The Most Overrated Thing Was …
Oklahoma struggled against Kansas 35-23.
Oklahoma wasn’t going to lose to Kansas.
The social media world got all crazy that OU had a bad day and Kansas looked functional. But no, Oklahoma wasn’t going to lose to Kansas, and it was cute that so many people though it could’ve happened.
Oh sure, it was entertaining, and that sure didn’t feel like a 12-point road win against a Power Five program, but Oklahoma scored 35 points in the second half – that seems to have been ignored.
The Sooner defense played like it had eight men on the field, and it took Caleb Williams to play like the Heisman candidate he should be to get the job done, but Oklahoma won its game over a one-win team by 12 and moved down in the rankings.
Cincinnati won its road game over a one-win team by seven and moved up/stayed – depending on your poll of choice – to No. 2.
Now, this performance by Oklahoma matters if it can’t start playing up to its ability. The season is there for the taking, and this program is trying its best to make that very, very difficult.
The same unwritten rules for the College Football Playoff world still apply.
Go unbeaten in your Power Five conference and you will go to the playoff. No way, no how, no chance that this game against Kansas matters if OU runs the table and goes 13-0.
And it almost certainly doesn’t matter if OU goes 12-1 with a Big 12 championship, either.
This season, with upsets left and right and big teams collapsing all around us – like preseason top 25 Clemson, Iowa State, North Carolina, LSU, Wisconsin, USC, Miami, Indiana, Penn State, Washington, Louisiana, and Coastal Carolina – staying unbeaten and being 8-0 in the Power Five is enough.
For now.
Oklahoma, though, enough is enough. Bring that Lawrence focus, energy, and effort to Texas Tech, at Baylor, Iowa State, and/or at Oklahoma State, and you’re about to get thrown on the pile of also-rans.
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