Tramel's ScissorTales: Raiders' Josh Jacobs can make Oklahoma high school football history

Josh Jacobs has a chance to make Oklahoma history. The Las Vegas Raiders tailback has a 110-yard lead in the National Football League rushing statistics.

No Oklahoma high school product ever has led the NFL in rushing.

OSU’s Barry Sanders was a four-time NFL rushing champ, but he is from Wichita, Kansas.

OU’s Adrian Peterson is a three-time NFL rushing champ, but he is from Palestine, Texas.

Temple High School’s Spec Sanders, who played at Texas, led the All-American Football Conference in rushing in 1947, and the AAFC was a legitimate pro league whose prime members (49ers, Browns, Colts) eventually merged with the NFL.

Kingfisher’s Ace Gutowsky, who played at Oklahoma City University, set the NFL career rushing record in 1939.

Pauls Valley’s Dickie Post, who played at the University of Houston, was the 1969 American Football League rushing champ, a year before the AFL merged with the NFL.

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But none were an NFL rushing champ. Jacobs, the pride of Tulsa McLain and the ultimate diamond in the rough until Alabama offered a late scholarship, would be the first from Oklahoma.

Jacobs, the 24^th overall pick by the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft, rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, slipped to 872 yards a year ago and now has rushed for 1,539 yards through 15 games in 2022, leading Tennessee’s Derrick Henry by 110 yards.

Jacobs’ production has been overshadowed by his frustration. The Raiders are 6-9, have benched quarterback Derek Carr with the intention of trading him, and Jacobs was angry after Las Vegas’ 13-10 loss to Pittsburgh.

“It’s bull****, for real,” Jacobs said. “And it’s on us, you know? Everybody wanna talk about the defense before. They made their stops when they were supposed to ... we’ve got to help them out.”

Jacobs was not happy with the Vegas gameplan. In the frigid Pittsburgh night, the Raiders ran the ball 19 times and threw 30 times.

“We still had opportunities to make plays,” Jacobs said. “I feel like in times where we was close and we felt like we was about to get a big one, we went away from it. You know, and the pass game was working early.

“So that is what it is, but to win these games, especially in the stretch, especially you’re up, against a team like this in the cold, you’ve got to run the ball. So that’s a factor on everybody involved, top to bottom.

“I’m tired of dealing with this. Every day I come here and bust my (butt) and I see the guys busting their (butt) and the result is not there. For me, the last four years, the result has not been there. And quite frankly, I don’t know what else to do.”

Jacobs will be an unrestricted free agent in March, unless the Raiders apply the franchise tag, which guarantees Jacobs a huge salary but binds him to the Raiders in 2023.

It’s expected that Jacobs, like Carr, will be somewhere other than Las Vegas next season. But before that, he can make Oklahoma history.

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Berry Tramel's NFL Week 17 predictions

Cowboys at Titans: Dallas 27-10. The Cowboys are no worse than the No. 1 wild-card team in the NFC. They can win the NFC East by winning out (Washington is next week) while the Eagles lose out (Philadelphia plays the Saints and the Giants). This game means nothing to Tennessee. It’s win or bust next week against Jacksonville.

Cardinals at Falcons: Atlanta 21-18. Two teams eliminated from the playoffs.

Bears at Lions: Detroit 30-14. The 7-8 Lions are eliminated with a loss, plus a Washington win over Cleveland. But if Detroit goes 2-0 (including a win at Green Bay next week), the Lions would make the playoffs unless both Washington and Seattle finish 2-0.

Broncos at Chiefs: Kansas City 32-13. KC gets the No. 1 seed in the AFC if it wins out and Buffalo loses at least once. And the Bills play at Cincinnati this week.

Dolphins at Patriots: New England 16-13. The Patriots are in the playoffs if they finish 2-0 (they play at Buffalo next week). Miami also clinches with a win over New England and a Jetropolitan loss at Seattle this week.

Colts at Giants: New York 17-13. The Giants secure a playoff berth with a victory and could clinch even with a tie or defeat, if a variety of scenarios happen.

Saints at Eagles: Philadelphia 26-17. New Orleans’ only playoff path is to finish 2-0 (vs. Philadelphia and Carolina) while Tampa Bay finishes 0-2 (vs. Carolina and Atlanta).

Panthers at Buccaneers: Carolina 21-20. Tampa Bay wins the NFC South with a win. Carolina wins the NFC South with a win and a win over New Orleans next week, or a win over Tampa Bay plus losses by Tampa Bay next week (vs. Atlanta) and a loss by the Saints this week to the Eagles.

Browns at Commanders: Washington 24-20. The Commanders reach the playoffs by winning out against Cleveland and Dallas. Washington even secures a berth this week, with a win and losses by Green Bay, Detroit and Seattle.

Jaguars at Texans: Jacksonville 28-20. The streaking Jags, 7-8, still have a wild-card hope if they lose to Houston. But it’s very small. Otherwise, this game doesn’t matter. The Jacksonville-Tennessee next week is the division champ.

49ers at Raiders: San Francisco 23-15. Las Vegas retains a sliver of a chance to make the playoffs, but the odds are so long, the Raiders benched Carr, to keep him healthy for a potential trade. Meanwhile, the 49ers are a game behind Minnesota for the NFC’s No. 2, and San Francisco would hold the tiebreaker if they catch the Vikings.

Jets at Seahawks: New York 20-16. The Jets are in the playoffs if they win their final two games (they finish at Miami) and New England fails to go 2-0 (the Patriots finish with Miami and Buffalo). The 7-8 Seahawks can make the playoffs if they win out (they host the Rams next week) and Washington and Green Bay both lose at least once each. The Commanders finish with Cleveland and Dallas; the Packers finish with Minnesota and Detroit.

Vikings at Packers: Green Bay 26-20. The Packers’ playoff hopes are relatively simple and not terribly difficult. Win twice (they host the Lions next week), then have either Washington lose once (the Commanders play Cleveland and Dallas) or the Giants lose  twice (Colts and Eagles).

Rams at Chargers: Chargers 31-21. The Battle of Los Angeles. But who will attend the game, since neither LA franchise draws their own fans?

Steelers at Ravens: Baltimore 18-10. Pittsburgh’s path to the playoffs is narrow. The Steelers must win out (they host Cleveland next week), plus they need both the Patriots and Jets to beat Miami, and the Patriots to lose to Buffalo next week and the Jets to lose to Seattle this week.

Bills at Bengals: Buffalo 27-24. Huge game for the Bills, who can secure homefield advantage by winning out. But a loss could mean a third straight trip to Kansas City for the AFC Championship Game.

Last week: 12-4. Season: 134-91-2.

More:Four Downs: Who will be OU football's X-factor vs. Florida State in Cheez-It Bowl?

Trace Ford makes a Bedlam switch

OSU defensive end Trace Ford has announced he’s transferring to OU, picking the Sooners over Southern Cal in the transfer portal.

Ford’s move to OU has created outrage among some OSU fans, that a player would switch to an arch-rival.

They forget – or never knew – that most players don’t see rivalries the way fans see rivalries. Some players work themselves into a lather and stir up a fair amount of hate for the foe, but most players are not that way. Most leave the rancor on the field.

So get ready for more such moves in the portal era. You’re going to see a lot of players leaving for programs that will put them on the opposite side of their former school.

OSU and Baylor figure to be prime combatants for Big 12 supremacy going forward. Yet Cowboy tailback Dominic Richardson just transferred to Baylor.

You're going to see players moving from OSU to OU, from OU to Texas, from Texas to OSU, from OU to OSU, from Texas to OU. Too many players on the market for that not to happen.

And it’s happened in other sports. Joe Price made the major leagues as a pitcher in the 1980s; he played for OSU, then transferred to OU, though he never played for the Sooners.

OSU legend J.W. Mashburn, an Olympic gold medalist, started out at OU in the 1950s, running track and playing football, before transferring to the Cowboys.

The most famous flip of all was the great Dave Schultz, who became one of the world’s greatest wrestlers. Schultz wrestled for the Cowboys as a freshman, then transferred to OU, where he won an NCAA championship.

OU historian Mike Brooks has found a few players who have made the Bedlam football switch. None were significant players before the transfer and few were significant after.

Brooks’ list of OU to OSU: Seymore Shaw (who rushed for 1,238 yards over three Cowboy seasons), Rusty Rushing, Mike Filson, Steve Jones and Aaron Goins.

Brooks’ list of OSU to OU: Dominque Jones, Derek Hellard.

Ford is an outlier, but he won’t be for long. When healthy, Ford is a good player who would have helped the Cowboys and will help the Sooners. You don’t have to like him swapping sides in Bedlam, but believe me, he won’t be the last, and it’s a two-way street.

More:Cheez-It Bowl about more than just turning the page for 'thankful and hungry' OU football team

Orlando travelblog: Making it to Florida

Will Rogers World Airport was eerily quiet on Wednesday afternoon. That's what happens when Southwest Airlines goes dormant.

You know the story. Southwest's meltdown has grounded thousands of flights per day this week, all over the nation, and among the disrupted was the Sooner press corps, trying to get to Orlando for the OU-Florida State Cheez-It Bowl.

Trish the Dish and I had planned to be in Orlando around noon Sunday. But our flight was canceled, we scrapped our trip and I got a United flight Wednesday afternoon.

I came through OKC security -- almost walked through, with no stop -- and those three Southwest gates at the front of the terminal were vacant.

Strange. Very strange.

I arrived early at the airport, because I didn't know what kind of mess I would find, but it was a breeze. I bought a Dole lemonade and a bag of -- wait for it -- of Cheez-Its for the trip, and I was set.

I fly almost exclusively Southwest and have had very little luck with United, but I must say, this was a pleasant trip. Easy on. Quick connection in Houston. Reserved seating. No hassles.

Well, one complaint. The Wifi didn't work on my flight, so I couldn't follow the Kansas-Arkansas Liberty Bowl. The Razorbacks had a 38-20 lead when my flight took off and a 55-53 triple-overtime victory when I landed. Bummer. I would have liked to have seen that ballgame.

I got to Orlando and watched the finish of the Holiday Bowl on my phone, then switched over to the Texas Bowl as I Ubered to my hotel. Good thing, since ESPN wasn't working in my hotel room in the Four Points Sheraton. Oh well.

The hotel is a little dated, but man, the setting is fantastic. It has a huge courtyard in the middle, with massive palm trees and a pool. Looks like something straight out of an Elvis movie.

I woke up Thursday morning, did some work and then went to a late breakfast/early lunch with the guys. We’re staying near DisneyWorld, right in the middle of all the tourist stuff. But Eli Lederman of the Tulsa World wisely had picked out a joint, Brazilian bakery Pao Gostosa, somewhere away from touristy Orlando.

Pao Gostosa was a hopping place. Long line. Limited seating. And inhabited by locals, most of whom seemed to be Brazilian. Which always is a good sign.

I didn't order off the menu, mainly because I didn't understand much of it. I just told the gal working the cash register I wanted a sandwich and asked what could I get on it. I ended up with a great bacon, ham, egg, cheese and tomato sandwich.

Our party of seven found a table and we rehashed the crazy travel events, which was planes, trains and automobiles for the guys who were unlucky to get away on a Southwest flight, only to be grounded at an airport far, far away.

But now we’re here, ready for the final ballgame of the year.

More:Tramel: Orlando has been portal to huge change for OU football. How will this trip go?

Mailbag: Trading Darius Bazley

The Thunder traded for Darius Bazley on draft night in 2019, after the forward was selected 23^rd overall.

Bazley played a decent number of minutes on the Thunder’s 2019-20 playoff team and seemed likely to be part of OKC’s rebuild.

But in the last three seasons, while Bazley’s defense has improved in a variety of ways, his stock seems to have slipped. Bazley’s defensive versatility and rim protection are huge positives, and his 3-point shooting this season (.364) is quite solid. Yet his turnovers and lack of quick decision-making seems to keep him in Mark Daigneault’s doghouse.

Chris: You think the Thunder will trade Bazley?

Tramel: I doubt it. I don’t know what the Thunder could get for Bazley. And since it seems like the Thunder has written him off, other organizations aren’t likely to offer much.

But I would keep working on Bazley. That kind of defense is not common.

More:OKC Thunder forward Aleksej Pokusevski out at least six weeks with broken left leg

The List: Team recruiting rankings

You know me. I don’t pay attention to recruiting rankings. Or much of recruiting at all.

But some do, and some fans like them, so as a public service, here’s a consensus of the team recruiting rankings, using 247, Rivals and On3.com.

1. Alabama

2. Georgia

3. Texas

4. Miami

5. Ohio State

6. Oklahoma

7. Louisiana State

8. Notre Dame

9. Clemson

10. Tennessee

11. Oregon

12. Florida

13. Southern Cal

14. Texas A&M

15. Penn State

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.  

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Raiders' Josh Jacobs can become Oklahoma's first NFL rushing champion