The health of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield is certain to be a hot topic again today, but at least there is a game to go along with it.
Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy with ease last month but also developed flu-like symptoms during Christmas break, which became the dominant conversation leading up to this afternoon’s national semifinal between the No. 2 Sooners (12-1) and No. 3 Georgia (12-1) in the Rose Bowl. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior missed multiple media functions last week before arriving late Saturday to the final availability for players to speak.
“We’ve got sick guys, too,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said Saturday in a news conference. “It’s just not as big of a deal, because they didn’t win the Heisman. It is what it is.”
Sunday marked the final Rose Bowl media event, which involved just Smart and Oklahoma counterpart Lincoln Riley.
When Mayfield did settle in front of the microphone Saturday, he explained his health had been improving until he did a lot of yelling that morning in practice. Riley was asked Sunday if a hoarse quarterback would result in a change of communication methods before the snap.