The talk of the town this week as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the TCU Horned Frogs is who will start at quarterback for the 6-0 Sooners. Though the assumption is that Caleb Williams will get the nod from head coach Lincoln Riley, there’s been no indication one way or the other from the head coach in his media sessions since Saturday.
The only evidence we have that Riley could be leaning that way is an OU Daily report that witnessed practiced and reported that Williams received twice as many first-team snaps as Spencer Rattler.
For Lincoln Riley, the decision may already be made, but for a couple of reasons he’s reluctant to announce it.
First of all, Riley’s got a long-standing relationship with Spencer Rattler and the Rattler family. While it’s easy for analysts and fans to make the decision for Riley, we’re not the one delivering the news to his starting quarterback. If you recall, Lincoln Riley and Spencer Rattler have a relationship that goes back to the QB1’s freshman year in high school. Just because Riley may be making the move, doesn’t mean it’s an easy discussion to have, and he wants to preserve the relationship.
That’s fair. Sometimes we concern ourselves so much with being right, that we prioritize it over relationships. Riley’s respect for Rattler this week shows even if ultimately the head coach is going to go in a different direction at the game’s most important position.
After the game, Lincoln Riley said they’d take a look at the film and let the guys battle it out in practice. He can’t go back on that. So whether it’s an actual competition or it’s something similar to what we saw between Austin Kendall and Kyler Murray a few years ago remains to be seen, but compete they will.
Secondly, Lincoln Riley’s not going to reveal any more information than he needs to with a matchup against Gary Patterson and the TCU Horned Frogs looming.
Riley wants to keep Patterson and his defensive staff guessing for as long as he can and make sure the TCU head coach has to prepare for both quarterbacks.
With a big matchup with the TCU Horned Frogs on the horizon, let’s take a look at 5 reasons why Caleb Williams should start this week in Norman.
1
Threat in the Running Game
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It was evident in the second half that Caleb Williams’ running ability messed with the Texas Longhorns’ defense. Having to account for him on the ground provided more time for the offensive line to set up their blocks in the read-option game.
Kennedy Brooks and the Oklahoma offensive line were fantastic. On Brooks’ two touchdown runs, the Sooners ran direct snaps with a fake toss to Williams.
Because he had already scored on a 66-yard touchdown run, the Longhorns had to be mindful of him taking the toss and making a play with the ball in his hands.
2
Poised and Confident
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Some things can’t be measured on a stat sheet. Those are the intangibles. They’re the qualities that separate good quarterbacks from great quarterbacks. They’re the qualities that can allow a true freshman quarterback to come into the Red River Showdown down 18 points and be the x-factor in orchestrating a comeback for the ages.
That poise and confidence helped provide a spark to the rest of the team.
Caleb Williams wasn’t perfect on Saturday. There were a couple of botched snaps, but what he did after them was as indicative of what he’s capable of doing under pressure as anything.
Williams was under pressure on nine dropbacks according to Pro Football Focus. Under pressure, Williams was 5 of 9 for 96 yards and a touchdown, averaging 10.7 yards per attempt. His time to throw while under pressure was an incredible 4.32 seconds, revealing he was able to buy time while under pressure and make positive things happen.
3
Big Plays
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On Saturday, Caleb Williams and the Oklahoma Sooners passing attack hit three throws of greater than 20 yards or more. Spencer Rattler was credited with two deep completions of his own to bring his season total to five completions of 20 yards or more through five-plus games.
Caleb Williams is going to get more opportunities in the deep passing game because of his running ability. As teams have to allocate more resources to contain the true freshman’s running ability, fewer players remain for coverage responsibilities.
Like we saw against Texas, receivers will get more one-on-one opportunities. It’s up to Caleb Williams to let it loose and allow his pass-catchers to make a play.
4
Best Chance to Win
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The Oklahoma Sooners looked different once Caleb Williams came into the game. Even though Spencer Rattler has played a lot of football, and a lot of good football for Oklahoma, he hasn’t had it this year.
It looked like things had turned a corner against Kansas State. And then against Texas, the offense struggled to get going again, and turnovers put the Sooners’ defense on their heels early in the game.
It all changed when Williams entered the game.
On his first drive as THE quarterback, he led the Sooners to a field goal and was a huge part of the Sooners outscoring Texas 35-10 in the second half.
At this point, Caleb Williams looks the part. He’ll have some growing pains, but the things he’s able to do on the football field and his intangibles will help him overcome some of the challenges he’ll face.
5
He's Earned the Chance to Start
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Based simply on what transpired on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl, Caleb Williams has earned the chance to start this Saturday at TCU. Lincoln Riley has a lot to consider as a head coach, but it would be tough to ignore your true freshman quarterback entering a game 18 points down and being a crucial part of the comeback win.
Coaches often have to send messages to their teams through a variety of means. Pulling Spencer Rattler each of the last two years in the Red River Showdown sends a message that no single player is bigger than the team.
Not even your starting quarterback who was the No. 1 quarterback in his recruiting cycle. While Lincoln Riley hasn’t decided, or at least won’t say who will be his starting quarterback against TCU, it would be incredibly difficult to go back to Rattler after the performance Caleb Williams just put on display.
Though he doesn’t have to explain himself to anyone, it would be a difficult decision to reconcile with your team. Caleb Williams, behind the same offensive line, with the same wide receivers, and in a more basic offense, was just better than Rattler on Saturday against a team that was still bringing the heat.
When coaches like Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch tell their recruits and their players that they’ll have a chance to play early in their Oklahoma careers, they can point to examples like Mario Williams, Danny Stutsman, or Ethan Downs from this year. Or even Marvin Mims and Marcus Major from last season.
Caleb Williams has earned the right to be among the true freshmen that get a significant opportunity to contribute to this team. Though there may be some ups and downs if he gets his first start against TCU, it will still be the right decision.
Williams breeds more confidence at this point in the season than Spencer Rattler. And as we saw on Saturday, confidence, and belief can carry a team a long way.
