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Performance isn’t the only reason Bedlam fans feel differently about their QBs
Bedlam is a rivalry of opposites. Colors clash. Mascots represent duelingsides of the long-ago open-range battle. Even the football programs contrast with blue-blood Oklahoma and new-blood Oklahoma State.
But when Sooners and Cowboys meet this year, the biggest deviation is how fans feel about their quarterback. OU fans love Kyler Murray. OSU fans loathe Taylor Cornelius.
Oh,not every fan fits so neatly in those categories, but dip your toe into social media or talk radio or office gossip and you’ll realize the reality. The court of public opinion has ruled that Murraycan do no wrongand Cornelius can do no right.
The dichotomy is fascinating.
Plenty has happened on the field to inform opinions. Murray is in the running for the Heisman. Cornelius is maddening with his swings in consistency. But for many fans, how these quarterbacks have played through nine games has served only to strengthen opinions formed long before the season started.
Now, before we go further, a quick note: I’m not here to tell fans how they should feel. Fans get to decide for themselves. But I’m here to tell you that all this intrigues me.
Before the season, neither Murray nor Cornelius seemed likely to summit Mount Popularity. Both replaced beloved quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph. While winning had boosted their popularity, so did per-
sonality, Mayfield with his bravado, Rudolph with his consistency.
But fairly quickly this season, OU fans connected with Murray. They loved the polished, measured way he goes about his business. He’s in control whether on the field or in an interview. He’s sharp in word and dress; who else is curious what he’ll wear postgame Saturday? He gives off a professional athlete vibe. Fitting, huh? Where Murray is sharp, Cornelius is plain. He’s a T-shirt and ballcap to Murray’s shiny shoes and silky shirts. Cornelius doesn’t say much in interviews, though he’s improved. Doesn’tshow much of his personality either, though he’s as tough a customer as you’ll find. He’s more reserved than rambunctious, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But it doesn’t necessarily endear him to fans.
And when it comes to how fans feel about a quarterback, personality matters. I know that sounds kooky. Winning should be paramount. Performance should be decisive. But personality counts, too. Exhibit A: Landry Jones. He won 39 games as a Sooner signal caller, a program record. More than Sam Bradford(24) or Steve Davis (32) or Mayfield (33). But fans never fully embraced Jones. Yes, he occasionally threw it to the other team at inopportune times, but long before that became a thing, he was underappreciated.
Some hypothesized Sooner Nation wouldn’t embrace the quarterback who followed Bradford, the beloved Heisman Trophy winner. But Mayfield was a pretty beloved Heisman winner — and OU fans have taken to Murray.
Like Murray, Jones was successful.
Unlike Murray, his persona was robotic.
It’s wild to think personality weighs so heavily in the popularity of a quarterback, but the evidence is clear — it matters.
What happens Saturday in Norman will certainly impact how Sooners feel about Murray and Cowboys feel about Cornelius. It will be a piece of the popularity puzzle, much like personality already is.