Grayson Weir
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It has been nearly 13 months, but Lincoln Riley is still living rent-free in the heads of Oklahoma fans. They lost their minds when the former Sooners head coach took a picture with Baker Mayfield on Sunday.
Riley, who finished his first year with USC ranked No. 8 at 11-2, will coach in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2. Meanwhile, 6-6, unranked Oklahoma and first-year head coach Brent Venables will play in the Cheez-It Bowl.
Despite the fact that they should be focused on their own program, Sooners fans continue to think more about what they had than what they have. That has been the case for an entire year, ever since Riley moved from Norman to Los Angeles for a better, more lucrative opportunity.
As soon as he left for USC, Riley went from hero to villain amongst Oklahoma fans. They went buck wild on Twitter, and even the Sooner State’s governor took a shot at the departure.
This all took place after Riley won at least 11 games in four of five years as head coach. In the one year that he didn’t win 11 games, Oklahoma went 9-2 in the COVID-shortened season.
During the Riley era, the Sooners never finished lower than No. 10 in the AP postseason poll, made three College Football Playoff appearances, and produced two Heisman Trophy winners. He was remarkably successful and the fanbase loved him.
Not anymore.
One of those two Heisman winners was Baker Mayfield. Lincoln Riley coached Baker Mayfield.
BUT HOW DARE LINCOLN RILEY SUPPORT HIS FORMER QUARTERBACK?!
As Mayfield started for the Rams in a blowout win over the Broncos on Sunday, Riley took the 110 from his house mansion in Ranchos Palos Verdes up to SoFi Stadium. He brought the family to watch his former Heisman-winning quarterback make a start on Christmas Day and they all took a photo with Mayfield after the game.
Oklahoma fans did not like that. They especially didn’t like the fact that Riley referred to Mayfield as “one of [his] Q’s.”
Just to be clear but Baker Mayfield came out of the womb a Sooner loyalist. OU did not recruit him and he walked on at OU. He did not follow Riley it was his lifelong dream to wear Crimson and Cream. What you see here is a mature Baker Mayfield rising above the drama.
— BMRSNR61 (@romsooner1) December 26, 2022
That’s hilarious! You didn’t trust him enough to go for it on 4th down in the Rose Bowl, but now he’s “one of your Q’s”?
— Tracy Thomsen (@TracyThomsen63) December 26, 2022
Stoops’ QB, not yours
— Cheryl Bishop (@CherylBishop33) December 26, 2022
You mean the qb that you screwed out of a national championship ?
— Stephen Underwood (@sunderwood16) December 26, 2022
He’s not your Q, he’s ours loser. Don’t forget who made you…
— Oklahoma Honus (@OklahomaHonus) December 26, 2022
Baker doesn’t like you, he’s just being nice.
— Dwayne Chamberlain (@dtchamberlain) December 26, 2022
Nice to see you took the day off from tampering kids that aren’t even in the transfer portal…
— Jrama7 (@JRama7) December 26, 2022
Say you’re a narcissist, without saying you’re a narcissist.
— Eric Stuart (@Erocs36) December 26, 2022
Man if my wife looked like that, I’d cheat and run to USC too!! Hope the athletic trainer is a good side gig.
— Rob Rottenbottom (@RobRottenb) December 26, 2022
Baker…. You made TBOW. Please don’t let him trick you in to thinking it’s the other way around. TBOW using you for recruiting. #truthhurts
— bill lundburg (@soonercast) December 26, 2022
He is not yours. He belongs to the Oklahoma Sooners.
— yukonyankee (@yukonyankee) December 26, 2022
This is my personal favorite:
Not yours!!!! He has a statue in Norman. You would be as welcome in Norman as a wet fart! Read the room!
— Joe Pope (@JoePope1973_5) December 26, 2022
Remember, Mayfield WON A HEISMAN TROPHY while playing under Riley at Oklahoma. They played for a chance at the national championship together.
Sooners fans adored them both. But not anymore. Riley is public enemy No. 1.
Meanwhile, he is in the Cotton Bowl at 11-2 and Oklahoma is in the Cheez-It Bowl at 6-6. Yikes.
Funny how he was technically Kliff Kingsbury before OU and Lincoln Riley’s.
You washing Lincoln’s balls for him Mr. Journalist
Lol those comments are pathetic. Those people come across so incredibly petty and lame.