ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit thinks 2020 Oklahoma is better right now than 2017, 2018 and 2019 OU

Since Bob Stoops took over in 1999, Oklahoma has been one of the programs who consistently gets better throughout a season.

Since Bob Stoops took over in 1999, Oklahoma has been one of the programs who consistently gets better throughout a season.

Yes, 2014 happened, but in 2005 and 2009, the Sooners, despite eight-win seasons, got better in each game. It looks to be the same in 2020.

Oklahoma is streaking. The Sooners have won five-straight games and are on the verge of defending their five-straight Big 12 Championships after suffering early season upsets to Kansas State and Iowa State.

They are getting better, too. Since the quadruple overtime win over Texas, Oklahoma was won each game by at least 28 points, including a thrashing of Oklahoma State last Saturday. This is aided by the return of star defensive end Ronnie Perkins and starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

One prominent national college football talking head has taken notice: Kirk Herbstreit.

“I’m telling ya, this is a different Oklahoma team at this point in the season,” he said during Bedlam last Saturday. “A younger team without some key players like Stevenson and Perkins that had leads on Kansas State in the fourth-quarter and Iowa State. Unable to hold onto those leads, but you don’t want to play the Sooners right now.

“I think this is a more complete team than the teams that have won the Big 12 and gone to the playoffs. More complete team because of the way they’re playing defense this year with Alex Grinch and late in the year. I think those teams that have gone in the past and many times gotten exposed in the Playoff, they were a great offense, but it didn’t have a defense. I think this team has a better defensive front. They have got some experience in the secondary and I think now that your young quarterback is growing up and he has so many different weapons … I don’t know, it just feels like a complete team.”

He would go onto highlight a guy like Perrion Winfrey, a defensive tackle like Oklahoma hasn’t had since Jordan Phillips in 2014.

Herbstreit didn’t hide from this take either: he doubled down on it three days later when talking about teams who are playing the best right now.

“I would use Oklahoma as an example of that right now,” he said Tuesday night on SportsCenter prior to the College Football Playoff rankings show. “They’re in the Big 12. They lost a couple games. Everybody was like, ‘Ah, they’re done. Forget about them.’ And all the sudden, man, since the Texas game they’re building momentum like crazy. And right now you look at an OU and you’re like, ‘Man, OU could be on the field with about anybody right now and be OK and compete.

“I think OU is better right now at this point in the season than they have been when they had Baker (Mayfield) or Kyler Murray or last year with Jalen Hurts because they’re a more complete team. But that’s just watching games. You couldn’t have predicted that four weeks ago. But if you watch and you allow these teams to show you what you can do, you can make that evaluation. And that’s just using Oklahoma as an example.”

Oklahoma was postponed this week due to a COVID-19 issue within the football program. The Sooners’ game against West Virginia is now scheduled for Dec. 12. Oklahoma will play next Saturday against Baylor at home.

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The 6 people Oklahoma football fans should be thankful for

The year 2020 has been a trying year for everyone. Now that it is Thanksgiving, here are six people Oklahoma fans should be thankful for.

The year 2020 has been a trying year for everyone.

Oklahoma football was shutdown in the spring, for some of the summer and now it has been put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sooners will not be traveling to West Virginia for their game against the Mountaineers on Saturday and organized team activities have been put on hold.

However, there is a lot be thankful for if you’re Oklahoma.

In what is probably the Sooners weakest year, Oklahoma is right in the thick of a Big 12 Championship race. The potential sixth-straight of those.

Lincoln Riley and the Sooners are still recruiting at an extremely high level. The future looks much brighter than the present.

And its rivals continue to fall on themselves while the Sooners keep building.

Here are six people Oklahoma football fans should be thankful for as the program continues to trend upward.

Oklahoma football notebook: Lincoln Riley, Spencer Rattler, Adrian Ealy talk Tuesday

Ahead of Oklahoma’s trip to West Virginia, Lincoln Riley, Spencer Rattler, and Adrian Ealy met with the media Tuesday.

Oklahoma is playing well at the right time after picking up their fifth straight win last weekend against Oklahoma State to to improve to 6-2 on the season.

Offensively, the Sooners got off to a very fast start behind three quick touchdowns in the first half-quarter. Things would slow down a bit from there, but they were able to rev things back up in the fourth quarter to put the game away and get up over 40 points for the third straight game.

Spencer Rattler had maybe his best performance of the year playing a mistake-free, high completion percentage game. It was even good enough for him to earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.

Next up for Oklahoma is a road battle with West Virginia on Saturday night. On Tuesday, head coach Lincoln Riley along with Rattler and offensive lineman Adrian Ealy met with the media to discuss the latest with the team. Here is what they had to say.

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What Lincoln Riley, Spencer Rattler, offensive players said after 41-13 win over Oklahoma State

Lincoln Riley, Spencer Rattler, Theo Wease and Jeremiah Hall met with the media following Oklahoma’s blowout win over Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma dominated Bedlam tonight by a whopping final score of 41-13 over in-state rival Oklahoma State.

The Sooner offense got off a very fast start scoring on their first three possessions to lead 21-0 just a little over midway through the opening quarter. They would then slow down quite a bit, only scoring only six points on two field goals in the next two quarters combined, before putting together a couple of game-sealing touchdowns in the final frame.

Spencer Rattler was fantastic offering up one of his best outings of his young career going 17/24 passing for 301 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers. He also ran for a touchdown making him just the fourth Oklahoma player in the last 20 years to throw for four scores and run for another.

After the game, Lincoln Riley, Spencer Rattler, Theo Wease and Jeremiah Hall met with the media to break down the game. Here is what they had to say.

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Texas head coach Tom Herman named to midseason Dodd Trophy watch list

After recently being named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant coach of the year award, Texas’ Tom Herman finds himself another watch list.

The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl has released their midseason watch list for the top head coaches in college football. Before the season the Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman was among the coaches listed on the initial preseason list. He was also present on the midseason watch list.

The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity– the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.

Herman was one of 19 coaches to make the midseason list. The Longhorns have at least three games left this year and it could be as many as five. That would include their bowl game and a potential Big 12 Championship.

Big 12 Coaches listed

Coach School Record AP Ranking
Tom Herman Texas 5-2 22
Matt Campbell Iowa State 5-2 17
Mike Gundy Oklahoma State 5-1 14
Lincoln Riley Oklahoma 5-2 18

It should come as no surprise to see the four coaches vying for a shot at the Big 12 Championship all be on the list.

“The Dodd Trophy is unique from other coach of the year awards considering it looks beyond just wins and losses on the football field,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & president. “Each of these coaches have had successful seasons to date, but what sets them apart is how they’ve empowered their players in the classroom and impacted their communities in a positive way. All of these coaches on the watch list are strong contenders for this year’s Dodd Trophy and we look forward to seeing who emerges as finalists this last month of the season.”

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Brian Kelly Makes Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List

Brian Kelly is on a mission to prove that the 2020 iteration of Notre Dame football is the best under his watch.

Brian Kelly is on a mission to prove that the 2020 iteration of Notre Dame football is the best under his watch. Those on the outside looking in can see that, and the results have made Kelly one of 19 coaches to make this year’s Bobby Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List. There is no higher honor for a college football coach. With an 8-0 record, No. 2 ranking and Academic Progress Rating of 970, the Irish have made Kelly worthy of this list.

Some of college football’s most prominent coaches join Kelly on this year’s list. They include Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, Jimbo Fisher, Paul Chryst, Gus Malzahn, Lincoln Riley, Mike Gundy and Pat Fitzgerald. With that type of company, there’s still a long way to go before Kelly can prove he’s the one who should take this year’s award. This would be the second time in three years he’s won it, and he would join Joe Paterno and Bill Snyder as the only two-time winners of the trophy since it first was awarded in 1976.

Joel Klatt rips Tom Herman and Texas, praises A&M and Oklahoma

Fox College Football analyst Joel Klatt went on the Colin Cowherd show and ripped into Tom Herman and the Texas Longhorns.

Things have not been pretty at the University of Texas as of late. Really for the last decade. The Longhorns have played for one Big 12 Championship and one New Years Six bowl since their last BCS National Championship in 2009. This year it seemed like it would finally be the year for Tom Herman and the Texas Longhorns. Even though they are 5-2 and 4-2 in conference play, they are hurting on the recruiting trail.

Fox College Football analyst Joel Klatt went on the Colin Cowherd show and ripped into the Texas program. More importantly the head coach Tom Herman and his recruiting or lack thereof.

“It’s a problem,” Klatt stated as he opened up about Texas. “It certainly wasn’t the case when Mack [Brown] was winning a lot of games. They’ve gotten a lot of good recruiting classes but they’ve lost that luster in the state. To be honest with you it’s not just Oklahoma and Texas A&M. LSU has been getting in there. Alabama has been getting in there. Ohio State has been getting in there.”

“Tom Herman came out and said it’s hurting us in recruiting that there are rumors about Urban Meyer in Texas. Hold on, one you don’t address that. Right, like I know Tom. Tom if you are listening to this, don’t address that. Go out there and win games, keep your job and you’ll be fine. I don’t quite understand, Texas A&M has really hit the recruiting trail hard and Lincoln Riley is an excellent recruiter.”

Recruiting has been hemoraghing this year with the loss of the Brockermeyer twins. The loss of Jalen Milroe. The loss of Quinn Ewers. We could go on and on about the misses in recruiting this year alone. That has been a major issue. Not winning and not dominating the Big 12 Conference in a year where the Oklahoma Sooners are having a down year? Not winning when you have the No. 6 most talented team in the country?

It is clear that Joel Klatt might have seen enough to know that Tom Herman isn’t getting the job done.

Oklahoma football notebook: Lincoln Riley, players preview Bedlam on Tuesday

Ahead of Bedlam on Saturday, OU head coach Lincoln Riley followed by Creed Humphrey, Jeremiah Hall, and Rhamondre Stevenson spoke Tuesday.

No. 17/18 Oklahoma is set to return to action on Saturday after another bye week when they host Bedlam rival No. 14 Oklahoma State.

The game has massive Big 12 title implications and really will go a long way toward determining the fate of both teams’ seasons.

Offensively, the Sooners are firing on all cylinders in recent games. They hung 62 points in each of the last two games with the return of running back Rhamondre Stevenson from suspension.

The offensive line has been improved as well, and has allowed young quarterback Spencer Rattler to settle in quite nicely and continue to progress each week since his benching against Texas.

On Tuesday, Lincoln Riley along with Creed Humphrey, Jeremiah Hall, and Stevenson met with the media to discuss the latest with the team ahead of Bedlam this weekend. Here is what they had to say.

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Lincoln Riley says Spencer Rattler is 100 percent for Bedlam against Oklahoma State

Lincoln Riley says that quarterback Spencer Rattler is fully ready to go for Bedlam this Saturday after suffering an injury against Kansas.

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Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler got himself a little banged up a week ago in the Sooners’ 62-9 win over Kansas.

After taking a hit on a touchdown run, he was forced to leave the game for a short period but did return – although looked to clearly not be at full health.

Lincoln Riley said both after the game and in the following week that he was “fine,” and he reiterated that today in his weekly press conference by saying that Rattler is now at “100 percent” after having the week off.

Riley had always been consistent that Rattler would not have even been removed from the Kansas game had the score not been so lopsided, but this should provide some comfort to Oklahoma fans that their QB is good to go for the biggest game of the season on Saturday night.

The Sooners will host Oklahoma State Saturday night in Norman at 6:30 p.m. CT.

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Oklahoma football releases fifth episode of documentary series of 2020 season

The Kansas week was an eventful week for everyone, maybe even more so in the world of being a college football player. 

The Kansas week was an eventful week for everyone, maybe even more so in the world of being a college football player.

The general election fell smack dab in the middle of a Big 12 game week. Players are now required to have the day off in order for them to exercise their right to vote. Luckily for Oklahoma, it was just the Jayhawks and not Oklahoma State who the Sooners were playing.

Oklahoma released the fifth-part of a documentary series for the 2020 season this week. Viewers get a behind the scenes look at just how series the program took the election with a long comment from Lincoln Riley and then director of football operations Clarke Stroud.

You’ll get to follow safety Chanse Sylvie around while he goes and votes. The Oklahoma safety has been one of the most vocal on social and racial issues in the country and has worked directly with leadership at Oklahoma, within police departments and with legislators inside the state of Oklahoma.

Practice clips as well as game highlights also make the episode. Watch it here:

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