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Oklahoma Football: 5 takeaways from Sooners’ 2018 season

By Connor Muldowney

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 10: Running back Trey Sermon #4 congratulates running back Kennedy Brooks #26 of the Oklahoma Sooners on a score against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 48-47. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 10: Running back Trey Sermon #4 congratulates running back Kennedy Brooks #26 of the Oklahoma Sooners on a score against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 48-47. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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The 2018 season was a successful one for Oklahoma football as the Sooners made the playoff, but what did we learn from Lincoln Riley’s second year?

Lincoln Riley’s second season as head coach in Norman was a successful one as Oklahoma won the Big 12 title and made it to the College Football Playoff for the second time.

Moreover, Riley is 2-for-2 in Heisman-winning quarterbacks as Baker Mayfield won the coveted award last year and Kyler Murray took home the hardware in 2018. Heading into 2019, he may have to trust a freshman quarterback in Spencer Rattler but he’s arguably the top passer in the nation in his class. But hey, Jalen Hurts isn’t a bad option, either.

The 2019 season is off in the distance while 2018 is still fresh. What’d we learn from the Sooners’ 2018 campaign?

5. Lincoln Riley is garnering NFL interest

After two successful seasons in Norman, Lincoln Riley is garnering some serious NFL interest. Whether Oklahoma fans want to admit it or not, it’s going to be extremely difficult to pass up the opportunity to be a head coach at the next level, especially at his young age.

When you see a guy like Kliff Kingsbury getting a head coaching job in the NFL after getting fired by Texas Tech, it’s easy to see why Riley would be an ideal candidate.

If a coach who was fired from his college position, albeit a younger guy, can land an NFL head coaching job, imagine what one who has led his program to back-to-back conference titles, playoff berths and produced two straight Heisman winners can do for a pro organization.

Riley has admitted that he’s not interested in that leap to the NFL right now, but there’s going to be a time when it sounds desirable to him.

The NFL is calling and Riley could soon be waiting by the phone.

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