Runnin' Down A Dream: OU Plows Past OSU For Big 12 Title, Likely Playoff Berth

Both OU and OSU limped into Saturday’s Bedlam showdown, but it was the Sooners that left Boone Pickens Stadium floating on air.

Behind a 30-point second-quarter onslaught, Oklahoma blew past the Cowboys 58-23 to win its ninth Big 12 title under coach Bob Stoops. The win, coupled with Notre Dame’s loss at Stanford, will likely place Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff.

11/28/15 Related Story: Instant Analysis: OU Dominates Bedlam, Wins Big 12

This one was over from the get-go. OU, coming in rolling, never even made a pit stop. The Sooners used a 68-yard run from Semaje Perine and a 66-yard sprint from Joe Mixon to seize a 21-10 lead early in the second.

It only got uglier.

Trailing 28-10, OSU inserted the severely banged-up Mason Rudolph into the lineup to try and find a spark, but the super sophomore just didn’t look right. Rudolph threw a 32-yard pick-six to Jordan Thomas and the game was essentially done.

Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield threw for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but it was the Sooners’ run game that took this thing from close to ugly. Mixon ran 14 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns, while Perine toted it 17 times for 131 yards and another two scores. Mayfield even ran for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Sooners racked up a grand total of 344 rushing yards, and when you throw in a 90-yard kick return from Alex Ross, the OU running backs really shined.

Sterling Shepard, OU’s clear No. 1 option, was open all night. Shepard hauled in 10 balls for 87 yards and the game’s first touchdown. No other Sooner caught more than two passes.

OU racked up 524 total yards and converted 8 of 14 on third down. Most importantly, the Sooners won the turnover battle 2-0. OSU’s two turnovers really helped open the game up.

J.W. Walsh, starting for the injured Mason Rudolph, couldn’t keep up with the high-powered Sooner offense. Walsh played a solid game, but his 325 yards and two touchdowns needed to be 525 yards and five touchdowns if OSU wanted to compete. The Pokes’ depleted defense just ran out of gas.

James Washington was OSU’s lone standout, grabbing seven passes for 169 yards and a touchdown.

OU (11-1, 8-1) is most certainly locked into the College Football Playoff at this point, it’s just a matter of where. OSU (10-2, 7-2) will await its bowl fate and use that time to rest up. The Pokes should have Rudolph back healthy for whichever bowl awaits them.