Danny Kanell says Oklahoma should sit John Mateer against Texas
By Jacob Moss
Published:
Arguably, the biggest matchup on deck for Week 7 of SEC action is the highly anticipated meeting between the Texas Longhorns and the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners in the iconic Cotton Bowl.
The Red River Rivalry is always must-watch TV every year, and this season’s meeting between the 2 bitter rivals has a ton of implications riding on it for the rest of their respective campaigns.
Adding another wrinkle to this already high-stakes matchup is the injury status of star Sooners quarterback John Mateer. Mateer, who has been dealing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand, is listed as probable on the most recent Oklahoma injury report, but CBS analyst Danny Kanell believes that the Sooners should actually leave Mateer on the bench against the Longhorns.
“With the way their schedule is currently set up, I think it’s a little bit crazy to play him,” Kanell said. “Unless John Mateer says ‘I am 100%, there is not one thing wrong with my thumb,’ I think you sit him out of this game.”
Kanell raises a very good point when it comes to the Sooners and their upcoming schedule. After Texas this week and South Carolina next week, Oklahoma is slated to finish its season off with 5 straight top-15 SEC opponents.
It makes sense to have Mateer back at 100% for this crucial stretch, even if that means risking a loss in the Red River Rivalry today. All of this will be playing into the decision head coach Brent Venables will make before kickoff this afternoon.
