Sooners, Clemson cruise
ARLINGTON, Tex. — Baker Mayfield and No. 2 Oklahoma never fretted the potential consequences of having to play in the revived Big 12 championship game.
The Sooners just went out and proved how deserving they are of that playoff berth coming their way by dominating TCU again, 4117 on Saturday in the second top-10 matchup in four weeks between the Big 12’s top two teams. “I’m really proud of our group for not listening to the entire narrative across the country that we shouldn’t be playing this championship game and all that mess,” coach Lincoln Riley said. "We knew there was going to be a championship game and that was just going to be part of our journey if we wanted to get to this place.”
Mayfield, the Heisman Trophy front-runner, threw four touchdown passes as Oklahoma (12-1, CFP No. 3) won its record 11th Big 12 title. “The reason I came back was to play for a national title,” Mayfield said. “The most exciting thing about today is we control our destiny . ... That’s all out in front of us.”
The Sooners are a lock Sunday to be in the College Football Playoff for the second time in three seasons. They are the only Big 12 team to make the four-team playoff format that started in 2014.
Mayfield was so confident in the Sooners winning their third straight Big 12 title that in postgame he wore a shirt he had from backto-back championships that already been updated, showing the three in a row he has won since transferring from Texas Tech.
“I had it updated before Bedlam,” Mayfield said, referring to game against rival Oklahoma State a month ago.
The Sooners probably would have made the playoff even if the Big 12 hadn’t played its first championship game since 2010. But a loss would have likely knocked OU out of contention.
Oklahoma jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead, including Caleb Kelly’s 18-yard fumble return for a touchdown after running back Kyle Hicks’ turnover on the first offensive play by TCU (10-3, No. 11). Kenny Hill threw two TD passes to get the Horned Frogs within 2417 at halftime, but Oklahoma was in total control after scoring twice on its first three offensive plays after the break.
—AP CLEMSON 38, MIAMI 3: No. 1 Clemson emphatically claimed its spot in the College Football Playoff in the ACC championship game. The Tigers (12-1) came in ranked atop the CFP and should remain that way following Sunday’s final poll after their decisive show left little doubt the defending national champs are looking to go back-to-back. Miami (10-2, No. 7 CFP) has lost two straight after rising to No. 2 in the CFP two weeks ago. Kelly Bryant set a championship game record — and surpassed his friend and former teammate Deshaun Watson’s mark of 13 — by completing his first 15 passes and finished with 252 yards passing and a 27-yard TD pass to Deon Cain on the way to Clemson’s third straight ACC crown. —AP