ESPN’s “College Game Day” heads to for Stillwater for Saturday’s Bedlam game – a showdown that carries significant College Football Playoff implications.
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No. 3 Oklahoma 38, No. 11 Oklahoma State 28 (7 p.m. Saturday, WFAA/Ch. 8): Sooners finish their post-Texas surge from Big 12 after-thoughts to Big 12 champs with a legitimate CFP playoff opportunity. Oklahoma State took a 14-7 lead on a 77-yard pass from Hilger to Malcolm Lewis early in the third quarter.
Baylor picked up a 45-35 win over the Cowboys despite starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham, Seth Russell’s replacement, leaving the game due to injury at halftime. However, two of the biggest factors concerning this game were address on Monday in the mentioning of Oklahoma State’s struggles to run the ball and the value of a healthy Baker Mayfield.
The Sooners got good news on Monday when it was revealed that quarterback Baker Mayfield was cleared to practice, and subsequently play, this week. Mayfield must pass a battery of tests before being allowed to return to the field.
So can the Cowboys beat a very stout Oklahoma defense with no run game and a banged-up quarterback in Mason Rudolph? The Horned Frogs possessed a 21-point lead with 11 minutes to play in last season’s meeting before Baylor rallied for a 61-58 victory.2.
The Oklahoma Sooners are 10-2 straight up and 8-4 against the spread in their last 12 games against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
What will the committee say?
So while there are a lot of moving pieces that will dictate the playoff picture and Heisman race, many of them rely on this game’s outcome to determine how the dust will settle in this volatile football season. So what does that mean for Tuesday’s latest batch of rankings? In 2013, Justin Gilbert dropped an interception that would have sealed a second Big 12 title in three years.
TCU (9-2, 6-2) has a 12-game home winning streak since another three-point loss to Baylor in 2013. Outside linebacker Eric Striker, an all-conference pick last season, ranks third in the Big 12 in sacks and tackles per loss.
Now I just got depressed because I’m reminded we don’t have a conference championship game and that stinks.
Bedlam has lacked the discourtesy of The Revivalry, but since 2010, at least one team has played for a Big 12 title each time.
Mayfield is many things. Paul Rhoads led Iowa State to three bowl games in his first four seasons as coach, but is 32-54 overall in seven seasons.
Whoever takes over the program, Rhoads believes Cyclones fans are in for a treat because of the talent his coaching staff is leaving behind. Anything goes, and you can usually count on the ordinary trading places with the out of the ordinary because nothing can be expected to follow form whenever Oklahoma and Oklahoma State go up against each other.
“He was pretty banged up”, Knight said, “but he knew we needed him to get the W. That’s Samaje for you”. For Oklahoma, an outright win gives them their ninth Big 12 championship under Bob Stoops.
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Oklahoma becomes the league champion if it wins Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State. Texas coach Charlie Strong delivered his strongest statements yet regarding rumors he is interested in the Miami job.
