Bedlam- the dictionary definition is a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion. That’s exactly what Saturday night was.
In the days leading up to the game, there were many fans expressing the intensity of the rivalry. Twitter has been a popular source for Sooners to trash talk their in-state rivals.
First it was all about how much better the Sooners were than the Cowboys after the Iowa State loss. Next, one OU fan took it a step too far the week of Bedlam when he wished for Weeden and Blackmon to die in a plane crash, just two weeks after our campus lost two beloved coaches to a plane crash.
The Sooner fan tweeted “Hey Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden r yall getting on an airplane before bedlam? Hopefully. #planecrash #die.” Brandon Weeden responded with “Is this a joke?”
The Sooner fan was bombarded with negative responses, and his Twitter was soon deactivated. It is unclear whether he or Twitter removed his account.
The rivalry may be intense and Weeden and Blackmon may be obstacles for the Sooners but there is no reason to ever wish death for someone. The Tweet especially hurt Cowboy fans because of the insensitivity toward the recent tragedy.
As the game started Saturday and the players ran onto the field in Boone Pickens Stadium, OU players showed their true sentiments for the Cowboys. The Sooners came out first and ran directly toward the Cowboys entrance. They broke through the band and stood directly in front of the tunnel the Cowboys were to enter through.
The police on the field had to interfere and push Oklahoma back on to the sidelines and away from the Cowboy players. The disruption could have caused many fights among the players and the game to be very violent. There was some violence in the first quarter when an OU player preceded to punch a Cowboy lying on the ground who had lost his helmet, the officials apparently missed that.
Like most rivalries, the game was highly penalized; most flags were roughing the passer and personal fouls.
The fans remained fairly calm throughout the game. There are rumors that some Sooner fans threw up once they realized that they were not going to be able to beat the Cowboys.
The fans, however, were not as calm the night before when they occupied the strip. Many bar fights broke out and lots of trash talking occurred.
As the game ended and the Cowboys won the rivalry for the first time in eight years, the fans celebrated by bringing down the goal post and rightfully cheering for their chance to play LSU.
The rivalry is now 106 years old and still as “bedlam” as the first wrestling match that coined the term.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at OK State chapter.