The Oklahoma Sooners were at the center of some College Football Playoff controversy when the committee moved them from #7 into playoff position at #3 after last week's escape job against TCU.
So much for controversy.
Oklahoma ran over the rival #11 Oklahoma State Cowboys, dropping 44 points and 359 yards of total offense on the Cowboys in the first half before cruising in the final 30 minutes to a 58-23 statement win in Stillwater. With the win, Oklahoma secures a Big 12 title and appears to be a prohibitive favorite to make the CFP.
RBs Samaje Perine (121) and Joe Mixon (68) combined for 189 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, breaking off 68- and 66-yard touchdown runs respectively. The duo finished with 269 combined rushing yards and four touchdowns. QB Baker Mayfield picked up the scraps for the Sooners, making very few mistakes en route to finishing 17 of 25 for 180 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. A week after being knocked out of the game follow a targeting shot by a TCU defender, Mayfield was effective from both a production and game-managing standpoint.
As for Oklahoma State, the team's defensive deficiencies were exposed in a major way on Saturday night. OSU had given up 26 or more points in eight of their last nine games, but the offense did enough to paper over the defense's troubles to post an 8-1 record in those games. That wasn't the case on Saturday.
Oklahoma's offense ran through a porous Oklahoma State front seven early and often, nullifying the gutsy effort of fill-in quarterback JW Walsh (25 of 42, 325 yards, two TDs, one INT). Walsh started and played for the majority of the game for an injured Mason Rudolph, who made a brief appearance but was held out for the rest of the game after going 0 for 3 while looking uncomfortable on his ailing ankle.
OU moves to 11-1 on the season and will await its College Football Playoff fate until the committee announces its final rankings next Sunday. Oklahoma State falls to 10-2 and will be a fringe contender for a New Year's Six at-large berth.
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