The #12 Oklahoma Sooners looked to be completely out of the College Football Playoff chase after a 24-17 road loss to the Texas Longhorns several weeks back. That's changed in a hurry.
OU beat the #6 Baylor Bears at their own game, putting on an offensive fireworks display in a massive 44-34 road win which vaults the Sooners back near the top of the heap in the nation.
In a back-and-forth contest befitting of a heavyweight fight, it was Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield who would counter multiple Baylor jabs with a knockout blow. Following a lightning-quick three-play TD drive for Baylor which sliced OU's ten-point fourth-quarter lead to three at 37-34, Mayfield calmly and collectedly led the Sooners back on an impressive ten-play, 78-yard march. Taking nearly six minutes off of the clock, the Sooners QB finished things off with a seven-yard TD pass to Dimitri Flowers, extending the lead back to ten.
That would prove the second-to-last nail in the coffin, as Baylor freshman QB Jarrett Stidham finished the job by throwing an interception to Oklahoma's Ahmad Thomas on the very next play from scrimmage. Oklahoma would run the clock out from there, knocking Baylor from the ranks of the unbeaten and elbowing OU's way back into the CFP conversation.
It wasn't all Mayfield and the OU defense on this night, however. RB Samaje Perine kept the OU offense on the field on several occasions, running for 166 yards and two scores. The Sooners rushed for 241 yards on the night, 76 of those on the legs of Baker Mayfield.
Oklahoma moves to 9-1 (6-1 conf) on the year heading into another massive showdown with #15 TCU next week. Baylor falls to 8-1 (5-1 conf) and is left to pick up the pieces before a critical road showdown at #8 Oklahoma State.
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