One of the best coaches in college football made a lofty comparison for Oklahoma Sooners new offensive coordinator

Bill Bedenbaugh Emphatically Endorses Ben Arbuckle

Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh is one of the best, if not the outright best, offensive line coaches in college football. He's a man of relatively few words, so when he speaks, his words carry plenty of weight.

It's for that reason that his statement on Arbuckle caught my eye and raised some eyebrows. In an interview earlier this week, Bedenbaugh compared Arbuckle to a young Lincoln Riley.

"Love him, man. The dude’s, he’s really, really, really good. I’ve told people this before and they may not want to hear it — a young Lincoln. He’s smart. He understands everything. For a young guy, got great command. He knows exactly what he wants everybody to do. It’s been really, really good. Just bouncing ideas, some things that he hasn’t done in the past, protection-wise, run-game wise and if he likes it we do it, if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. That’s fine. It’s his — it’s our offense but ultimately he’s the one in charge. But it’s been awesome. Great dude, great coach, knowledgeable. Has great command of the whole offense. It’s good. Like I’ve said before, I’ve told you guys, I’ve been around a lot of good ones. He’s as good as I think there is."

I know that there is still plenty of bitterness surrounding Lincoln Riley among Oklahoma fans, but his acumen as an offensive playcaller is still second-to-none in college football. He built several of college football's best offenses and helped the Sooners produce a pair of Heisman Trophy winners.

If Arbuckle lives up to that billing, the Sooners will be in very good hands for the foreseeable future.