Arkansas will play Oklahoma State for the first time in over 40 years. One of the biggest reasons Arkansas is an underdog this September is because of their running back, Ollie Gordon III.
He's the best RB in the nation, according to ESPN, recording 1,732 yards for 6.1 yards a carry and 21 touchdowns. He also tacked on another 330 yards and another touchdown through the air on 39 receptions.
However, Gordon was arrested this off-season for a DUI last week. Since then, people — especially Arkansas fans — have been waiting to hear if he would be suspended and, if so, for how long.
Well, the Razorbacks aren’t catching a break on September 7. In an interview at Big 12 media days, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy explained that he wasn't suspending Gordon at all. Instead, he said, "If there's any punishment, it's making him carry the ball 50 times in the first game."
However, it's not entirely surprising. If Gordon were not to play, Oklahoma State probably wouldn’t even make a bowl this season. What was surprising — shocking rather — was Gundy’s explanation for why he isn’t being suspended.
Gundy tried to excuse his decision not to suspend Gordon by seemingly admitting to committing the crime himself, stating:
"In Oklahoma, the legal limit is 0.08, and Ollie was 0.1 and I looked it up, and it was based on body weight. Not to get into the legal side of it, but I thought, really, two or three beers or four — I’m not justifying what Ollie did, I’m telling you what decision I made — well, I thought, I’ve probably done that about 1,000 times in my life, and it’s just fine. I got lucky, people get lucky.
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"I looked it up on my phone- what would be the legal limit?... 2 or 3 beers, or 4. I'm not justifying what Ollie did; I'm telling you what decision I made. Well, I thought, I've probably done that a thousand times in my life." - Mike Gundy pic.twitter.com/MfHrkNPIm8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 9, 2024
Other than the fact that Gordon is 20 years old and any amount of alcohol in his system is illegal, hinting that he was just unlucky to get caught is utterly disgusting. His X post trying to clarify his comments didn't help either, "My intended point today at Big 12 media days was that we are all guilty of making bad decisions. It was not a reference to something specific."
Arkansas will head to Stillwater on September 7 for its game at 11:00 A.M. For now, the Hogs will have to plan on facing the Gordon.