2020 Conference-only scenario…
I know we want to play football this year in the worst way, but the one plan being floated around should never see the light of day. The conference-only plan would benefit OSU and Texas at the expense of the Sooners. Surely, this won’t happen, but I don’t trust Joe Castiglione in these matters.
Joe tends to be a politician, a personality trait that we saw back in 2011 as he agreed to send OU to Stillwater two years in a row to satisfy conference officials after conference realignment. That decision cost the Sooners a 44-10 embarrassing loss to the Ags. Never trust a politician further than you can throw them.
The conference only schedule for OU, OSU and Texas looks this way to me.
Texas (7-0) with 2 tossups…
OSU (7-0) with 2 tossups…
OU (4-0) with 5 tossups…
Texas at (7-0-2) Texas avoids playing LSU in Baton Rouge. Instead, the Horns will start their season with Kansas State and then catch the Sooners in the Red River Shootout. Texas will roll into the Cotton Bowl against OU with momentum and with an experienced quarterback at the helm. A win over OU would serve as a springboard to what could become a conference championship and a playoff appearance.
The toss-ups for Texas are OU (Cotton Bowl) and @OSU…
OSU (7-0-2) OSU will benefit from an early conference schedule as well as they play a weak early season schedule of TCU, Iowa State and Kansas. This schedule will create serious momentum for the Ags as they roll into Norman for Bedlam. A seasoned Spencer Sanders will use his experience to give OU fits. Keep in mind that this would be only Spencer Rattler’s fourth game of his career.
Win or lose in Bedlam OSU would roll into their season ending game against Texas. A win would send them to the Big 12 Championship game and possible playoff berth. Yuck…
The toss-ups for OSU are @OU and Texas…
OU (4-0-5) OU will start the season against a tough Baylor team and then face an experienced Texas bunch in the Red River Shootout. Yes, I believe that Spencer Ratter is going to be an exceptional quarterback, but why have him start his career this way. We may sneak out a win over Baylor, but getting a win in Dallas on this day will tougher than normal.
With a Texas size hangover, Lincoln and company will head to the Ames snake pit. Next, with one, possibly two losses the Sooners will have to play an experienced OSU team in Bedlam. I do not like the sound of this at all.
After Bedlam, the Sooners will have to go on the road for two tough road games at TCU and West Virginia. The Sooners will also play Texas Tech Thanksgiving Friday this year.
The toss-ups for OU due to the schedule would be in order…Texas (Cotton Bowl), OSU, @Iowa State, @West Virginia, and @ Texas Tech…
We need to avoid the conference-only scenario for 2020 at all cost. It would be better to forgo a year of football than to force the Sooners to play this schedule. While I love those OU fans who believe that we can spit in the face of any challenge because we’re OU, but doing this would be total nonsense. I’m an OU fan, but I also a pragmatist. The conference-only season scenario should never see the light of day.
Go to https://fbschedules.com/college-football-team-schedules/ and see if you agree with my prognosis.
Bcs.net - sports professor