Lincoln Riley dragged for old comments about Big 12 Championship Game

Former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley is getting ripped for the comments he made about the Big 12 Championship game back in the summer.

With Oklahoma not playing in the Big 12 Championship game on Saturday, former Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley may have to eat his words over what he said about the title bout back in July.

Prior to this season, Oklahoma had won the previous six Big 12 championships. All six came with Riley on the Sooners staff, with the first two coming as Bob Stoops’ offensive coordinator and the last four as the team’s head coach. He said in July it’s “certainly good to see everybody back here in Arlington. Good to be back in our second home here.” Guess who is not in Arlington this Saturday?

Oklahoma went 10-2 in Riley’s final season in Norman, losing to the two teams playing in the 2021 Big 12 Championship game: The No. 5 Oklahoma State Cowboys and the No. 9 Baylor Bears.

Lincoln Riley is being ripped over old Big 12 Championship game comment

It was a tumultuous 24 hours for the former Oklahoma head coach after last Saturday. Not only did the Sooners lose to in-state rival Oklahoma State in Bedlam, but Riley exited stage left to take the high-profile job at USC. While it makes sense for him to go to the Pac-12 because making the College Football Playoff is the only thing that matters, he is eating crow now over this comment.

Though Riley may not spend any more time dwelling over this dumb comment he made back in July, it is proof that nothing is ever given. Oklahoma may be the preeminent program in the Big 12, but times are changing. The Sooners will join the SEC in a few years alongside arch rival Texas. This is a reason why Riley left Oklahoma for USC. The Sooners will adjust, but transitions can be tough.

For the first time since 2014, the Big 12 will have a conference champion not named Oklahoma.

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.