The 109th Bedlam game against the No. 20 ranked Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys will be played at Owen Field this Saturday in Norman, OK. The rivalry itself means everything to the state of Oklahoma and a victory for either team means bragging rights for a whole year. In the state of Oklahoma, people either bleed red or bleed orange and this game divides the entire state for the day, if not the entire week. The Sooners have had the greater success in the past, but in recent years the Cowboys have given them tough competition. If this year’s game is anything like the nail biting games in the past, no one will be disappointed. No one can forget how the Sooners spoiled the Cowboys winning season last year when they scored in the final seconds to win the game. This year the 5-6 OSU Cowboys are seeking revenge.
The 8-3 Oklahoma Sooners have high hopes that freshman quarterback Cody Thomas can get the job done in his first ever Bedlam game. Thomas will start his third career game against OSU after OU’s starting QB Trevor Knight suffered an injury to his neck against Baylor on Nov. 8.
As of this week, Cowboys’ head coach Mike Gundy said Oklahoma State’s starting QB would be a “game-time decision.” The decision is between Daxx Garman, who is returning from an injury due to a concussion, or freshman Mason Rudolph who impressed many in his debut against Baylor. This year’s Bedlam game could be a match up between two freshman quarterbacks if Mason Rudolph gets the start. Either way, the Cowboys need an upset over the Sooners in order to become bowl eligible.
In a recent interview, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops was asked what factors would decide the outcome of the game and he said, “third downs and our turnover margin.”
The Sooners can’t afford to turn the ball over and will need their key players such as freshman RB Samaje Perine to make big third-down plays. Perine is coming off his record-breaking performance against Kansas where he set an FBS record with 427 rushing yards yards and now leads the Big XII with 1,428 yards and 19 touchdowns. The OSU defense will have to contain Perine, which won’t be easy.
OSU head coach Mike Gundy was asked about Perine at a press conference and said, “He’s a very good player, he’s a tough runner. Runs low, keeps his pads down, he’s run through a number of tackles and he’s really good with yards after contact.” The Cowboys defense will have their hands full agaist Oklahoma’s running game and will have to slow their offense if they want any chance of an upset.
The Sooners are favored over the Cowboys but that doesn’t mean OSU won’t come to Norman ready to fight. Like we’ve seen in the past, anything can happen in this rivalry match up.
The Bedlam game is set for kickoff at 2:30 CT in Norman, Oklahoma on Saturday Dec 6.
*Section Photo credit to Tom Pennington, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Tim Heitman, USA Today Sports.
