One of the Greatest Games

[OU Guy]

I mean, they were so up and their fans were just so giddy. And bit by bit OU clawed back. And that last play I was just yelling get down get down and he took it all the way. Lots of beer was consumed for this one. And I’m sure lots of heart meds too. The atmosphere in this game was just off the charts. Both sides had their moments but imagine being a shorthorn fan and up 28-7. At that point in your mimd the game is over. As a football fan thos game had it all.

[RussC]

“Forget the field goal! Win it with a touchdown!”

[minnysooner]

If you’ve never seen it, a British guy reacts to the game and rides the rollercoaster with the rest of us: https://youtu.be/fdX0ePDeDZs

[OUGENO]

Yes it was awesome best game since 96 when we beat the horns in overtime!

[pippen]

Yes, the OU crowd (and Caleb Williams/Kennedy Brooks) had a lot to do with the comeback in this one. For once, there was no pouting, and we never gave up. That used to be the case in every game, but it seems to be a rare occurrence in Norman these days. Thankfully, not so much in Dallas. And hopefully it changes next year at least when there's not going to be many perceived pushovers.

Anybody besides me think TBOW was hoping to throw this one even after Williams started the Superman act? I recall the play calling being infuriating. Not quite as bad as the Aggie game, which the scum definitely threw, but still.

[SoonerTony]

If he wanted to throw the game, he could’ve done so much more easily by simply leaving Rattler in the game and letting him continue to be a turnover machine.

I think his play calling just isn’t all that great at times. A bit overrated.

[RussC]

If he wanted to throw the game, he could’ve done so much more easily by simply leaving Rattler in the game and letting him continue to be a turnover machine.

I think his play calling just isn’t all that great at times. A bit overrated.

Very good point about Rattler.

[OU Guy]

I am probably alone in my thinking and thats fine. I think the games prior to tx were a setup by LR. A qb, if a team has the same OC and HC - is at the mercy of the play calls. The plays called all season were suspect to me. One has to realize if a qb goes against the call then HC/OC will talk to you about it and say you needed to work harder to get the pass to who is primary. Then when you call plays that HC knows will be double covered the qb is in a quandry and forces the pass thus causing turnovers. I felt after the season LR knew he was leaving in late summer and he knew he needed to get Caleb to start to have a chance to bring him with. But fan sentiment and national sentiment was SR was a Heisman candidate and no way HC can bench him without a reason. So you slow offense down causing close games in ones we should win big. You call plays that make your qb look bad but no one is even thinking that, and never looked for it. So now you have fans booing the qb and this sets up a chance to pull him when its looking bad. So you call some iffy plays into doible coverage and qb does as asked and gets turnovers, niw his confidence is rattled and he makes mistakes because everything seems hard. And presto, you insert CW. Now I don’t think he expected to win the game but he accomplished the change. And some miracle plays by WRs and others got us back in game on some 50/50 throws. As season went on and we made the B12 title game he knew he needed to get to Usc and did not want to win B12 and risk making playoffs. So again if you watch that game he made sime sketchy calls where no short or medium routes, only long ones with all 3 wr going to same side. This played into defense amd hurt scoring chances. I will forever think of LR as a snake and all about himself and he didn’t care about people, fans or OU. Once he lost that game he left early the next morning for Usc.

I know it sounds far ferched. I wish someone with the good film access did a study of the early season amd late season play calling with the above in mind. From calling plays imto double coverage to loading routes long and to ome side amd not running when it was there - it would be interesting to have them break it down. At this poimt its moot and we will all have our opinions. But you don’t uproot your family overnight. Contracts like this take months not mere hours. And by getting CW to start that got him to follow.

It ended up being best for OU in long run. We are bringing D back. And improving everything in program from sod to facilities to Soul. It all worked out for the best but I have nothing good to say about that snake.

[OU Chinaman]

...I'm of the "there are no conspiracies, and there are no coincidences" camp.
Pretty sure mulesh*t DID know he was leaving Norman before the season was over, but seems a bit of a stretch to think he pulled Rattler for CW as a pretext for enticing him to accompany him to usc.

That he purposely bungled the play calling vs. OwussU to avoid any further delay in his heading west, may have some merit.

That he malevolently snuck out of town with intent to metaphorically "gut the program" seems at least plausible.
I also think he knew the players he had assembled on defense during his tenure, were sorely lacking in talent & depth.
Venables bore the brunt of that last year, but seems to have righted the ship.

That mulesh*t is a self serving snake is obvious to me, but at the same time an opportunity to acquire generational money, FU money, would be sufficient motivation for most to do the same.

Back to the point of your OP, that game may well in fact be the greatest comeback in this storied rivalry, and one I'll never forget, but then over the course of my life as a SOONER fan every single 2nd Saturday in October is the single greatest sporting event of the year. I contend that it is THE single best rivalry game in all of college football. Ohio St/Michigan, Alabama/Auburn , Notre Dame/usc. and all the rest be damned!

[pippen]

Back to the point of your OP, that game may well in fact be the greatest comeback in this storied rivalry, and one I'll never forget, but then over the course of my life as a SOONER fan every single 2nd Saturday in October is the single greatest sporting event of the year.

...when we win....

[pippen]

I am probably alone in my thinking and thats fine. I think the games prior to tx were a setup by LR. A qb, if a team has the same OC and HC - is at the mercy of the play calls. The plays called all season were suspect to me. One has to realize if a qb goes against the call then HC/OC will talk to you about it and say you needed to work harder to get the pass to who is primary. Then when you call plays that HC knows will be double covered the qb is in a quandry and forces the pass thus causing turnovers. I felt after the season LR knew he was leaving in late summer and he knew he needed to get Caleb to start to have a chance to bring him with. But fan sentiment and national sentiment was SR was a Heisman candidate and no way HC can bench him without a reason. So you slow offense down causing close games in ones we should win big. You call plays that make your qb look bad but no one is even thinking that, and never looked for it. So now you have fans booing the qb and this sets up a chance to pull him when its looking bad. So you call some iffy plays into doible coverage and qb does as asked and gets turnovers, niw his confidence is rattled and he makes mistakes because everything seems hard. And presto, you insert CW. Now I don’t think he expected to win the game but he accomplished the change. And some miracle plays by WRs and others got us back in game on some 50/50 throws. As season went on and we made the B12 title game he knew he needed to get to Usc and did not want to win B12 and risk making playoffs. So again if you watch that game he made sime sketchy calls where no short or medium routes, only long ones with all 3 wr going to same side. This played into defense amd hurt scoring chances. I will forever think of LR as a snake and all about himself and he didn’t care about people, fans or OU. Once he lost that game he left early the next morning for Usc.

I know it sounds far ferched. I wish someone with the good film access did a study of the early season amd late season play calling with the above in mind. From calling plays imto double coverage to loading routes long and to ome side amd not running when it was there - it would be interesting to have them break it down. At this poimt its moot and we will all have our opinions. But you don’t uproot your family overnight. Contracts like this take months not mere hours. And by getting CW to start that got him to follow.

It ended up being best for OU in long run. We are bringing D back. And improving everything in program from sod to facilities to Soul. It all worked out for the best but I have nothing good to say about that snake.

Tin foil hat or not, you are not at all alone in your thinking. From the get go, he had to make sure we did not win the conference, much less make the playoffs. It was all deliberate and with malice aforethought. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.