Rattler leads Sooners by Cyclones
Oklahoma wins 6th straight Big 12 title, 7th straight game
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,” Riley said.
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 in Ames, Iowa 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 (8-3, 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 different 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 into the program.
Iowa State played in its first conference championship game in school history
“I hope we just got respect on our name, on this university, to everybody outside of this program that we’re here to stay and we’re always going to play our butts off,” Cyclones receiver Xavier Hutchinson said.