Whoa: Heisman Favorite John Mateer Is Having Hand Surgery and Will Be Out '3 or More Weeks'

Oklahoma announced on Tuesday that Sooners quarterback and Heisman Trophy favorite John Mateer will undergo hand surgery on Wednesday to fix an injury to his right thumb. Mateer sustained the injury in the first quarter against Auburn, but finished the game.

Obviously, this is pretty stunning news given the fact nobody knew Mateer had even gotten hurt but the timeline here is critical. SoonerScoop reported Mateer could mis "three or more weeks," but OU really needs that to be on the lower end. The Sooners have a bye this week before playing Kent State, but then things get nasty in a hurry beginning with Texas.

The "easiest" game remaining after Kent State is on the road at South Carolina and even with Mateer, that game could be a war. And if he misses any more time beyond that, best of luck.

Sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. played on seven games for the Sooners last season, completing 76 of 120 passes for 783 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He can also run the ball a little bit, but nothing like what Mateer adds in the ground game.

I think this just became the story of the year in college football. If Mateer is back by the time Oklahoma heads to Dallas for the Red River Shootout, all is well. But if this thing takes even a little bit more time to heal than they're thinking, a promising season for the Sooners could spiral in a hurry.