Calling this simply a ‘conference championship matchup’ would be an understatement. Coming into this game, the Oklahoma Sooners were playing for not only the Big 12 title but a chance at a potential college football playoff berth. The Baylor Bears wanted to prove they were a legit Top 5 team in the country and a Big 12 title against a team that gave them their first loss early in the season would help astronomically. Unfortunately for the Bears, they lost 30-23 to the Sooners and now Oklahoma will advance to the playoffs against the LSU Tigers.
Sooners standout QB, Jalen Hurts, and his offense came out strong, firing early when, after a nice stop by a much-improved Oklahoma defense, Hurts and his squad marched down the field. Hurts connected with wideout CeeDee Lamb for 71 yards and then RB Kennedy Brooks capped off the drive with a rushing touchdown.
The game set up to be a long day for Baylor by the end of the first quarter although the Bears did finally settle down and take the lead at halftime, 13-10. But again, Oklahoma came out aggressively in the second half and put up 13 straight unanswered points. Baylor, being the resilient team it’s been all season, came back to tie the game in regulation off a couple of big plays and overtime ensued in Dallas.
Hurts has been in similar situations plenty of times and proved once again he could handle it. The Sooners drove right down the field and scored on their first possession of overtime. On Baylor’s next drive, the swarming Oklahoma defense stopped the Bears on four downs to close out the game 30-23.
The current Oklahoma defense isn’t the best in the country but considering how mediocre they’ve been for years, this is a special group and they’ve been showing it for most of the season. The squad doesn’t completely shut teams down, but it makes sure tackles, doesn’t miss assignments, and it turns the ball over at a high rate.
With the Georgia Bulldogs’ loss to the LSU Tigers, Oklahoma has secured a spot in the college football playoffs as a fourth seed. The Sooners will now face off against Heisman Trophy favorite LSU QB Joe Burrow and the Tigers Dec. 28 for a chance to play in the National Championship.
While most of the previews leading up to the upcoming game will be about the two Heisman Trophy candidates (Hurts and Burrow) — and rightfully so — the underrated LSU and Oklahoma defenses will be the biggest factor in determining the winner. This has been a resilient Sooners team that will soon face the hottest QB in the country.
The Battle for the Big 12 Championship between Oklahoma and Baylor was one for the books and college football fans across the world can agree that all had tuned in to a great show.