Baker Mayfield will not start Saturday against West Virginia and stripped of team captain leadership; will play
Coach Lincoln Riley also defended his quarterback Monday by saying he has a “great heart,” adding, “I’m proud as hell to be his coach,” per George Schroeder of USA Today.
It was a Baker Mayfield attentions grabber week in college football as the leading candidate for this year’s Heisman Trophy showed his emotions in the Oklahoma Sooners 41-3 domination of the Kansas Jayhawks. Mayfield passed for three touchdowns (0 interceptions) as the Sooners used his passing and a stout defense in a wind storm in Lawrence to gain their tenth win against one lone loss. A “chippie” game from the coin toss, Mayfield’s emotions were aroused to the point that he gave the Kansas sidelines the “finger”, yelled to said bench “fuck you!”, and grabbed his crotch as he paraded the Sooner sideline.
Mayfield took verbal abuse from the Kansas players and fans during the contest, was roughed up with a not-called targeting foul by a Kansas defender, and was reportedly punched in a pile by a Kansas player after the scrum. Mayfield responded according as mentioned above. The best player in the country apologized in a post game presser.
My take on the situation and Mayfield:
Baker is an emotional player that will do things that many will not consider politically correct (PC). . Everyone is different and we all have our personal qualities, good, bad, and indifferent. The individual will do things that are sometimes not looked upon by others as positive. and often just the opposite. Baker Mayfield is a person that wears his emotions on the outside and not on the inside. If you ask a psychologist, I would think that is not always bad. Many of our more successful people are like that. Is it condoned by the general public? Not outside Oklahoma. Will it hurt him in his Heisman race? Yes, but the significance is not known at this time. Those that follow college football say Baker will win the award regardless of this incident.
In other Big Twelve action, Oklahoma State was upset at home by Kansas State as the Poke defense was shredded by the Wildcats. A huge fourth quarter comeback fell short in the 45-40 loss.
Texas held serve and beat West Virginia as the Mountaineers lost quarterback Will Grier with a broken finger. The Horns (6-5) are bowl eligible for the first time in many years. Texas won 28-14.
Baylor lost again, this time at home to Iowa State 23-13. Iowa State continues to have a breakthrough year with their seventh win and are now 5-3 in league games.
TCU defensed Texas Tech in Lubbock 27-3. The Horned Frogs are now one win away of reaching the Big Twelve Conference Title Game in Jerry’s World with the victory.
Fred’s Big Twelve Rankings
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Oklahoma
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TCU
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Iowa State
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Oklahoma State
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Kansas State
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Texas
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Kansas State
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Texas Tech
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Baylor
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Kansas
This week in the Conference
Oklahoma 45 and West Virginia 28
TCU 37 and Baylor 14
Oklahoma State 65 and Kansas 21
Kansas State 31 and Iowa State 30
Texas 24 and Texas Tech 22
Last Week 2-3 Season 45-18
My Final Four Rankings (this week)
Alabama vs Oklahoma
Auburn vs Clemson
The Committee Rankings (projection)
Alabama vs Clemson
Oklahoma vs Miami
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Alabama
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Miami
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Clemson
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Oklahoma
Fred’s Top Twenty-five Rankings
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Alabama
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Miami (Fla)
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Wisconsin
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Oklahoma
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Clemson
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Auburn
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Univ. of Central Florida
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TCU
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USC
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Ohio State
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Georgia
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Notre Dame
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Washington State
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Memphis
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Penn State
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Washington
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South Florida
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Stanford
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Oklahoma State
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LSU
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Iowa State
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Mississippi State
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Michigan State
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Boise State
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Army
This weeks predictions
Mississippi State 21 and Ole Miss 17 (Thursday)
Miami (Fla) 42 at Pittsburgh 14 (Friday)
Univ. of Central Florida 25 and South Florida 24
Nebraska 31 and Iowa 29
Virginia 32 and Virginia Tech 25
Florida State 23 at Florida 7
Georgia Tech 20 and Georgia 17 (upset special)
Louisville 36 at Kentucky 24
Michigan 27 and Ohio State 24 (upset special)
Memphis 58 and East Carolina 14
Auburn 16 and Alabama 14
North Carolina State 33 and North Carolina14
Penn State 34 at Maryland 27
Northwestern 47 at Illinois 17
Michigan State 37 at Rutgers 9
Temple 32 at Tulsa 31
LSU 23 and aTm 18
South Carolina 18 and Clemson 17 (upset special)
Stanford 24 and Notre Dame 21
Washington 25 and Washington State 18
Feature Photo: Rodney Anderson of Oklahoma dives across the goal line to score a touchdown as Tyrone Miller Jr. of Kansas defends on Nov. 18 in Lawrence, Kansas. Oklahoma won 41-3. © Jamie Squire/Getty Images
