ARLINGTON, Texas — Oklahoma will still get to play its Red River rivalry game against Texas when the two teams go to the Southeastern Conference together, but there may be no more Bedlam for the Sooners against Oklahoma State.
“Bedlam’s history. Bedlam’s not going to be Bedlam after they leave the conference,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said at the Big 12’s football media days Wednesday. “I don’t make that decision. I’m just telling you in my opinion, I think it’s history.”
Gundy said the future of Bedlam is based on “somebody else’s decision,” a clear reference to the Sooners and their switch to the SEC no later than the 2025 season.
While Gundy knows most fans would love for the game to continue, he said doesn’t see that as feasible if the teams are in different conferences.
“When you look at, we’re scheduled out through 2032 or ’33, something like that. And most conferences, once all this settles down, you’re going to have a minimum of nine conference games in my opinion,” Gundy said. “You’re talking about contract buyouts and you’re talking about convincing head coaches to play another game, which would be like playing another conference game.”
The Sooners have a 90-19-7 series lead, but Oklahoma State won 37-33 at home last year in a game that sent the winner to the Big 12 championship game.
NEBRASKA IN THE REARVIEW
Adrian Martinez left Nebraska after 39 games at quarterback over four seasons and is set to replace Skylar Thompson as the starter at Kansas State.
The once-proud Cornhuskers were 14-29 in games Martinez played and haven’t had a winning season since 2016. He’s joining a team that has gone 8-5 in both full seasons under coach Chris Klieman (4-6 in pandemic-shortened 2020).
“I made a lot of experiences, a lot of moments at Nebraska, and stuff I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” Martinez said. “I think it was time for me to move on from that, kind of put that in the rearview mirror and make the most out of this year. For me, it’s all about this year and what we can do with this squad.”
Martinez will be paired with dual-threat running back Deuce Vaughn, the 5-foot-6 speedster who averaged 108 yards rushing per game and added 468 yards receiving. Vaughn is going into his third season.
“That’s part of the reason why I came to K-State,” Martinez said. “He’s just been a tremendous help more learning the offense. I’m excited for something new, having him as an asset and just a different feel to the offense and maybe a little bit more balance I think will be mutually beneficial.”
MOVING TO MOUNTAINEERS
Graham Harrell was a big-passing quarterback who set NCAA records in his playing days at Texas Tech. Now he’s back in the Big 12 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at West Virginia.
“He’s brought a different energy about him. He’s confident without being arrogant. He’s extremely humble,” Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said. “`It helps that he was a great player in this league, and I think that gets the players’ attention on your current roster, but also in recruiting.”
Harrell threw for more than 400 yards in a game 11 times, and had two 5,000-yard passing seasons at Texas Tech from 2005-08. He was the OC and quarterbacks coach at Southern Cal the past three seasons, after having that same role at North Texas for three years.
West Virginia also has a new quarterback in transfer JT Daniels, who was the backup for national champion Georgia last season. Before joining the Bulldogs in 2020, Daniels started as a true freshman for Southern Cal in 2018 before he was hit by injuries, and played only one game in 2019 with the Trojans in Harrell’s first season there.
LAWRENCE TO LONE STAR
Kansas won only one Big 12 game in coach Lance Leipold‘s first season, and that 57-56 victory at Texas is still a proud topic for the Jayhawks.
“We’ve been starving for some wins, so any of them we’re going to talk about,” Leipold said. “When you beat a program with the tradition and past success of the University of Texas and resources, all in all it’s something that we’re going to be proud of. … We probably hit them at a time when they were in a struggle and were able to take advantage of it.”
The Jayhawks won in Austin last November on a scrambling pass for a 2-point conversion in overtime to snap a 56-game losing streak in conference road games that stretched back to 2008.
“Guys just found out that we could compete at the highest level and we can beat one of the teams that’s been like one of the bluebloods of the conference,” safety Kenny Logan said Wednesday. “That momentum booster going into the rest of the season was definitely key for us. … Even though we didn’t have the wins to show it, we definitely improved.”
Kansas had lost its previous eight games by an average margin of 34 points. The Jayhawks then finished the season with two more losses, but by only a combined nine points.
