Big 12 championship game’s biggest moment looked eerily similar to Penn State fans

The Big 12 championship game had a wild ending that had Penn State fans recalling the controversial Michael Penix play at Indiana

The Big 12 Championship Game was anything but pretty at times, but it sure knew how to pack in a year’s worth of drama in the second half. And the game-deciding play proved once again that college football is indeed a game of inches. And if you happened to be a Penn State fan watching the game, you may have suffered from a brief bout of PTSD.

Oklahoma State played from behind against Baylor for the large majority of the game and was down 21-6 at halftime. But the Cowboys chipped away in the second half as the Oklahoma State defense shut Baylor down and gave its offense every chance to go out and win the game. A touchdown in the third quarter and a field goal in the fourth pulled Oklahoma State within five points of Baylor. Needing a touchdown to go ahead for the first time since an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter, Oklahoma State strung together a 17-play drive that spanned 89 seconds and brought the game well into the final minute. Big plays and defensive penalties on Baylor nearly gave Oklahoma State the Big 12 championship, and perhaps a spot in the College Football Playoff. But Oklahoma State’s final offensive snap, a 4th-and-goal from the Baylor 1-yard line came up just short of crossing the goal line before running back Dezmon Jackson landed out of bounds.

The way in which the play unfolded was eerily similar to Penn State’s 2020 season-opening overtime loss at Indiana. Here’s how the final chance for Oklahoma State came up just short against Baylor…

Did that play remind you of something? Somewhere, Indiana quarterback Michael Penxi was smiling.

If you were thinking about this moment in recent Penn State history while watching the Big 12 championship game, a quick scan on Twitter would confirm you were absolutely not alone in thinking it.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma State, the game-deciding play was very clearly the right call on the field. At least in the case of the famous Penix play against Penn State, the video replay never had indisuptable evidence to overturn the call on the field (although some on both sides may still argue what they believe). The loss for Oklahoma State drops the Cowboys out of the College Football Playoff picture entirely, while Baylor goes on to root for mass chaos as championship Saturday continues to unfold.

Meanwhile, we continue to await Penn State’s bowl announcement, which will come no later than Sunday afternoon as the playoff picture is etched into stone.