The last time these two programs played a game, each team had different leadership. But, in just one month the coaching carousel flew off the hinges leading to Oregon and Oklahoma having shoes to fill at the HC positions. While Lincoln Riley and Mario Cristobal were thought to be the future of these power 5 schools, they left for greener pastures and warmer weather.
For Oregon, they promoted WR Coach and Pass Game Coordinator Bryan McClendon as interim HC. Oklahoma decided to bring back a familiar face in Bob Stoops, who coached his first game for Oklahoma since 2016.
Each team had to deal with roster turnover as well, with some key contributors sitting out this bowl. The two most impressive defensive players for these schools in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Nic Bonnito, both got their preparation for the 2022 NFL Draft underway early by sitting out this game.
With all the turnover and hysteria surrounding these teams, there still was a football game scheduled to be played in San Antonio. A football game that was controlled by the Oklahoma Sooners from start to finish.
Early in the first quarter, the Sooners capitalized on a tipped interception with a 9-play drive that was capped off by a Kennedy Brooks rushing touchdown. From there, they never looked back and would eventually win the Alamo Bowl by a score of 47-32.
Caleb Williams led the Sooners with 242 yards and three touchdowns to three separate receivers. Williams led the offense on eight consecutive scoring drives that would effectively put this game out of reach.
What did we learn from this bowl game relating to the future of these powerhouse programs?