The long-awaited Bedlam game is just over the horizon for the Oklahoma Sooners. After spending the last week’s bye week into this week preparing for the game, one thing that still makes some Oklahoma football fans nervous is the question of how Sooner QB1, Spencer Rattler, will be able to take the heat of his first Bedlam.
Home field advantage
Luckily for Rattler and the Sooners, they will be taking on the Cowboys on their home turf. Though the Bedlam rivalry has been notoriously one-sided, that does not take away from the fact that playing your rival at home makes it just that much easier to secure a win.
Especially considering this year’s Bedlam game is expected to be far more intense this year than in years past, having a home-field advantage as a young quarterback during games like this will easily calm the nerves of any freshman quarterback.
Coach Riley isn’t worried
Another thing that should ease Sooner football fans’ minds is the fact that not even head coach Lincoln Riley is concerned about the young quarterback’s performance.
After the infamous 2020 Red River Shootout, it was pretty apparent Rattler couldn’t handle the heat until he was pulled out of his own kitchen. What appears to be a pivotal moment for both Rattler and Oklahoma football as a whole was when Riley made the decision to pull Rattler from the first half of the game against Texas. From the moment Rattler stepped back on the field for the second half, we have seen exceptional improvement in his performance.
In his press conference yesterday, Riley didn’t feel this game being a rivalry game would affect Spencer in any way. To him, it’s just like every other game.
“I think he’s learned. He’ll get in some new situations, some different situations here Saturday night. Hopefully, the experience he has had through this year and some of the situations he’s already been in he can drawback. Which I mean for him is to continue to just trust doing his job and trust his teammates and not make any more of it than what it is,” Riley Said.
Riley said when it comes to big rivalry games with implications like this one, his players understand to just view it as a football game, blocking out any outside noises that come along with it.
However, Riley did say Oklahoma State will be no easy feat - not because he is concerned about his own team’s abilities, more so because of the weapons the Cowboys will be bringing with them to Norman on Saturday.
“Tylan coming back, he’s obviously one of the best receivers in the country. Chuba, making the decision to come back, is absolutely one of the best running backs in the country. And we see the talent that Spencer Sanders is and how he’s grown and matured and made a lot of big plays in big games for them. That trio is as talented and good as anybody in the country,” Riley said.
Game Time
The Bedlam game will take place at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. You can also tune in and watch the prime-time game on ABC.
