Farewell Bedlam: Closing the book on a truly great rivalry

While conference realignment is funneling more money into college football every year, it's come at the cost of some of the best rivalries in the sport. Oklahoma-Nebraska, Kansas-Missouri and West Virginia-Pittsburgh are all examples of tradition-rich rivalries that we've seen die for the "greater good."

The rise of lucrative television contracts has thrown this sport into a state of flux that we've never seen before, and with it, more rivalries are going up in smoke. The Bedlam series between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is set to be the latest casualty of change. After this season, the Sooners will begin a new life in the Southeastern Conference, while the Cowboys will remain in a new-look Big 12 conference.

On Saturday, we will see the 118th meeting between the Sooners and Cowboys, but after that, the series will vanish, at least for the foreseeable future, after 113 consecutive meetings.

Bedlam: "a place, scene, or state of uproar and confusion."

The rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State dates back to 1904 when the first game was held at Mineral Wells Park, formerly known as Island Park, in Guthrie, Oklahoma. In fact, Oklahoma wasn't even a state at this point in time but a territory, with Guthrie being the capital.

Oklahoma won the first meeting between the two schools, 75-0, which still stands as the most lopsided score in series history. The two teams played eight times between 1904 and 1913, but Oklahoma A&M (which became Oklahoma State in 1957) didn't score its first point in the series until 1914. So, as you can imagine, when the Aggies defeated Oklahoma for the first time in 1917, by a score of 9-0, it made headline news.

"BIG VICTORY WILDLY CELEBRATED BY A&M STUDENTS: Aggie victory celebration continues till Friday morn." The headline from The Daily Oklahoman newspaper read on Saturday, December 1, 1917.

The first-ever use of the word, "bedlam," in connection with this rivalry was printed in the body of the article covering Oklahoma A&M's victory and the celebration that ensued thereafter.

“So surprised were students, faculty members and citizens when they first heard the 9 to 0 victory story from Oklahoma City that confirmation was necessary,” the article read. “Then bedlam broke loose. Nine long shrieks of the college power plant whistle told the score. Guns were fired. The antique, dust-covered bell in old Central building belfry chimed for the first time in years. Literally the town was painted white. On buildings, sidewalks, windows and other places, the score was painted. A huge figure nine and a tiny naught.””

While the Bedlam Series didn't become the moniker attached to OU-OSU until many years later, the name perfectly describes the kind of games that we've seen from this series time and time again.

Over the years, it's absolutely become a battle of big brother vs. little brother, as Oklahoma is only matched by programs like Ohio State and Alabama in terms of prestige, while Oklahoma State has had a great deal of success, but hardly ever steps out from the shadow of what's happening in Norman. Perhaps that's what makes it so important to the folks in Stillwater when they do win this game. It's not as if they need validation as a program; there are only nine schools in the country that have won more games than OSU has in the last decade. Beating the Sooners paints the state orange for a little while, and that means a lot in a state where college football is one of the things that brings folks together.

It's no secret that Oklahoma has owned this rivalry over its 119-year history, posting a 91-19-7 overall record in the series. The Sooners have claimed 17 of the last 20 meetings and nine of the last 10.

However, the scores in these games tell a story not so dominant, especially as of late. Since 2010, Oklahoma has won eight of 13 possible Big 12 Championships and played in four College Football Playoff semifinals. The Sooners have been one of the four best teams in the nation in that stretch, yet Oklahoma State has pushed them much more often than they did in the past. The average Bedlam score over the 13 meetings since 2010: Oklahoma 39.8, Oklahoma State 32.0.

There have been a handful of classics in that time, with both teams having their fair share of success in the craziest of games.

2021: Oklahoma State 37, Oklahoma 33

No. 7 Oklahoma State (11-1, 8-1) took down No. 10 Oklahoma (10-2, 7-2) in Stillwater by holding off a late-game drive from Caleb Williams that included a 56-yard run to get them into scoring position. However, a Collin Oliver sack on fourth down at the Oklahoma State 32-yard line sent the Cowboys to the Big 12 Championship and ended up being the final game of the Lincoln Riley in Norman.

2018: Oklahoma 48, Oklahoma State 47

No. 6 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1) escaped a massive upset bid from Oklahoma State (5-5, 2-5) after Sooners' CB Tre Brown broke up a would-be go-ahead two-point conversion with 1:03 to play in the game. Future Heisman-winner Kyler Murray threw for 349 yards and added 66 on the ground in the win, with RB Kennedy Brooks's big day (165 yards, 3 TDs) being the difference in the game.

2017: Oklahoma 62, Oklahoma State 52

The highest-scoring game in Bedlam history was a truly incredible display of offensive firepower. No. 5 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) overpowered No. 11 Oklahoma State (7-2, 4-2) in a game that lasted over four hours with the teams combining for 114 points, 1,446 yards, 62 first downs, and five turnovers. Oklahoma Baker Mayfield threw for 598 yards (school record) with nine completions and 265 yards (school record) going to Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.

2014: Oklahoma State 38, Oklahoma 35

With just over a minute left in the game, Oklahoma punted the ball to Tyreek Hill where he made a fair catch at OSU's 15-yard line. However, an Oklahoma State defensive back was flagged for running into the punter, and OU head coach Bob Stoops elected to punt again, a decision he'll likely never forget. Moments later, a 92-yard punt return and extra point made the score 35-35. Oklahoma State (6-6, 4-5) would kick a field goal in overtime to take down Oklahoma (8-4, 5-4) and get to bowl eligibility in their final game of the regular season.

The latest editions of Bedlam have been some of the best, but there were certainly some matchups before the turn of the century that will live on forever.

2012: Oklahoma 51, Oklahoma State 48

The very first overtime game in Bedlam history sent No. 13 Oklahoma (9-2, 7-1) out with a victory in Landry Jones' last game at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Sooners never led in regulation and faced double-digit deficits in both halves, but with four seconds left, OU backup QB Blake Bell scored from four yards out on a 4th-and-1 in the "Belldozer" package. In overtime, No. 21 Oklahoma State (7-4, 5-3) was held to a field goal before giving up an 18-yard touchdown run to Brennan Clay to give OU the victory.

1988: The Best Game in Bedlam History

The matchup in 1988, which is widely considered the best game in the series' long history, still stands the test of time as one of the craziest finishes of all time.

Heading into the game, Barry Switzer and the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners (7-1, 5-0) were feeling good about their chances to pick up another national championship. However, No. 12 Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1) was feeling good about what they had as well, with an offensive firing on all cylinders with All-American WR Hart Lee Dykes, QB Mike Gundy, and the 1988 Heisman winner, Barry Sanders, at running back.

Coming into the matchup, Sanders had been on quite a run, piling up 1,141 rushing yards over the last five games. While he was still relatively unknown in the public eye, the country would know who he was after his showing against the Sooners.

Less than five minutes into the game, Oklahoma was up 14-0 after a pair of rushing touchdowns from Sooners' RB Mike Gaddis. While it looked like the Pokes might be overmatched early on, Sanders got them back in it. In the second quarter, Sanders took an option pitch from Gundy for 67 yards to set up a touchdown right before half, making it 24-14 at the break.

After a scoreless third quarter, Oklahoma State scored the first 14 points of the fourth quarter, including Sanders' second score of the game, to make it 28-24, Cowboys.

Oklahoma's chance to regain the lead came next but came with a fair share of drama. The Sooners fumbled the ball twice on the drive but managed to cover it up both times. Then, on a fourth-and-inches, Oklahoma running backs Mike Gaddis and Anthony Stanford collided while QB Charles Thompson turned for a handoff. The three crashed into each other and sent Thompson falling forward for a one-yard gain, just enough to keep the drive going. Three plays later, Thompson scored on an 18-yard run to make it 31-28 with 2:33 left.

Oklahoma State still had a chance to tie things up and was well on their way to doing so after a few chunk plays from Hart Lee Dykes. In fact, the moment was so stressful, it called for Barry Switzer to light up a cigarette on the sideline.

At the Oklahoma 19, Oklahoma State was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct, which turned a would-be 4th-and-1 into a 4th-and-16. Instead of opting for a field goal to tie the game (which could be the final outcome back then), the Cowboys tried to convert in order to stay in the Big 8 Title race. Almost as if a prayer was answered, Oklahoma State wide receiver Brent Parker weaved his way past the OU secondary and found himself wide open in the end zone. Gundy made the throw, which sailed right over the defender's hands and hit Parker in the arm before falling harmlessly to the ground. Ball game.

While the loss stung, Barry Switzer's 215 yards and two touchdowns against the Sooners solidified his Heisman campaign and helped start a legacy that has lived on to this day as the best to ever do it.

Growing up in the town of Claremore (located 30 miles NE of Tulsa), Oklahoma, football is just as much a part of life as going to church on Sunday and back to work on Monday. An integral part of what makes Oklahomans, well, Oklahomans, is making the choice of which color to wear on Saturdays in the fall.

On Friday nights, it's the color of your hometown school (Sequoyah Blue & Gold), and on Sundays, it's mostly the Navy and Silver of the Dallas Cowboys, although the recent success of the Kansas City Chiefs appears to have converted a lot of souls over to the Red and Gold (I am a glutton for punishment, aka Minnesota Vikings fan).

But on Saturdays, it's either Crimson and Cream or America's Brightest Orange. The dynamic between these two fan bases is quite unlike anything else I've witnessed. Oklahoma State's only true rival is Oklahoma, although Tulsa was once a very competitive and bitter opponent (OSU leads the series, 44-28-5) for the Pokes. Oklahoma has rivalries against Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, and to a lesser extent, Missouri.

The Oklahoma-Nebraska dynamic is almost exclusively built on respect, which holds up as an old-school rivalry. OU-Texas has a lot of hatred toward one another, but deep down, there's something more baked in, with your co-existence being very similar to that of Batman and The Joker. Without the other, things just wouldn't be the same.

The dynamic between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State fans is something else entirely. For one week out of the year, it's pure, unadulterated hatred and disdain for the other team. I've seen it come to a boiling point, firsthand, every November for as long as I've been alive.

What makes this rivalry so unique is the people behind the logos and colors. The same passionate and emotionally fragile fan that you see on Saturday in the stands might be your best friend from high school. They could be your child's middle school teacher who dedicates her life to teaching the next generation They're your uncle who drops what he's doing to help tow your vehicle to the nearest mechanic shop. It's the first person you talk to at work on Monday, and for the other 13 weeks of the season, you happily exchange all kinds of stories from the weekend. It's your neighbor who has the other team's flag flying in his front yard but is the first to offer a helping hand with a project in the front yard.

If you've grown up here and truly experienced this rivalry, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And while other in-state rivalries have folks from both sidelines sharing neighborhoods, schools, and offices, it just isn't like this.

Oklahoma is brimming with "salt-of-the-earth" people. They're hard-working, reasonable, and generous, but passionate and loyal to a fault. Southern hospitality is thick around here, and it's readily extended in times of need. When tornado season hits and tragedy strikes homes across this state, the beauty of the Oklahoma heart shows itself as folks from all over the state show up with chainsaws, trucks, trailers, food, and clothes to help where they can. You rarely have to open a door in this state if you're a lady and the generosity often goes too far at an intersection with four stop signs.

The people of this state won't just vanish with this rivalry coming to an end, but the principles that were built around it will start to fade. This Saturday represents the final time that the people in this state will get together to decide who has bragging rights. It will be the 113th consecutive year that the Sooners and Cowboys will share a field, and come Sunday morning, the rivalry will go dormant.

On the Friday leading into the final Bedlam, I asked both fan bases what makes the Bedlam series so special, and what they would miss most about it.

The responses tell the entire story.

"What makes it special to me is that I have so many friends that I love that also love OSU, so most weekends I am cheering them on. But when it comes to Bedlam, there is no middle ground"

"Bedlam will always have a place in my heart because my dad was a sooner and I’m a poke and we always found a way to watch it together. I lost my dad in January so I will always have the bedlam memories."

"Family, my family is split down the middle, every family event/holiday, we talk about this game, even my friends. My best friend is an OU fan, It’s gonna suck not having this game."

"My grandad was always a massive Oklahoma State fan. He always had his house decked out in orange for the game but was the best person in the world to watch the game with. There was light trash talk, but instead of a hated rivalry it turned into a fun family competition every year."

"The tension in the air, the hatred for one another till it's settled on the field. It's about state pride, university pride, and bragging rights for the year."

"I for one wish it wasn’t going away. Will miss this week each year even realizing more times than not my Pokes are on the losing end. Still love the environment and competition. Fun for the state."

The memories and emotions that come up when we think of this game make the fact that it's going away surreal. All of the jabbing between friends and family. The time spent watching this game with people that have passed on in the years that followed. The countless cheers that come from somewhere deep within, to the heart-throbbing pain that follows an unimaginable defeat. The weeks of anticipation that culminated in the indescribable feeling when toe finally met leather. The hours spent in the freezing rain and frigid temperatures just to see the game firsthand. It's all tied to this game, and to the people that we've enjoyed it with over the years.

Now, with Oklahoma SEC-bound in 2024, the rivalry will come to a close after this weekend, and the story of its illustrious history will be put on the shelf. I, for one, choose to believe that there are still blank pages at the end of Bedlam's story and that one day someone will pick it up, dust it off, and continue the masterpiece that we all fell in love with.

Farewell, Bedlam. It's been a wild ride.