Sooners face another rival

The only game No. 6 Oklahoma has lost this season was to a traditional rival. On Saturday, the other big Sooner rival will have a chance to dash OU’s hopes for a fourth straight Big 12 title and a possible ticket to the four-team College Football Playoff.

The Sooners (8-1, 5-1)  are tied with West Virginia (7-1, 5-1) atop the Big 12. OU hosts Oklahoma State (5-4, 2-4) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC TV.

Oklahoma’s only loss this season was a three-point nail biter against Texas (6-3, 4-2). When you look at common opponents for OU and OSU, the Sooners have defeated Texas Tech, Iowa State, Kansas State, and Baylor. But OU lost to Texas, a team OSU beat two weeks ago.

“It’s a huge rivalry, regardless of the team’s records,” OU coach Lincoln Riley said Monday. “It’s an important game for this state. It’s been a very important game on the national scene for the last several years. It’s one of our marquee games, year in or year out.”

OU quarterback Kyler Murray, who will be playing in his first Bedlam game, downplayed the rivalry aspect Monday.

“I’m just ready to play another game,” Murray said. “Honestly, it’s another great opportunity for us as a team against a good team. Obviously, there’s a rivalry and it will be intense on Saturday. But for us, we still have to execute and play well.”

Riley said OSU is better than their record indicates. “They are an interesting team right now,” Riley said. “They are very, very talented. They are just a play here or there away from having the kind of year that they would want to be having. But they are still playing at a high level.”

Last year, the Sooners topped the Cowboys 62-52 in an offensive explosion in Stillwater. OU had 785 yards of offense while OSU had 661 yards.

“We set a couple of records that day,” Murray said. “It was a shootout. Hopefully, we won’t have to do that this Saturday but if comes down to it, we will be ready.”

OU had a shaky start to what turned into a 51-46 win at Texas Tech Saturday as Murray threw two interceptions in the first five offensive plays.

“They came out with different looks than I expected at the beginning,” Murray said. “But for our team to fight through, when I put us in a hole, I think it was good for us to face a little adversity and come out of it.”

Murray, who could win the Heisman Trophy, hit 20 of 35 passing attempts for 360 yards and three scores. He also rushed 11 times for 100 yards – his highest total while at Oklahoma.

Murray is the first player in OU history to pass for at least 300 yards in the same game in which he rushed for 100 yards. Murray owns the new Big 12 record for stringing together eight games in a row with at least three touchdown passes.

The offensive line and running back Trey Sermon in the second half against Texas Tech and OU held on for the win. “I’ve said it many times – I think we have the best offensive line in the country,” Murray said. “They kind of hit their stride after (the Texas game).”

Sermon rushed for a career-highs of 206 yards and 26 carries. He averaged almost eight yards per carry and scored three touchdowns. “He hasn’t really got loose like he wanted to get loose and I think he did Saturday,” Murray said of Sermon.

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury was impressed. “They’re a really, really good offense,” Kingsbury said after the game. “That O line with that quarterback, I don’t know who will stop them the way that quarterback can move and run and then beat you in the pocket, he’s phenomenal. I don’t know who is better than him in the country or who has been better than him in the last however many years. He is a special, special talent out there.”