The bye week weekend has been dragging so I wanted to bring up some stuff to get everyone debating. I’ve heard it from a lot of the OU guys (teddy, gabe, dusty, etc) and I also believe that OU’s defensive deficiencies have been masked by elite qb play. So listed below are games that were won by one score and arguably won by the elite level qb play at OU. Subjectively, I am only counting a QBR over 80 as elite QB play. Without elite level qb play, you can argue that these games would have been lost and OU’s end of season record and public/fan perception would be drastically different. Yes, I know this is a lot of “what ifs” and hypotheticals, but it also reminds a lot of folks of the close games OU has been a part of over the last six years even with elite QBs at the helm.
2016: 10-2 regular season
OU 52 TCU 46
Baker Mayfield: 23/30 274 yards 2 TD 90.8 QBR
OU 45 Texas 40
Baker Mayfield: 22/31 390 yards 3 TD 96.9 QBR
OU 66 TTU 59
we all know this game…no point in giving everyone PTSD
Mayfield was a Heisman finalist
Could argue that without Mayfield, the regular season record would have been 7-5
2017: 11-1 regular season
OU 49 Baylor 41
Baker Mayfield: 13/19 283 yards 3 TD 89.1 QBR
OU 29 Texas 24
Baker Mayfield: 17/27 302 yards 2 TD 80.7 QBR
not Baker’s best game stat wise but he made big plays down the stretch of this game, i.e. the 59 yard TD to Mark Andrews late in the 4th
OU 42 K-State 35
Baker Mayfield: 32/41 410 yards 2 TD 95.8 QBR
Mayfield won the Heisman
could argue that without Mayfield, the regular season record would have been 8-4
***OU 62 OSU 52***
Baker Mayfield: 24/36 598 yards 5 TD 97.2 QBR
I’m not including this one but want to remind everyone how elite Baker was in this game and that without his performance, OU might have gotten ran out of BPS like it was 2011.
2018: 11-1 regular season
OU 28 Army 21
Kyler Murray: 11/16 165 yards 3 TD 99.4 QBR
OU 51 TTU 46
Kyler Murray: 20/35 360 yards 3 TD 91.4 QBR
OU 59 WVU 56
Kyler Murray: 20/27 364 yards 3 TD 99.1 QBR
Kyler Murray won the Heisman
Could argue that without Kyler Murray, the regular season record would have been 8-4
***OU 48 OSU 47***
Kyler Murray: 21/29 349 yards 1 TD 78.2 QBR
Not including this game because the QBR of Murray was below 80
2019: 11-1 Regular Season
OU 34 Texas 27
Jalen Hurts: 16/28 235 yards 3 TD 80.3 QBR
OU 42 ISU 41
Jalen Hurts: 18/26 273 yards 3 TD 89.2 QBR
OU 34 Baylor 31
Jalen Hurts: 30/42 297 yards 4 TD 83.3 QBR
OU 28 TCU 24
Jalen Hurts: 11/21 145 yards 2 TD 84.8 QBR
Jalen Hurts was a Heisman finalist
Could argue that without Jalen Hurts, the regular season record would have been 7-5
2020: 7-2 regular season
OU vs Texas could be argued but Rattler’s total QBR was 79.2. After being benched he came out and played way better in the second half.
2021: 10-2 regular season
OU 23 NU 17
Spencer Rattler: 24/34 214 yards 1 TD 85.3 QBR
OU 37 KSU 31
Spencer Rattler: 22/25 243 yards 2 TD 90.9 QBR
OU 55 Texas 48
Caleb Williams: 16/25 212 yards 2 TD 97.5 QBR
Regular season could have been 7-5
TLDR: OU has been on the verge of 4-5 loss seasons. but have been saved by elite QB play.
2016: 10-2 regular season
OU 52 TCU 46
Baker Mayfield: 23/30 274 yards 2 TD 90.8 QBR
OU 45 Texas 40
Baker Mayfield: 22/31 390 yards 3 TD 96.9 QBR
OU 66 TTU 59
we all know this game…no point in giving everyone PTSD
Mayfield was a Heisman finalist
Could argue that without Mayfield, the regular season record would have been 7-5
2017: 11-1 regular season
OU 49 Baylor 41
Baker Mayfield: 13/19 283 yards 3 TD 89.1 QBR
OU 29 Texas 24
Baker Mayfield: 17/27 302 yards 2 TD 80.7 QBR
not Baker’s best game stat wise but he made big plays down the stretch of this game, i.e. the 59 yard TD to Mark Andrews late in the 4th
OU 42 K-State 35
Baker Mayfield: 32/41 410 yards 2 TD 95.8 QBR
Mayfield won the Heisman
could argue that without Mayfield, the regular season record would have been 8-4
***OU 62 OSU 52***
Baker Mayfield: 24/36 598 yards 5 TD 97.2 QBR
I’m not including this one but want to remind everyone how elite Baker was in this game and that without his performance, OU might have gotten ran out of BPS like it was 2011.
2018: 11-1 regular season
OU 28 Army 21
Kyler Murray: 11/16 165 yards 3 TD 99.4 QBR
OU 51 TTU 46
Kyler Murray: 20/35 360 yards 3 TD 91.4 QBR
OU 59 WVU 56
Kyler Murray: 20/27 364 yards 3 TD 99.1 QBR
Kyler Murray won the Heisman
Could argue that without Kyler Murray, the regular season record would have been 8-4
***OU 48 OSU 47***
Kyler Murray: 21/29 349 yards 1 TD 78.2 QBR
Not including this game because the QBR of Murray was below 80
2019: 11-1 Regular Season
OU 34 Texas 27
Jalen Hurts: 16/28 235 yards 3 TD 80.3 QBR
OU 42 ISU 41
Jalen Hurts: 18/26 273 yards 3 TD 89.2 QBR
OU 34 Baylor 31
Jalen Hurts: 30/42 297 yards 4 TD 83.3 QBR
OU 28 TCU 24
Jalen Hurts: 11/21 145 yards 2 TD 84.8 QBR
Jalen Hurts was a Heisman finalist
Could argue that without Jalen Hurts, the regular season record would have been 7-5
2020: 7-2 regular season
OU vs Texas could be argued but Rattler’s total QBR was 79.2. After being benched he came out and played way better in the second half.
2021: 10-2 regular season
OU 23 NU 17
Spencer Rattler: 24/34 214 yards 1 TD 85.3 QBR
OU 37 KSU 31
Spencer Rattler: 22/25 243 yards 2 TD 90.9 QBR
OU 55 Texas 48
Caleb Williams: 16/25 212 yards 2 TD 97.5 QBR
Regular season could have been 7-5
TLDR: OU has been on the verge of 4-5 loss seasons. but have been saved by elite QB play.
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