It may be John Mateer vs Arch Manning at the Red River showdown. Both quarterbacks made some Heisman-caliber noise during the preseason. And now, bleeding into week 7, their futures hang in the balance. For Arch, it’s a chance to redeem himself, but for Mateer, it is his Heisman campaign that is at stake. So, can the Sooners’ QB relish that hot pie?

The hopes of Mateer’s Heisman campaign and Oklahoma’s SEC title dream hinge on Mateer’s health. Against Auburn, he broke a bone in his right hand in the first quarter and underwent surgery, missing the Kent State game. But the Heisman conversations never stop. With the upcoming slate of games, Mateer’s appearance will be a make-it-or-break-it element for his Heisman prospects. In a conversation with Geoff Schwartz and Sammy Panayotovich, Chris Fallicia states his verdict.

“I think Mateer would be the guy,” and there’s the ultimatum, “only because if he does play this week and if he is healthy and they rip through that SEC schedule at the end of the year, and they get to Atlanta.” Mateer’s health has been a concern at Norman. After surgery, he has been recovering strongly, with Dr. Steven Shin monitoring him. But will he make his appearance against Texas? Initial reports suggested that Mateer would be out for about a month or multiple weeks. But, on the latest SEC report revealed on Thursday, Mateer has been listed as ‘probable,’ which points to the QB having a 75% chance to play.

Although Brent Venables has been beating around the bush on the matter, stating that “He’s done zero good-on-good work; So it’s Michael and Whitt (Newbauer) right now. If something changes, I’ll let you know,” he said on Tuesday. But, as per reports from Pete Thamel, Mateer is pushing to return this week, and there is optimism surrounding his return. Even Steve Sarkisian’s roster is prepping up to face the star quarterback. All these elements point to optimism regarding his appearance for the Red River Rivalry.

Sammy Panayatovich chipped in. “When he hurt his hand. John Mateer was 30:1 to win the Heisman. You check the books right now, you’re lucky to find a 10 or a 15. They don’t even know if he’s playing Jeff, and they’re betting on John Mateer like crazy this week.” Against Auburn, Mateer had some crazy throws and dives, which led Norman to swoon over him. Executing a six-play, 75-yard drive spanning over two minutes and 14 seconds, he led a nine-yard touchdown dive, which, too, was with a broken hand.

Over four games, he chipped in 1,215 yards and six touchdowns. But those six scores have been iconic in their own way, supplying plenty of drool-over Heisman moments. Will those highlights be enough for the 928 Heisman voters to take a dip in his favor?

Both the Heisman and SEC runs burdened on Mateer’s recovery

Beating Arch Manning plays a significant role in Mateer’s Heisman prospects, and with that, the Sooner’s SEC run is also at stake. How much will the win-loss record of Oklahoma matter with their schedule? “Can he still play well in losses and win the Heisman? Geoff Schwartz prompted.

“I don’t think I think that’s what would be creating a little bit of hesitation for me,” replied Fallicia.  “Because if they lose this weekend, and then you look at the final five games of the regular season, where they have all of those ranked SEC teams, I don’t know if Oklahoma 9 -3 doesn’t get to the SEC title game, like if that’s going to be good enough.” Norman has a challenging SEC slate in the upcoming weeks. We are talking about Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, and LSU.

Analyst David Pollack is absolutely rooting for him. “His (John Mateer) ability to break tackles, his ability to throw freaking laser beams, like the throws over the middle, man, those in-breaking routes that are 18 yards down the field,” he said last month. There is no denying that Mateer, the Washington State transfer, has had a turnaround since his debut game at Oklahoma.