Oklahoma Football: Is this the start of the Caleb Williams era?

In one of the most epic Red River Rivalry games in history, Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley made what could be a Wally Pip decision in benching sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler in favor of five-star freshman Caleb Williams.

This second time Riley benched Rattler in this game. Last season, Rattler was benched early but came back in the second half to lead the Sooners to another close victory. Rattler’s demotion could be permanent, unlike last season.

However, Rattler does have an argument for remaining the starting quarterback in Norman. The five-star from Arizona is 14-2 as a starter and has a Big 12 Championship along with a Cotton Bowl victory on his resume.

Part of Rattler’s rough start last and this season has been due to the Sooners’ struggles running the football. However, it does seem as if head coach Lincoln Riley trusts Rattler to throw the football downfield. That said, the Sooners came into the game undefeated.

The case for Caleb Williams

Williams’ play Saturday afternoon speaks for itself. The 52-yard touchdown throw to Marvin Mims on third and 19 on the run and a 66-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-one are play of the year candidates.

The five-star from Washington DC has physical gifts that Spencer Rattler does not possess. Williams is a better athlete with a giant arm and a propensity to take risks and make big plays. There is a boom or bust factor when it comes to taking chances.

However, Oklahoma can live with the risks because they come with huge rewards, something those risks have not come with so far with Rattler behind center. The best case for Riley to go with Williams is the struggles the Sooners have had with running blocking.

Defenses do not have to respect the run part of the RPO game because Rattler is not a runner. Williams is (as demonstrated by the 66-yard run) a plus-athlete in the run game, which helps both Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray.

The case for Rattler

Rattler was the only five-star quarterback recruit in a recruiting class that included Ryan Hilinski, Zach Calzada, Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels, and Sam Howell. Rattler has had his struggles but has not been terrible.

Rattler had high expectations to replace Jalen Hurts, who was third in a quarterback line that included Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Rattler has won a Big 12 title and has been good at times.

Williams replacing Rattler comes with precedence.

Lincoln Riley did not want to answer any questions about the future of the quarterback position after the game. Riley steered Williams away from Holly Rowe of ESPN to avoid any questions about the subject. Suffice it to say, Riley has a tough decision to make.

Demoting Rattler during the season is a decision that has some precedence, however. Nick Saban famously benched Jalen Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa to win the national championship. Brian Kelly demoted Brandon Wimbush in favor of Ian Book. Dabo Swiney decided to bench Kelly Bryant in favor of true freshman Trevor Lawrence.

All three of those teams made the Playoff that season, with Alabama and Clemson winning national titles. In a season where the Sooners’ defense is much improved, and Alabama lost, Oklahoma has a chance to make the playoff and win a game; Riley has to answer two critical questions.

First, can Rattler lead the Sooners to the playoff? Second, can the Sooners win a playoff game with Rattler? If Riley answers no to either, he has to start Williams the rest of the season and let the chips fall where they may.