The thing about college football is it loves recycling legends. You ball out just a little too much and someone from the national media will be comparing you to a ghost from Saturdays past. That’s exactly what happened to John Mateer. The Little Elm native diced up No. 22 ranked Auburn and the Johnny Manziel whispers came flying like it was 2012 all over again. But instead of riding that wave, Mateer hit everyone with a curveball: faith. He shut down the “Money Mateer” nickname using his religion as a differentiator.

Oklahoma, a team everyone buried before Week 1, is now 4-0 after back-to-back ranked wins over Michigan and Auburn. Against Auburn, Mateer went 24-of-36 passing for 271 yards, a touchdown through the air, plus a rushing TD that sealed the game. And let’s not forget his heater in crunch time: 16 of his last 17 passes completed, including an 11-throw streak that broke Auburn’s defense. Sounds like Manziel, right?

So the reporters did their job, tossed out the Johnny-football comp. Mateer grinned but stood his ground. “I’m a little different than Johnny Football,” he said, brushing it off like a vet. That’s when On3 Sports’ Eddie Radosevich pressed and doubled downed on why. Without missing a beat, Mateer clapped back with, “I’m going to church in the morning.” Mateer’s throwing dimes both on and off the field.

The irony? On-field, their playstyles are quite similar. Both thrive off chaos, Rolling out and launching bombs, and juking linebackers for that extra yard. Mateer’s tape from Saturday checks every box. But off-field? Manziel was “Money” in the clubs, not in the pews. If NIL had existed back in 2012, Johnny Football would have been the highest-paid athlete in college football.

Mateer is more of a ‘church comes first on Sundays’ kind of football player. It’s almost poetic. Mateer plays like Johnny, and prays like Tim Tebow. Speaking of Tebow, even he open-heartedly compared Jonny Football with John Mateer last week.

The scary part for the SEC? Heisman buzz is already cooking. DraftKings has Mateer sitting at +700, probably best odds in the nation. The former Wazzu QB has thrown for over 1,000 yards, 6 TDs, and added 5 rushing scores through just 4 games. If you watched Mateer ball, you’d know he is a legitimate Heisman front-runner. And with Brent Venables’ defense wreaking havoc (10 sacks on Auburn, school record), Oklahoma enters 4-0 with momentum. Matter is leading the charge, even if he won’t wear the “Johnny Football” crown.

Oklahoma’s controversial touchdown

The hide-and-seek touchdown. A play that has been banned by the SEC found its way on the field. Early in the game, Mateer threw a 24-yard touchdown to WR Isaiah Sategna. The play looked pretty clean on replay, until you zoom in and realize that Sategna had strolled toward the sideline like he was subbing out. Auburn’s defense bit, and left him wide open. Mateer lobbed the easiest six points he’ll ever throw. Hugh Freeze was losing his mind on the sideline as he argued with the refs.

ESPN’s Molly McGrath got the official word that because Sategna never actually left the field, there was no flag. No unsportsmanlike, no 15 yards, nothing. But according to the rulebook, NCAA literally says no “hideout tactics” tied to substitution can be used. Was this that? Depends who you ask. OU’s own radio crew, featuring Bob Stoops and Teddy Lehman, admitted the Sooners had practiced it in the week leading up. So yeah, this wasn’t backyard freelancing. This was premeditated mischief.

Auburn tied the game at 10 later with Cam Coleman’s touchdown, but by then, the controversy had already gone viral. Sooners fans loved it while Auburn fans were screaming robbery. And honestly, both sides got a point. This is the SEC now, and Oklahoma didn’t just join quietly. They showed up with tricks in the playbook. By the end, none of that mattered. Oklahoma’s defense terrorized Jackson Arnold with 10 sacks, closing the show with a safety that put the final nail in the coffin.