Where does Bedlam 2023 rank among Oklahoma State's biggest wins in the rivalry?
STILLWATER — At least for now, the Bedlam football rivalry has been put to bed with Oklahoma State’s 27-24 win last Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Prior to the game, a group of five writers for The Oklahoman ranked the top 25 Bedlam games of all time.
But with an epic finale, where should the 2023 game — OSU’s 20th win in the series — rank in Bedlam history?
The Oklahoman’s Scott Wright and Jacob Unruh weigh in:
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Where does the final Bedlam game rank among OSU’s wins in the series?
Wright: Well, it’ll be talked about the longest. Cowboy fans will celebrate winning the final Bedlam game of the foreseeable future for as long as they can.
It wasn’t the craziest game, though it certainly had some odd elements. And it wasn’t the most dramatic, even though the drama was thick. I’d give the 2001 or 2014 wins the edge there.
It wasn’t the highest stakes, but the exact magnitude isn’t fully fleshed out yet. What if the Cowboys keep rolling and win a Big 12 title? That would elevate the stakes. The 1976 and 2011 wins are the only ones OSU has parlayed into a conference title.
The 2021 win led to a Big 12 title game appearance, and was a major milestone in that season. The 1945 win was part of OSU’s only undefeated season ever, so that has some significance.
In our draft of the top 25 games, I had the first pick and selected 2001 off the top. I’m sticking with that as the best Bedlam game and OSU’s top victory in the series. And I’ll give a nod to 1976 for its drama, with the rally from 11 down, and the importance of getting OSU into a three-way tie for the Big Eight crown.
Then I’m slotting this year’s game third, edging out 2014 by a hair, thanks to the higher stakes of this game.
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Unruh: I've heard a lot of people say the last one is the one that matters. If that's truly the case, then sign me up as this one atop the list of victories. Seriously.
Just think about how this Bedlam will live on. Sure, there was not as much drama, as you mentioned. It could propel the Cowboys to the Big 12 championship game for a second time in three seasons, though.
And there was the celebration of all celebrations. The crowd storming the field. They carried players -- including superstar Ollie Gordon II -- and they danced in celebration.
Plus, the saga of the goal post will go down as some of the greatest legendary tales in program history. That alone is enough for me to take it as the top game.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Re-ranking top Bedlam football games: Where does 2023 OSU win fit in?
