No. 12 Oklahoma wins sixth straight Big 12 title

ARLINGTON, TEXAS » Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley remembered two specific moments right after the No. 12 Sooners won their sixth consecutive Big 12 championship.

There was the uncertainty of what was next when players were sent home after one spring practice in March at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. And then the feeling in the locker room after a loss at Iowa State that had

Oklahoma 0-2 in league play for the first time since 1998.

The Sooners got a bit of revenge Saturday when winning another Big 12 title game, with Spencer Rattler throwing a 45-yard touchdown to fellow freshman Marvin Mims and running for another score in a 27-21 victory over the No. 8 Cyclones.

“I’ve felt tremendous excitement after each one of them, but this one does feel different ... maybe the most unlikely,” said Riley, the fourthyear head coach who was the

Sooners’ offensive coordinator the two seasons before that.

That impressive title streak probably won’t be enough to get the Sooners (8-2, No. 10 CFP) back in the College Football Playoff for the fourth year in a row, even when paired with their seven-game winning streak since that 37-30 loss on Oct. 3.

Oklahoma still has its 14th Big 12 title overall in the league’s 25-season history, and the 50th conference championship in school history.

“When we were 0-2 in the conference, and I told them a place like OU there’s nowhere to hide. It’s not like we’re just going to go off and have a bad season and people aren’t going to pay attention,” Riley said. “I think everybody in our locker room knew that this was possible at that point, and what a tremendous run it’s been.”

Big 12 rushing leader Breece Hall ran for two touchdowns for the Cyclones (83, No. 6 CFP) in the second half, when Oklahoma punted on its first five drives before Gabe Brkic’s 32-yard field goal with 2:01 left. The Sooners finally clinched the game when Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy was under pressure and threw his third interception, a fluttering pass picked off by Tre Brown inside the 10.

The Sooners will play in a New Year’s Six game, probably back at AT&T Stadium, after winning their fourth straight Big 12 championship since the title game was reinstated — with four starting quarterbacks. Rattler, who finished 22 of 34 for 272 yards and his 25th TD, is the first of those QBs who went to Oklahoma as a freshman instead of transferring in.

Iowa State played in a conference title game for the first time in school history, though fifth-year coach Matt Campbell was incensed at times. Standout defensive back Isheem Young was ejected after a questionable targeting call in the opening minute, and the Cyclones later didn’t get a fourth-down call when trying to draw Oklahoma offside even when two Sooners appeared to jump over the line.