No. 7 Oklahoma State shocked rival No. 10 Oklahoma, winning an absolutely wild Bedlam matchup for the first time since 2014. The 37-33 victory by the Cowboys advances them to the Big 12 Championship Game where they will enter as the top seed for the first time in program history. It also snaps the Sooners' streak of six straight Big 12 title wins.
After coming out of halftime tied 24-24, the most points Oklahoma State's defense allowed in a game this season, OSU nearly gave the game away with a muffed punt for a touchdown and fumble for a safety in the opening minutes of the third quarter. However, the defense stepped up in a big way and held Oklahoma's offense scoreless in the second half, giving its own offense enough time and opportunities to make up for the team's miscues.
Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders capped off a seven-play drive with a 37-yard touchdown run on an option play to cut its deficit to two in the fourth quarter. Then the Cowboys got a muffed punt of their own within the OU 5-yard line and converted it into a 1-yard touchdown from running back Jaylen Warren for the go-ahead score with 8:54 left in the fourth quarter. OSU missed a two-point conversion try.
Oklahoma had a bit more magic left as Williams took off 56 yards late in the fourth quarter, setting up a throw into the end zone with 10 seconds remaining. However, Collin Oliver grabbed Williams' ankles and sacked him on the ensuing fourth down to preserve the Oklahoma State victory.
Sanders turned over the ball twice but threw for 214 yards, rushed for 93 yards and had two touchdowns for the Cowboys. Warren added 56 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez led the team with 11 tackles (three for loss) plus two sacks and a pass breakup.
Williams threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, but all three of his touchdowns came in the first half. Oklahoma RB Kennedy Brooks added 139 yards on 22 carries, but it wasn't enough as the Sooners lost their second conference game of the season.
With the win, Oklahoma State will face No. 8 Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game. Oklahoma's reign of six consecutive Big 12 Championships comes to an end right after the Sooners announced their eventual departure from the Big 12 to the SEC.
Stay locked into CBS Sports for takeaways from Oklahoma State's win coming up.
Oklahoma State is the Big 12's contender
Both teams entered the Bedlam matchup with just one loss and top-10 positioning in the College Football Playoff Rankings. By coming out on top, Oklahoma State is now the Big 12's only contender for the College Football Playoff.
After the win, coupled with a loss by No. 2 Ohio State, Oklahoma State will jump at least one spot in the playoff rankings, and has a chance to jump higher with two top-10 wins on its resume, something no other contender can boast. A win over Baylor in the Big 12 title game makes the Cowboys a lock for the playoff.
Unceremonious end
Oklahoma has not revealed when it will leave the Big 12 for the SEC, but announcing a departure and then immediately snapping its Bedlam winning streak and, by extension, its Big 12 title winning streak can't be how the Sooners hoped to leave. OU struggled to get any momentum going on either side of the ball in the game's critical moments and had mental lapses that have historically cost Oklahoma State Bedlam wins.
Now Riley will have to go to the drawing board for an offseason to figure out how his blue-chip-filled offense was held to an all-time low in points and yards against Baylor and held scoreless in the second half of his first top 10 Bedlam matchup. Of course, that might even be secondary to dealing with the rumors swirling his coaching future.
Jim Knowles deserves more attention
Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator has quietly been one of the most versatile defensive minds in the nation, and his adjustments in the second half prove why he should be a top contender for the Broyles Award. After blitzing heavily in the first half against the elusive Williams, Knowles recalibrated and played more conservative zone coverage to force Williams to win from the pocket.
In the second half, Williams completed just 6 of 18 passes for 48 yards and went 2 of 10 on third downs. Oklahoma's offense quickly became jumpy and committed a number of costly penalties down the stretch. More importantly, Oklahoma scored zero offensive points in the second half of a four-point victory.
Oklahoma State doesn't have the recruiting talent that Oklahoma has, especially in the trenches. Still, the Cowboys found creative uses to coach up and utilize their talent to create mismatches and cause hell for an underclassman quarterback.
The 'new' Big 12 is a winner
For years, the biggest criticism of the Big 12 has been that it's a one-team league with Oklahoma holding the last six championship trophies and every College Football Playoff appearance. But while Oklahoma State has work to do to reach that last benchmark, knocking the Sooners out of Big 12 contention and ensuring the league will have a new champion for the first time since 2014 is a significant development.
While Oklahoma is a member of the Big 12 for now, the Sooners and Texas Longhorns will leave in the coming years. Baylor and Oklahoma State besting both talent-laden squads in 2021 and earning trips to the Big 12 Championship Game helps build instant credibility as the conference regroups with a new 12-team membership.
Oklahoma State will have a tough matchup against a Baylor squad that gave Oklahoma fits earlier in November. However, if the Cowboys can break through and earn a trip to the College Football Playoff, it will earn the Big 12 some much-needed goodwill. If Cincinnati also makes the playoff and BYU finishes top 15 -- and if Baylor's Dave Aranda, Cincinnati's Luke Fickell and BYU's Kalani Sitake survive the coaching cycle as reported -- the league is well-positioned to remain a consistent playoff contender.
