Barry Switzer was once asked about his thoughts on the upcoming game against instate ‘rival’ Oklahoma State. His answer is still my favorite Switzer quote of all-time. “Just because it doesn’t take us long to get home after we kick their ass, doesn’t make them our rival.”
In case you don’t speak Switzer, what he was trying to say was, to be someone’s rival, you have to win the game more often than the Washington Generals beat the Globetrotters.
Bedlam: (a) A place, scene, or state of uproar and confusion
(b) an asylum for the mentally ill
With Switzer’s quote and the definition above in mind - to this day I’m still confused as to why the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game is called Bedlam. Frankly, there is nothing confusing about this game. It’s the most lopsided in-state series in college football. 115-times they’ve kicked off, 90-times Oklahoma has won. Maybe it’s called Bedlam because you’d have to be mentally ill to call 90-18-7 a rivalry.
In the first 8-games played between these two teams, OSU didn’t even score. The Sooners have had win streaks of 19, 17, 11, 9, and 8 (just to name a few) over their instate little step-brother. You have to go all the way back to the Coolidge administration to find the only 10-year span of the series that OSU won more games than they lost, as the Cowboys went 5-2-3 from 1924-1933. OSU’s longest win streak against the Sooners you didn’t ask? That would be two. Hell, even my broken clock is right twice a day.
I’ve also heard it said that you can “throw out the records when these two teams get together.” LOL, how convenient for the Cowboys. But okay, I’ll play along. I’m willing to concede the fact that some of the recent OU-OSU games have been thrilling affairs with some jaw-dropping moments … some of the games, like the one this past Saturday night, have even had conference and/or national implications. But history also shows that OSU has handled almost all of those moments like Brent Parker would a game winning touchdown pass (okay – admittedly, that was a little harsh and maybe even a little uncalled for).
Look, here’s the deal. I try to root for OSU, I really do. I want to pull for them because a vast majority of their players are Oklahoma kids – and I love that fact. I also have some really close friends who either went to school there or who are big fans – or both - and I try to respect that fact … but that courtesy is generally not reciprocated. The vast majority of OSU fans do not root for OU – ever. If OU played Satan, Poke fans would cheer like the ‘Devil’ against us. Worse is the fact that I still have to hear about Terry Miller in 1976 or how Les Miles had our number in 2001 & 2002 … I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in OKC or Tulsa on the rare occasion that OSU wins. Thankfully, that happens about as often as a lunar eclipse.
Oklahoma’s dominant 41-13 victory Saturday night was the Sooners 6th straight put-down of the Pokes – and the 16th time in the last 18 tries that OU has conquered the Cowboys. Bedlam? Nope. Beatdown? Abso-f-ing-lutely.
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| Sooner Freshman - Mikey Henderson |
OKLAHOMA 41 OSU 13
2. OU held the Pokes to 3-14 on 3rd down and dominated the time of possession 34.52 to 25.08.
5. Marvin Mims = A young CD Lamb. He’s a stud that is starting to demand double teams.
6. Mikey Henderson. I said earlier this season, it’s obvious that Riley really likes this kid as evidenced by the different ways he is coming up with to get the ball in the freshman’s hands. I also said that no position is deeper than H-Back for the Sooners. With Austin Stogner, one of Rattlers favorite targets, unable to go Saturday night, up steps Willis, Hall and Henderson. This trio accounted for 5-catches for 106-yards and 2-touchdowns through the air and another 20-yards on three carries and a TD on the ground. H-Back position description in a word: LOADED.
7. RB Stevenson is a beast and a game changer. He has great balance, excellent vision, deceptive speed, a wicked stiff-arm and soft-hands. No word on whether he’s a good dancer or willing to rescue kittens from a tree … but it will be interesting to see if he comes back or opts for the draft. If I were a betting man, I’d say he’s probably gone. His stock should be high and running backs seem to have a shelf-life … and while I don’t know this, I wouldn’t guess school to be his thing – but let’s hope I’m wrong.
8. Rattler was very efficient, if not great, going 17 of 24 for 301 and 4 touchdowns.
9. It's an absolute mystery to me why someone on the OU coaching staff can't get Bookie to shut the f-up. I don't get it.
10. Loved the play the Sooners scored on at the start of the 4th quarter. With Rattler lined up behind the guard, the ball was snapped directly to Stevenson, who then handed off to Rattler sweeping to the right. Rattler faked a handoff to the WR on a reverse – then threw to a wide-open Jeramiah “Was A Bullfrog” Hall for a touchdown. The play got me thinking … When was the last time that OSU Head Coach Mike Gundy ran something unexpected against the Sooners. I’m sure it’s happened, but as of now, which is Monday afternoon – I’ve yet to remember just what and when that was. Just sayin.
11. By virtue of OU’s win over OSU – combined with ISU’s dismantling of KSU on Saturday … the Sooners now control their own destiny to winning a 6-straight Big 12 title – hard to believe after two straight conference losses to start the season. OU still has to take care of business, but if they do, they’ll most likely get the winner of the ISU-Texas game played this Saturday.
Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy
Buddy Putty – The Overweight Armchair Sooner
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