Oklahoma football: College football fans and media react to Lincoln Riley controversy

Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley has found himself at the center of controversy following his decision to block Chandler Morris from playing at TCU.

Lincoln Riley has built his coaching career on transfer quarterbacks but he’s alienating himself in the college football community with his controversial decision about another transfer quarterback.

Chandler Morris transferred from Oklahoma to TCU but Riley is blocking Morris from being eligible to play in 2021, according to Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson.

Riley said it’s a core belief of his that transferring within the conference should come with a penalty, saying it’s bad for the game.

Riley benefitted from Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray transferring from Texas Tech and Texas A&M, respectively, but both had to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. Jalen Hurts didn’t have to sit out after transferring from Alabama to Oklahoma because he was a graduate transfer.

Lincoln Riley at center of controversy over Chandler Morris decision

While the ACC has already allowed one-time transfers to play without sitting and it’s expected to be an NCAA-wide ruling, Riley is catching heat for his decision to prevent Morris from playing.

Considering Riley could leave for another job where he’d be highly-compensated without having to sit out and the players he leaves behind are the ones suffering, it’s pretty laughable for Riley to have this stance.

Others think it’s a bad mentality for Riley to have. Preventing a college football player from pursuing his dreams because your team will play his team, when he may not even be the starting quarterback is a bad look.

Not only has Riley benefitted greatly from transfer quarterbacks, he won the transfer portal sweepstakes this winter, notably getting former five-star tackle Wanya Morris from Tennessee. He also got former Vols running back Eric Gray. Riley is fine with it as long as transfers help his team.

Does anyone really think Riley would have chosen to sit Mayfield and Murray for a year if he wasn’t forced to by the NCAA? Of course, he would have wanted them to play without penalty. Choosing to penalize a student who is playing college football for free is a weird way to go about your day, but it’s what Riley has chosen to do and he’s been a lightning rod for controversy as a result.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.