Baker Mayfield comes into the final weekend of Oklahoma’s regular season as the current Heisman Trophy favorite. The Sooners are a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, in need of two wins in the final two weeks, first at home against West Virginia and then in the Big 12 title game, to give themselves that opportunity.
The Mountaineers come to Norman this Saturday without their starting quarterback, as Will Grier had surgery after a grotesque hand injury last week, and, at least to begin the game, Oklahoma will be without Mayfield too. The star quarterback isn’t injured, but he’ll be benched to start the game and stripped of his captaincy for the afternoon due to his now famous crotch grab aimed at the Kansas sidelines.
If you haven’t seen it, here it is. Mayfield, giving Kansas’ sideline the business after a touchdown pass put the Sooners up 28-3 on the hapless Jayhawks.
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/932022600934535169
You may be wondering why Mayfield would be so fired up about thumping Kansas, one of the worst teams in all of college football, but there is a reasonable answer. Mayfield and the Sooners’ captains were snubbed of a handshake at the coin toss, as Kansas’ captains stood there silently as Mayfield reached out.
Oh Kansas, what have you done. pic.twitter.com/SAgtVnMQsx
— ESPN (@espn) November 18, 2017
Even with that, the gesture didn’t exactly go over well in Norman. People are up in arms (more than usual for Mayfield’s antics) and despite Mayfield’s apology posted to Twitter after the game, head coach Lincoln Riley addressed the situation on Monday at his press conference.
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) November 19, 2017
Riley announced on Monday that Mayfield would not serve as a captain against West Virginia and would be benched to start the game.
Head coach Lincoln Riley announces that QB Baker Mayfield will not start Saturday's game against West Virginia, but will play and he will not be a team captain for the contest.
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 20, 2017
Mayfield will play, which should come as no surprise, and it’d be fairly shocking if his benching lasts more than one drive for the Sooners. Oklahoma wants to send a message, mostly to fans and people upset by the action, that they’re handling it and penalizing Mayfield, but make no mistake they will want him on the field as much as possible. Oklahoma needs wins (and impressive ones) and schools benefit from having a Heisman winner as much as the player himself. Mayfield will play and play a lot, but he probably won’t grab his nuts this weekend.
