Before Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler was summoned out of the bullpen by head coach Lincoln Riley to try to save the Sooners' season, an amicable divorce between the two sides seemed imminent. On Saturday, it became clear the fate of the one-time Heisman hopeful, turned understudy, was sealed.
For the first time since stepping in for Rattler and taking the nation by storm, former five-star recruit Caleb Williams struggled in the Sooners' devastating road loss to No. 13 Baylor. The same quarterback who threw for a combined 795 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception across three starts, doubled his turnover total in less than three quarters, and left Oklahoma in a 17-7 hole at the time of his benching.
In a move that was strikingly similar to an out-of-favor Jalen Hurts taking over for Tua Tagovailoa in Alabama's 2018 SEC title game win over Georgia, Rattler was called on to be the hero under unlikely circumstances. Only this time, there wasn't a massive comeback, one that would've written another chapter of another Cinderella tale, and reestablished Rattler as one of the top players in the sport.
Instead, the true sophomore faced similar struggles as Williams, sputtering during his lone drive on the field before returning to a familiar spot on the bench. At a glance, Rattler's four-completion, 36-yard stat line from Saturday doesn't appear to be too bad. Except, after two nice completions to receiver Michael Woods II, he failed to establish rhythm, and took a costly sack on third down.
As is the case with many young quarterbacks, it's obvious that Rattler still has a long way to go in his development. Although he's displayed next-level talent in bursts -- enough to grab pro scouts' attention -- realistically, Rattler hasn't performed well enough consistently to warrant the hype.
Rattler entered the 2021 season viewed as one of the best players in college football, and due to a weaker than usual quarterback class, perhaps the top overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. As a high-profile collegiate athlete, now able to benefit from new Name Imagine and Likeness (NIL) regulations, his situation was particularly unique. Rattler profited off endorsements from companies such as Raising Canes, and became a social media sensation on Instagram and Twitter, where he has thousands of followers.
Unlike other top-notch collegiate athletes who were banned from generating personal revenue due to previous restrictions, Rattler took full advantage of his marketability and countless opportunities prior to the season. Only once it came time to step on the gridiron, his play didn't live up to the off-field hype.
Truthfully, Rattler didn't play awfully. After throwing two picks in their season opener against Tulane, he bounced back, and put together four straight solid performances. Unfortunately, there are lofty expectations for any quarterback who plays in Riley's pass-happy, air-raid offense. And once Rattler got off to a sluggish start in the Red River Showdown against Texas, he couldn't resist the urge to turn to the true freshman.
Williams erased a three-touchdown deficit while completing a comeback for the ages, and hadn't relinquished the starting job until his brief benching on Saturday. As it became more clear that the Sooners would move forward with Williams as their starter, the clock started to tick on Rattler, deciding to enter the transfer portal. And after losing the starting job, nobody could've blamed him for making such a decision. Plus, from a talent evaluation standpoint, transferring wouldn't hurt his pro aspirations, as the likes of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Joe Burrow all transferred before becoming No. 1 picks.
The reality is this: transferring has become more widely accepted across the college sports landscape, almost to the point where it's become the norm -- as it should be. In many cases, athletes are a much better fit at another university, both athletically and personally. And as 18-year-old teenagers, it's difficult to predict how they'd mesh with a given program. Therefore, giving the youngsters additional autonomy is a good thing.
Jack Stern is a columnist and an associate producer for CBS Sports Radio. You can follow him on Twitter @J_Stern97.