What the national media outlets are saying about Bedlam ahead of the huge Big 12 matchup on Saturday night.
No. 17/18 Oklahoma and No. 14 Oklahoma State are all set for a Saturday night Bedlam showdown in Norman.
The game has huge Big 12 title implications, with the winner arguably being considered the favorite in the conference going down the stretch.
For the Sooners, it is a chance to get another big win to push their winning streak to five games and get themselves one big step closer to defending their conference title once again.
For the Cowboys, this is an opportunity to conquer a lot of demons with this rivalry and get themselves in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 title.
Bedlam has gotten pretty used to the national spotlight in recent years, as one or both of the teams have almost always been right in the thick of the conference title push and sometimes the national title push late in the year.
For insight as to what is being said, here is a recap of what some of the national media are saying about this game:
The three biggest storylines ahead of the monstrous Bedlam game set for Saturday night in Norman.
No. 17/18 Oklahoma is riding a four-game winning streak as they prepare to host in-state rival No. 14 Oklahoma State.
After the early season struggles, the Sooners look like they have hit their stride in recent weeks after back-to-back blowout wins over Texas Tech and Kansas.
The returns of Rhamondre Stevenson and Ronnie Perkins have certainly been a big factor to the improved play, but better tackling, offensive line play, and quarterback play from Spencer Rattler have all provided big contributions to the success the last four games.
Oklahoma State is having a solid season of their own, still believing all their goals are available to them since they have just one loss to this point that they suffered to Texas. They were able to bounce back and knock off Kansas State two weeks ago in what they hope will be a catalyst to a successful run down the stretch of the season.
This game obviously has a lot going for it as far as intrigue is concerned, here are some of the biggest points of interest with the three biggest storylines heading into Bedlam on Saturday night:
The Big 12 race in 2020 is coming down to the wire. Here are the scenarios in which Oklahoma gets in the Big 12 Championship game.
The Big 12 race in 2020 is coming down to the wire like not many years before it.
There are five (maybe six, but we’re not getting that crazy until the end) teams still in the picture: Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners blew two games early and have rattled off four-straight to set up a pivotal weekend in the conference.
Oklahoma will host Oklahoma State in prime time on ABC Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. CT. Iowa State and Kansas State will play at 3 p.m. CT on FOX before Bedlam. By the end of the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game, we will know who has a clear picture to making the Big 12 Championship game.
There are three scenarios that seem more than plausible to happen and a chaos scenario. For this, we are acting as if Kansas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor and West Virginia will not upset anyone in the top-five of the Big 12 (except for chaos) and that Oklahoma will win out.
Here are the scenarios in which get the Sooners in or out of the Big 12 Championship.
Bedlam is known for its treacherous weather. It’s 72 hours out, but the rain chances remain good for Saturday night during the game.
Bedlam is known for its treacherous weather.
The 2013 game was played after a snow/ice storm. The 2015 game the same, the 2016 game in rain and all the way back to 1985 when the Ice Bowl game took place.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were scheduled to play the 2020 matchup earlier in the season on Oct. 24 before the COVID-19 pandemic cut games and moved the schedule around. The later on in the year, the better chance of weather having some sort of impact.
The National Weather Service has upped the rain chances on Saturday to 80 percent with highs during the day being in the upper 60s. Per the Weather Channel, the chance of rain is 60 percent Saturday night and a high of 48 degrees.
Bedlam is scheduled to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT.. It is unclear 72 hours out from the game if any inclement weather will take place during the game or have a chance to postpone it.
Rain and a wet field would certainly change the aspect of the game. The Sooners have a tad bit better running game and are deeper up front along he defensive line.
Oklahoma won that 2016 game against Oklahoma State that was played in the rain.
Ahead of Bedlam, Alex Grinch, Nik Bonitto, Ronnie Perkins, and Tre Norwood met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the latest.
No. 17/18 Oklahoma (5-2, 4-2) is set to retake the field at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday night when they host in-state foe No. 14 Oklahoma State (5-1, 4-1).
The Sooners are playing their best at the right time down the stretch in November, as has been the norm since Lincoln Riley came to Oklahoma. They’ve won four straight games and are playing better in nearly every facet of the game than they were early in the year.
Defensively, the Sooners have seen an uptick in just about every positive statistic since the return of Ronnie Perkins. His impact getting pressure on the quarterback to help force turnovers has been undeniable, and the team has spoke glowingly of how great it is to have him back on the field.
On Wednesday, defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch along with Perkins, Nik Bonitto and Tre Norwood met with the media to discuss the latest with the team with Bedlam just a few days away. Here is what they had to say.
Oklahoma State and Oklahoma are scheduled to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night. The 2020 Bedlam matchup will likely dictate which school goes to the Big 12 Championship game.
Mayfield was asked about his thoughts on the game during a press conference on Wednesday. No surprise, it was a jab.
He went 3-0 against Oklahoma State in four years. The 2015 and ’16 games were to win the Big 12 Championship. The 2017 game took place earlier in the season than normal and became one of the historic games of Bedlam with Mayfield, Marquise Brown and Oklahoma State offensive players setting school offensive records.
Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns are 6-3 on the season and are in the heat of the NFL Playoff race.
After failing to make any serious strides through the first 4 Big 12 games, Oklahoma’s run game is starting to pick up some serious steam.
Oklahoma’s relationship with the run game has been through a lot. From the wishbone and Billy Sims in the 70’s to Adrian Peterson and DeMarco Murray in the 2000’s, Oklahoma football and pounding the rock are two things that have simply become synonymous.
Since Bill Bedenbaugh was hired as offensive line coach in 2013, Oklahoma has prided itself on a bruising rushing attack, characterized by strong backs and punishing offensive line play.
In Bedenbaugh’s inaugural season, the Sooners ranked 13th in yards per carry (they ranked 52nd the year before). Oklahoma has remained in the top-20 every year since, including a first-place finish in 2018.
This season, the Sooners rank just 62nd in yards per carry.
This can be chalked up to a number of factors. From Kennedy Brooks opting out to Rhamondre Stevenson’s suspension to a sputtering offensive line early in the season, there was ample reason to expect a downturn in rushing efficiency this season.
Here’s the good news: after failing to make any serious strides through the first four Big 12 games, Oklahoma’s run game is starting to pick up some serious steam. The chart below depicts Oklahoma’s expected points added on designed runs over time (code courtesy of Nate Manzo, @cfbNate on Twitter)
Even against Missouri State, Oklahoma failed to get much of a meaningful push. This trend continued over the next four games (besides Iowa State) before finally coming to an end against Texas Tech.
Notably, Texas Tech and Kansas both rank in the bottom-20 in terms of run defense, while the rest of the teams Oklahoma has faced are top-60 at the least. Are a pair of strong performances against weak defensive fronts really anything to write home about? Not really. But the strength of opponent isn’t the only thing that changed.
Enter Rhamondre Stevenson.
Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images
Oklahoma’s monstrous six-foot power back made his return from suspension in Lubbock, and it didn’t take long for him to make his presence known, if not by the declaration on his undershirt, then by the three touchdowns he punched in.
Stevenson has only carried the ball 26 times this season, but he’s already etched his name near the top of the leaderboards in terms of both yards after contact and avoided tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus.
The above chart includes every power five running back with at least 25 carries this season. Yes, Stevenson’s numbers may be slightly inflated by his low volume and relative ease of opponents, but he also led all power five backs (min. 30 attempts) in yards after contact a year ago.
So how much of Oklahoma’s run game resurgence can be attributed to Stevenson’s return and how much is due to the progression of the offensive line? It’s hard to say for sure.
There’s no denying that Stevenson’s impact has been and will continue to be felt by every defensive line that Oklahoma faces.
As for the offensive line, they’ve averaged over three yards before contact in each of the last two games. Their previous high on the year was 2.7 against Kansas State. But strength of opponent matters here, and the last time they faced a top-20 run defense, Texas held them under two yards before contact.
Oklahoma’s offensive line has proven that it can play up to its potential but it has yet to make a statement against an elite run defense. In Oklahoma State, they’re getting the perfect opportunity.
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.
A recap of the series history in the long Bedlam rivalry, which sees Oklahoma holding a commanding all-time lead over rival Oklahoma State.
No. 17/18 Oklahoma (5-2, 4-2) returns to action this weekend after a bye week at home when they host Bedlam rival No. 14 Oklahoma State (5-1, 4-1).
It will be the 115th all-time meeting between the long time in-state foes, with the Sooners holding a commanding, and well-known, 89-18-7 series lead. In the Big 12 era, Oklahoma leads the series 18-6 and has won each of the last five meetings in the series which coincides with Lincoln Riley’s arrival in Norman.
The longest streak in the series, however, was when the Sooners rattled off 19 straight against the Pokes from 1946-1964.
The Sooners’ 89 wins against the Cowboys are the most the team has against any one single opponent, and the second most any school has against a single opponent (Nebraska has 91 wins against Kansas).
This will be the 15th time the schools will meet with both teams ranked in the AP Poll, with Oklahoma having taken 13 of the previous 14.
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.
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.
