The 2023 college football season is a few months away, and over at College Sports Wire, Patrick Conn went through each week and picked the must-see games to watch.
OU-Texas was the “must-see game” for week six, while Bedlam was on the list as an honorable mention.
Normally a rivalry game would be higher on my list but this has been very much one-sided since the series began in 1904. However, after 120 years it could be coming to an end with the Sooners heading to the SEC. The last time the game was held in Stillwater, Lincoln Riley bolted for USC following the game.
Can the Cowboys give them a parting gift? – Conn, College Sports Wire
There’s always an appeal when these two rivals go at it, despite the game being lop-sided and heavily in favor of Oklahoma. The Sooners lead the all-time series 91-19-7.
This game stands out the most this season because there’s a chance it’s the last time these two schools will play yearly for the foreseeable future. The two sides aren’t scheduled to play after Oklahoma’s departure to the SEC.
The game this year is in Stillwater. The last time the Sooners visited Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma 37-33. Lincoln Riley left the Sooners less than 24 hours later and went to coach USC.
The Sooners got revenge last year in Norman, 28-13, but the game lost any luster it had with both schools struggling down the stretch. Neither team lived up to their preseason expectations.
Oklahoma is setup to have a very good team and is primed for a bounce-back season this year.
Dillon Gabriel should be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12. The offense just needs to answer some questions at wide receiver and offensive line. But it’s been a long time since the Sooners offense wasn’t good.
The defense returns seven starters but added a few players out of the portal that should be significant contributors in 2023. Oklahoma should be one of the best teams in the Big 12, but Oklahoma State could still give them a game in week 10 in Stillwater. Considering it will be the last time the two meet in Stillwater for some time, Cowboys fans will be jacked to hand Oklahoma a Bedlam loss on their way to the SEC.
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the game this year on Oklahoma State’s side. They don’t have a quarterback set in stone and the defense is undergoing major changes with only two starters coming back. They have a new defensive coordinator too.
This game might not be the best Bedlam game on paper, but it stands because of the future uncertainty of the matchup. Hopefully we can see these two rivals go head to head regularly even after they part.
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