Baylor’s title dreams require OSU’S help
For this week, there are no bigger fans of Oklahoma State football than their counterparts at Baylor.
All the different possibilities and matchups regarding the Big 12 championship game just got a lot more simplified this past weekend.
The winner of Saturday’s game between Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) and Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1) will automatically advance to the Big 12 championship game Dec. 4 at AT&T Stadium. If the Sooners win, then the Big 12 will see a Bedlam rematch in Arlington.
If Oklahoma State beats OU — the Cowboys are favored by a field goal in the opening lines — then the door is open for Baylor (9-2, 6-2) because of a head-to-head win over the Sooners.
First things first, though. The Bears need a win over Texas Tech in Waco to have a chance at reaching the title game for the second time in three seasons. It would continue the turnaround under second-year coach Dave Aranda.
The Bears weathered the loss of starting quarterback Gerry Bohanon to a right hamstring injury to post a 20-10 win over Kansas State. Bohanon’s status for Tech was not immediately known.
Redshirt freshman Blake Shapen replaced Bohanon and completed 16 of 21 passes for 137 yards.
“There’s a real strong belief in us in him,” Aranda told reporters afterward. “For Blake to come in and attack that moment, that is what we would expect, and that’s the Blake we know.”
The Big 12 champion is guaranteed the conference’s bid to the Sugar Bowl. But Oklahoma State is rooting for enough chaos and two quality wins to be enough to land a spot in the College Football Playoff come Dec. 5.
Of course there’s Bedlam and OU, with Oklahoma State trying to break a skid against their in-state rival. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy is 2-14 against Oklahoma and the last OSU win came in 2014 under strange circumstances. Because of an OSU penalty, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops opted to punt a second time late in the game only to see Tyreek Hill return it for a game-winning touchdown.
The rivalry was already lighting up the Internet immediately after Oklahoma State’s 23-0 win at Texas Tech.
While OSU receiver Tay Martin has only been in the program one year after transferring from Washington State, he showed he has a good grasp of the emotions involved.
“I would expect to whoop their ass, honestly. I don’t go into a game thinking otherwise,” Martin told reporters after the game “So, as long as we just do what we have to do, you know, take care of the little things, not try to do too much, do what we did to get here, honestly, we’ll be fine.”
The best defense of the Gundy era may give Oklahoma State a chance.
The Cowboys are tied for second nationally in scoring defense with Texas A&M (14.9 ppg) and are third in total defense (266.9 ypg). In shutting out Texas Tech, Oklahoma State allowed just 108 yards, the lowest Red Raider total since a 45-10 loss to Miami in 1990.
And after a strong start, Oklahoma freshman quarterback Caleb Williams has completed just 17 of 36 passes in his last two games for 229 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.