail-ballot overhaul, the warning from a USPS whistleblower, and why the controversy could produce confusion before—and potentially after—the 2026 midterm elections.

Ryan and Grant also examine the latest jobs report, the growing number of Americans working more than one job, the decline of the “run government like a business” political pitch and the Republican Party’s first midterm convention—better known in political circles as “Trumpapalooza.”

Plus: Democratic demands for investigations, the political risk of another Trump impeachment and the mounting public backlash against AI data centers.

Grant Hermes hosts Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes. Ryan Welton is the founder and curator of Oklahoma Memo, a daily Oklahoma news recap delivered six mornings a week.

Oklahoma State’s highly anticipated new era opened with a painful 24-10 loss to Tulsa.

Bedlam Buds Ryan Welton and Jeremy Cook react to a performance in which the Cowboys moved the ball but repeatedly failed to finish drives. They examine Drew Mestemaker’s difficult afternoon, the offensive-line injuries that altered OSU’s approach and the playmakers who still offered reasons for optimism.

Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes outplayed Mestemaker, while the Golden Hurricane consistently won the individual moments that decided the game. Jeremy argues that many of Oklahoma State’s problems—penalties, dropped passes, missed opportunities and poor execution—remain correctable. Ryan wonders whether Eric Morris must become more directly involved in the offense, although Morris himself took blame for his 4th down calls on Saturday.

The Bedlam Buds also discuss Jake Sexton’s heartbreaking injury, OSU’s need to build around Hawkins and Wyatt Young, the looming Oregon matchup and how dramatically expectations have changed after only one game.

The College Football Playoff talk may be over. The season, however, is not.