It feels weird to type this, but Oklahoma will not be the Big 12 champions this year. With their season on the line, the Sooners lost a 37-33 game against in-state nemesis Oklahoma State to effectively end their season.
The Sooners and Cowboys went blow for blow and the Sooners had a shot at the very end but came up short in part to a third-quarter from a nightmare that saw the Sooners score zero offensive points and 9 points from a safety and a muffed punt picked up in the endzone by defensive back Justin Broiles.
While many will say the Sooners shot themselves in the foot, a few players made some excellent plays and stood out above the rest in the Sooners’ attempt to win and force a rematch in Arlington.
Caleb Williams, Quarterback
The kid is going to be alright. After a two-game spell that saw him struggle to look confident, decisive, and like the player that was garnering Heisman honors after coming off the bench five games into the season, Williams was the reason the Sooners had a chance with basically a minute left to potentially win the game. Credit must go in part to his position coach, play-caller, and his head coach all in one for calling some things that allowed him to get in rhythm early.
Once he got going, he looked confident and decisive on most dropbacks. He would have to create some magic with his feet and move around in the pocket, but, all in all, he put together a nice effort, finishing the game with 252 passing yards and three touchdowns to go along with his 36 yards rushing.
He wasn’t perfect by any means, but in a hostile environment and with the season on the line he didn’t look shellshocked or afraid of the moment and it’s very likely he’ll be much better in 2022 because of it.
Woodi Washington, Cornerback
Woodi entered this season as the unquestioned number one cornerback on the roster after the way he played in the back half of last year’s schedule. He looked excellent the first few games before an undisclosed injury kept him out for two months following the Sooners’ game against Western Carolina. He would come back in their loss to Baylor and started every game since.
In his toughest matchup since returning, he went to war against Oklahoma State’s leading receiver in senior Tay Martin. The battle went back and forth but Washington held his own with pass breakups and he ultimately picked off Spencer Sanders twice. Washington was flagged for taunting but that penalty can’t cover up the largely good day he had playing outside.
Unless something crazy happens, Washington looks to be back next year and will enter again as the number one guy on the depth chart at cornerback.
Perrion Winfrey, Nose Tackle
For a stretch of games in late October through early November, it seemed as if Winfrey had disappeared. He wasn’t nearly as disruptive as he had been to start the season and he failed to bring the energy and passion he normally was known for. In their biggest game of the season to date, Winfrey delivered with multiple pressures, hurries, and tackles for loss in the game.
At times, he looked too amped up. Winfrey was penalized for offsides more than once, but his penetration and disruption blended itself to some of the negative plays the Sooners were able to generate defensively in a game where Oklahoma State did a full 180 and went back to their normal Air Raid type tendencies with spread heavy concepts and the use of tempo to wear the defense out.
Winfrey was at the forefront of a unit that bottled up a 1,000-yard rusher in Jaylen Warren, holding him to only 56 yards on 17 carries. Winfrey will have a major decision regarding his future, but in what could be his final contribution to the Bedlam rivalry, he put forth a really solid effort.
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