Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley and LSU head coach Ed Orgeron held a joint teleconference Sunday afternoon discussing the college football playoff between the No. 1-ranked Tigers and fourth-ranked Sooners.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the 15-minute call.
CFP semifinal: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 OU (3 p.m. CST, Dec. 28)
Take No. 1: OU does it again
It’s not an arrogance from Riley, but there’s a certain belief that you know the season isn’t done with one loss in October. OU did it in 2017 after Iowa State. Duplicated the feat last year after Texas. Now you can add Kansas State for this season.
It’s easy to say you still have everything in front of you, but it’s a heck of a lot harder to keep that belief and actually finish the job.
Might help a bit since you’ve done it before. And, now, can say you’ve done it again.
“The makeup of the team's different, new players this year, new staff members,” Riley said. “A lot new about the team so there's always going to be people that haven't experienced it yet either.
“So I think there's a belief that it's possible. But believing it's possible and believing you really can do it are two different things. And I think for the whole time, we really believed we could do it, but we knew we had to do some things better. Fortunately, we were able to get on a run there and win some games.”
Take No. 2: Transfer QB battle
This playoff quartet is a ringing endorsement to the transfer portal and the graduate transfer process. Between Jalen Hurts (Alabama-to-OU), Joe Burrow (Ohio State-to-LSU) and Justin Fields (Georgia-to-Ohio State), it’s a storyline.
Burrow vs. Hurts is a battle of two transfer quarterbacks and most likely two of the finalists headed to the Heisman Trophy ceremony next weekend in New York.
“Obviously, we've played against him before,” Orgeron said. “He's an outstanding player, and he actually beat us with his feet. He made big plays with his feet, and he threw the ball very well.
“I haven't watched him at all this year, but I have watched Coach Riley's offense, especially that counter read. I've asked him about it. I think they're one of the best in the country in running what they do on offense. They're very difficult to stop.”
Quarterback play is incredibly vital, and it makes sense when you think of the four teams still left standing at a chance for a national championship.
Less than a year together, but Hurts and OU worked out as well as anybody could have imagined.
“Jalen's been a very positive impact on our program,” Riley said. “His has been unique because it hasn't been years; it's been months. So it's been kind of fast and furious but very positive.”
Take No. 3: Orgeron-Riley relationship
The background between Orgeron and Riley doesn’t go that far back at all. Only to this year’s NFL Draft, but that makes sense as OU and LSU are routinely sending players to the next level.
OU has the No. 1 offense in the country. LSU has the second. And Orgeron absolutely appreciates what Riley has brought to college football.
“Well, I met Lincoln at – I think it was the draft,” Orgeron said. “I immediately started asking him about his counter because I've been enamored with his play and his offense there. I think that's the first time we met, and we got along very well, had mutual respect for each other. I think that's the only time I've seen him.”
Riley joked that he’ll have to remember what he told Orgeron so that OU still runs the play effectively Dec. 28.
Plus one: Too early to know injury report
Every OU fan wants to know the updates to running back Kennedy Brooks, offensive tackle Adrian Ealy and nickelback Brendan Radley-Hiles.
Gonna have to wait just a bit longer.
“Too early right now. We just got on the road recruiting,” Riley said. “Those guys will get evaluated here early in the week, and we'll see where they're at.”
All three didn’t play in overtime and Radley-Hiles and Ealy didn’t play in second half, but they were participating in all the team celebrations following OU’s overtime win vs. Baylor in the Big 12 championship.
