ESPN, Big 12 Signal Another Big Week of Honors for Ollie, Bedlam Game Time a Mystery
STILLWATER – The cavalcade of honors started again on Sunday morning early as ESPN did something they rarely do by handing Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II a second consecutive helmet sticker on ESP College Football Final. The Big 12 did it again at noon on Monday, and it is reasonable to expect after 29 carries for 282-yards and four touchdowns including a “take over the game” fourth quarter that Gordon will win all the awards he got last week and more. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State and quite a few teams in the Big 12 are left wondering when their game on Nov. 4 will kickoff. For the Cowboys that game is the final Bedlam match-up in the foreseeable future.
We do know that Thursday, Nov. 2 the Big 12 week starts with a 6 p.m. (CT) kickoff in Lubbock between TCU and Texas Tech. FS1 was able to claim the UCF at Cincinnati game on Nov. 4 for a 2:30 p.m. (CT) kickoff. The remainder of the Big 12 schedule is all now on a six-day window with the conference’s television partners.
The heavy rumor was that Bedlam would kickoff at 11 a.m. (CT) on one of the major carriers either ABC, FOX, or possibly ESPN. ABC/ESPN has the Notre Dame at Clemson game in their inventory and have now said it will be televised at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. (CT). FOX has announced Penn State at Maryland as a 2:30 p.m. (CT) kickoff. ESPN has announced Texas A&M at Mississippi as a 11 a.m. kickoff on ESPN. FOX has the World Series in prime time.
Bedlam could go at 11 a.m. on FOX or ABC, 2:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN or prime time at night on ABC or ESPN. These other games are also in the six-day window Kansas at Iowa State, Houston at Baylor, BYU at West Virginia, and Kansas State at Texas. The Kansas State at Texas game is also very attractive.
Honestly, from a competitive angle, I favor the 11 a.m. kickoff for Bedlam.
Ollie Gordon II is reaping so much attention and accolades, but his offensive linemen, tight end, and wide receiver teammates are enjoying the rush of awards and praise. It is a group effort and Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy has told Gordon to stay humble and hungry. This week Cincinnati and their run stingy defensive line doesn’t care what he did last week. In fact, all ofit including the honors may fuel the Bearcats to work on shutting Gordon down.
“We try not to do this,” ESPN College Football Final host Matt Barre said on the show this past weekend. “But when you’re Ollie Gordon of Oklahoma State and you follow up your effort last week with 282-yards rushing and four touchdowns then you get a helmet sticker.”
The Big 12 came back with Gordon II as their Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row. This time solo, there was no co-player of the week.
Gordon rushed for career-highs of 282 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries in OSU's 48-34 win at West Virginia. The performance marks the most rushing yards for an FBS player in a game this season. Three of his scores came in the fourth quarter on 16-, 46- and 53-yard rushes. Gordon had five runs that gained more than 25 yards, with his longest carries on the day going for 53, 46, 34, 32 and 27 yards.
“His durability is impressive, and in the last few games he has become a little bit elusive,” head coach Mike Gundy said of Gordon. “I don’t think many of us thought that was part of his package. We thought he was the Keith Toston pound, bounce off guys, move forward type of back. In this past game his vision and making cuts before they needed to happen was really good.”
He breaks tackles as a big back and he runs downhill well and behind his pads. He sets up blocks well and Gundy paid homage to the offensive line and in particular tight end Josiah Johnson and fullback Braden Cassity.
“Those guys are playing and throwing their bodies around with no respect their bodies,” Gundy added. “When you do that then things are getting done. You can play really well.”
It is a group effort with Gordon getting the honors for the group.
He is the first Cowboy with four rushing touchdowns in a game since Rennie Childs did so on September 17, 2016, against Pittsburgh. It is the most rushing yards by a Cowboy since All-American Chuba Hubbard scampered for 296 yards against Kansas State on September 28, 2019. Gordon is the first OSU player with four straight 100+ yard rushing games since Jaylen Warren during the 2021 season. The sophomore has eight rushing touchdowns on the season and 10 in his career. He has found the end zone in three consecutive games, with seven total touchdowns during the span.