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Caleb Williams officially to USC

It IS possible that PAPA CW played that game...OVERplayed his hand...Underestimated his Opponent, and LOST...Probably much MORE than Jr. gained...Well Played, Joe C. & Coach V!!!
Well played and OU has moved on very quickly as evident by Gabriel’s transfer. I’m thinking that Venables made Caleb’s decision FOR him so OU could rebound asap from Riley’s sudden departure.
 
kilmer-tombstone.gif
Meh
 
So you throws more INT's next year, Rattler, Williams, or Gabriel? IMO it will be Willams. USC does not have a great OL,
 
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Folks are free to disagree, but in the end he made the same decision that he made coming out of high school: What is the best career path to the NFL? His decision coming out of high school was made based on Lincoln Riley being at Oklahoma. As for his transfer to USC, the NIL had little, if anything to do with his decision. In the end, he went with Lincoln Riley (who is a proven commodity in putting quarterbacks in the NFL).
 
Folks are free to disagree, but in the end he made the same decision that he made coming out of high school: What is the best career path to the NFL? His decision coming out of high school was made based on Lincoln Riley being at Oklahoma. As for his transfer to USC, the NIL had little, if anything to do with his decision. In the end, he went with Lincoln Riley (who is a proven commodity in putting quarterbacks in the NFL).
Riley had Mayfield, Murray and Hurts from 2015-2019, all of whom were transfers with great talent. His own recruited QBs, Rattler and Williams, cannot be compared to the three who came before them, at least right now.
So Riley's success of being a proven commodity in sending QB's to the NFL may be tempered by the fact he inherited three elite QB's and has not yet developed to the same level Rattler and Williams.
 
Riley had Mayfield, Murray and Hurts from 2015-2019, all of whom were transfers with great talent. His own recruited QBs, Rattler and Williams, cannot be compared to the three who came before them, at least right now.
So Riley's success of being a proven commodity in sending QB's to the NFL may be tempered by the fact he inherited three elite QB's and has not yet developed to the same level Rattler and Williams.
Riley brought a unique offensive scheme to OU. Kudos to Stoops for recognizing the fit. Riley had the good fortune of inheriting 3 very good QBs that fit his offensive system. IMO, Rattle was not a perfect fit for Riley's system with regards to his scrambling ability but he had a superior arm and can throw on the run. Williams is more of a fit to Riley's system. Whether we want to admit it or not, Williams got very lucky on many of his deep passes. Far more credit should go to the receivers. Mims made Williams look good. We will see chinks in Williams armor at USC. Their O Line will expose Caleb's weaknesses. What we saw at the end of the season was good defensive coordinators defeated Riley's system. Baylor and OSU beat OU with their D. Riley's glory days are over.
 
Riley had Mayfield, Murray and Hurts from 2015-2019, all of whom were transfers with great talent. His own recruited QBs, Rattler and Williams, cannot be compared to the three who came before them, at least right now.
So Riley's success of being a proven commodity in sending QB's to the NFL may be tempered by the fact he inherited three elite QB's and has not yet developed to the same level Rattler and Williams.
Fine post. And I'll just add that Tbow might have offensive knowledge but until he shakes the pirate mentality of not needing a defense, well, he's just gonna be another Mike Leach. I wonder if he's Mike's illigitimate son. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree sometimes.
 
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Riley brought a unique offensive scheme to OU. Kudos to Stoops for recognizing the fit. Riley had the good fortune of inheriting 3 very good QBs that fit his offensive system. IMO, Rattle was not a perfect fit for Riley's system with regards to his scrambling ability but he had a superior arm and can throw on the run. Williams is more of a fit to Riley's system. Whether we want to admit it or not, Williams got very lucky on many of his deep passes. Far more credit should go to the receivers. Mims made Williams look good. We will see chinks in Williams armor at USC. Their O Line will expose Caleb's weaknesses. What we saw at the end of the season was good defensive coordinators defeated Riley's system. Baylor and OSU beat OU with their D. Riley's glory days are over.
You hit it outta the park my man. 👍
 
Hello all. I don't post here much anymore. The fire burns dim. But I do have some thoughts about this and the current state of CFB.

Not to sound "sour grapes" because I think CW is a fine QB, will do some great things and win lots of games... but is he the second coming? No. All of his hiccups, mistakes and poor decisions don't make it to the highlight reels. And there were many we endured.

When he has a bad game at USC, and it may come quickly, there are a lot of people who are going to be hit upside the head with the harsh reality that he's a fallible college football QB, not the god the press has made out of him.
But CW isn't in it for CFB or any one college program. He's in it for himself, and yes, he will likely be an NFL QB someday. Good for him.

Could he have been the greatest QB in OU history? I honestly don't think so. I can think of two OU QB's, right off the top, that have played in just the past eight years that will go down as two of the greatest OU QB's in history.

Riley had the right and personal freedom to pursue happiness with the job change. I've done it before and I understand completely. Now then... I wish him mediocrity. There is a better chance of that, rather than being a world-beater. We know LR well.

Lastly, perversion of the word "commit", the NIL and the Transfer Portal have corrupted the greatest sport on Earth. Those have been like cold water thrown on a formerly-enthusiastic fan.

You all stay well.
 
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Hello Section22Sooner!! Very good to see you!!
I agree, it will be fun to watch from afar at usc.
 
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Caleb Williams cannot be considered even one of OU’s top ten quarterbacks. His time at OU lasted 8 games and the defenses of Baylor and OSU contained him…. As did the Kansas defense for one half.
Let’s mention Arnold, Harris, Warmack, Mildren, Davis, Lott, Watts, Holieway, Heupel, Bradford, Mayfield, Murray and Hurts before entering Williams into the discussion.
 
8 games does not a career make.
After the Texas game I wondered if he could even come close to that type of performance again. He was awesome when no one knew anything about him, after 3 games defenses planned against him and he became more human.
Good QB sure. Legend at OU no.
 
Caleb Williams cannot be considered even one of OU’s top ten quarterbacks. His time at OU lasted 8 games and the defenses of Baylor and OSU contained him…. As did the Kansas defense for one half.
Let’s mention Arnold, Harris, Warmack, Mildren, Davis, Lott, Watts, Holieway, Heupel, Bradford, Mayfield, Murray and Hurts before entering Williams into the discussion.

Not what I was implying, but my fault for not completing a sentence. So let me try again. Could he have been the greatest QB in OU history had he stayed at OU? I doubt it. We’ll never know one way or the other.
 
8 games does not a career make.
After the Texas game I wondered if he could even come close to that type of performance again. He was awesome when no one knew anything about him, after 3 games defenses planned against him and he became more human.
Good QB sure. Legend at OU no.

Ha! We do owe him gratitude for breaking off the Horns, especially in the face of the UT fans chanting “We want Caleb” pregame. A great Sooners memory!
 
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Not what I was implying, but my fault for not completing a sentence. So let me try again. Could he have been the greatest QB in OU history had he stayed at OU? I doubt it. We’ll never know one way or the other.
No doubt Williams could have been an all time great at OU.
Now he joins my list of players who COULD have been considered among OU's greatest, except for injuries and suspensions and early exits to the NFL:
Looney
Wylie
Dupree
Dampeer
Bomar
Whaley
Anderson
Malcolm Kelly
Thompson
Gresham
And Holieway's career was lessened by a knee injury in 1987, his junior year.....same as Gaddis, who suffered a knee injury in the 1989 Texas game, which may have cost OU a win...same as Bradford, who was injured in the opener vs BYU in 1989, then again vs Texas, and finished his OU career essentially in two years (2007-2008).
 
Why, when Caleb's name is mentioned, does 'Flash-in-the-Pan' come to mind?

flash in the pan
a thing or person whose sudden but brief success is not repeated or repeatable.
"our start to the season was just a flash in the pan"
 
Caleb Williams cannot be considered even one of OU’s top ten quarterbacks.
And neither was Troy Aikman. If he hadn't broken his ankle against the Miami Hurricanes, it's possible that he would have faded into obscurity.

As for Williams being a "flash in the pan", he didn't even play his senior year in high school due to the COVID shutdown. You want to compare apples to apples? Take Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Sam Bradford, or whoever you want. Take them out of high school in their junior year and have them start at OU the following year. Then, realistically project how you think they would have done under that scenario.
 
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And neither was Troy Aikman. If he hadn't broken his ankle against the Miami Hurricanes, it's possible that he would have faded into obscurity.

As for Williams being a "flash in the pan", he didn't even play his senior year in high school due to the COVID shutdown. You want to compare apples to apples? Take Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Sam Bradford, or whoever you want. Take them out of high school in their junior year and have them start at OU the following year. Then, realistically project how you think they would have done under that scenario.
I can't speak for Baker, Jalen or Sam, but I can tell you first had living in Allen, TX the last 20 years and watching Kyler play almost every down of his Sophomore, Junior and Senior years, that he would have turned out the same as he is now and would have been completely fine. That kid was insane in High School, Caleb Williams does not compare (at least not yet).
 
I agree my son played with Murray and I watched every game as well, Murray could have played as a freshman at OU. Murray and Hurts made Riley, these two kids had coaches as dads and grew up with the game around them. their football IQ was off the charts. They were able to read the defenses and change the play at the LOS, I dont think Rattler or Williams were very good at that.
 
And neither was Troy Aikman. If he hadn't broken his ankle against the Miami Hurricanes, it's possible that he would have faded into obscurity.

As for Williams being a "flash in the pan", he didn't even play his senior year in high school due to the COVID shutdown. You want to compare apples to apples? Take Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Sam Bradford, or whoever you want. Take them out of high school in their junior year and have them start at OU the following year. Then, realistically project how you think they would have done under that scenario.
But.....Mayfield, Murray and Hurts did not miss a year of high school football, so you are presenting a meaningless and hypothetical comparison. Who the hell knows how they would have done after an abbreviated high school career as Williams did ? It never happened, so why mention it ?
No one can say that Williams is not a dynamic talent, but he did not, as far as I'm concerned, put himself among the OU quarterback greats..... not after 8 games and playing for a disloyal coach whose best effort was severely lacking all year long as he plotted his "'escape" at season's end.
Whatever becomes of Williams or any player who left the program should not matter to us anymore. It's over with and a bright future is ahead.
 
Agreed. (Regarding CT’s response to LVPack)
And ifs and buts, candy & nuts, etc
Switzer knew we needed a pro effort to compete with the Cane crew and it was working until that fateful play.
We still finished that year in style
 
Regarding Aikman's transfer to UCLA, I read initially that Switzer actively helped Aikman find a new team to play for and that their relationship was a good one.
Then I read that Aikman had issues with Switzer.
What happened exactly ?
 
But.....Mayfield, Murray and Hurts did not miss a year of high school football, so you are presenting a meaningless and hypothetical comparison. Who the hell knows how they would have done after an abbreviated high school career as Williams did ? It never happened, so why mention it ?
To my point, Kyler Murray did NOT miss a year of high school football, and in his freshman season in college he completed 59.5% of his passes, with 5 TD's and 7 INT's. Hardly the stuff of legends. Bradford didn't even play as a true freshman, he redshirted. Mayfield as a true freshman completed 64.1% of his passes, with 12 TD's and 7 INT's. Hurts was arguably the best of the bunch as a true freshman, completing 62.8% of his passes, with 23 TD's and 7 INT's.

Williams, as a true freshman, completed 64.5% of his passes, with 21 TD's and 4 INT's.

Comparing all of the above as true freshmen by QB rating:

Williams 169.6
Hurts 139.1
Mayfield 127.7
Murray 109.2
Bradford (DNP)
Rattler (DNP)

If you guys can't acknowledge that Williams is significantly ahead of these guys at the same point in their careers, then you're letting your hatred get in the way of factual information.
 
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To my point, Kyler Murray did NOT miss a year of high school football, and in his freshman season in college he completed 59.5% of his passes, with 5 TD's and 7 INT's. Hardly the stuff of legends. Bradford didn't even play as a true freshman, he redshirted. Mayfield as a true freshman completed 64.1% of his passes, with 12 TD's and 7 INT's. Hurts was arguably the best of the bunch as a true freshman, completing 62.8% of his passes, with 23 TD's and 7 INT's.

Williams, as a true freshman, completed 64.5% of his passes, with 21 TD's and 4 INT's.

Comparing all of the above as true freshmen by QB rating:

Williams 169.6
Hurts 139.1
Mayfield 127.7
Murray 109.2
Bradford (DNP)
Rattler (DNP)

If you guys can't acknowledge that Williams is significantly ahead of these guys at the same point in their careers, then you're letting your hatred get in the way of factual information.
Yes completely ignore the teams they played on and the talent around them compared to what Caleb. OU was supposed to be a National Championship contender this year.
 
To my point, Kyler Murray did NOT miss a year of high school football, and in his freshman season in college he completed 59.5% of his passes, with 5 TD's and 7 INT's. Hardly the stuff of legends. Bradford didn't even play as a true freshman, he redshirted. Mayfield as a true freshman completed 64.1% of his passes, with 12 TD's and 7 INT's. Hurts was arguably the best of the bunch as a true freshman, completing 62.8% of his passes, with 23 TD's and 7 INT's.

Williams, as a true freshman, completed 64.5% of his passes, with 21 TD's and 4 INT's.

Comparing all of the above as true freshmen by QB rating:

Williams 169.6
Hurts 139.1
Mayfield 127.7
Murray 109.2
Bradford (DNP)
Rattler (DNP)

If you guys can't acknowledge that Williams is significantly ahead of these guys at the same point in their careers, then you're letting your hatred get in the way of factual information.
This has nothing to do with "hatred" for Williams or if Williams was better than the other QB's.
This has to do only with the fact he left OU after playing in 8 games and in my opinion, cannot be regarded as OU's best QB based on his short time at OU.
Williams probably was the most gifted QB that was ever recruited by OU. But he's gone now. That's factual.
 
Yes completely ignore the teams they played on and the talent around them compared to what Caleb. OU was supposed to be a National Championship contender this year.
So was Clemson, Iowa State, UNC and a host of others. Spencer Rattler was supposed to be a Heisman Trophy candidate. Preseason projections often don't mean very much.

For a number of reasons, OU was not a national championship contender this year. They were significantly overrated in the preseason. In retrospect, it was the pathetic performance of the offensive line, the lack of a sustained running game, and an overrated, soft defense that were the main culprits. It wasn't the QB who had a 21 to 4 TD to interception ratio.

This team turned out to be not nearly as talented as some of those teams that the other guys played on.
 
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