This particular matchup would be vastly different if it were to be played in September.
Both Oregon and Oklahoma will be going into the Alamo Bowl a bit shorthanded. Opting out of bowl games or transferring out is becoming a common occurrence in college football and these two teams were not immune.
Oregon’s biggest loss will be defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is expected to be a high first-round NFL draft pick in 2022.
Oklahoma benched its starting quarterback Spencer Rattler in the middle of the season, so he is currently looking for another school to finish out his collegiate career. The Sooners will also be missing their all-conference linebacker Nik Bonitto and his seven sacks, 19.5 in his career.
While both schools will still field teams and kick-off in San Antonio on Wednesday, it won’t look like the normal teams we’ve seen all year. Here are some of the players who won’t participate following opt-outs or transfers.