In the aftermath of the Oklahoma Sooners 27-14 loss to the Baylor Bears, it felt as if the season was over. Though that was never the reality, it was the first time an Oklahoma Sooners team was dominated by a Big 12 opponent in the Lincoln Riley era.
Sure, they’ve lost games in his tenure — Riley still hasn’t made it through the Big 12 unscathed — but this is the first time the Sooners have been beaten by more than a score in conference play under Riley. It was the first loss by more than a touchdown to a Big 12 opponent since the Baylor Bears beat the Sooners back in 2014. That one was much more lopsided, though, as the Bears won 48-14 in Norman.
In his weekly look at the “Winners and Losers” from the college football weekend, Paul Myerburg of USA TODAY Sports had this to say:
Oklahoma’s playoff odds took a potentially fatal blow with the loss to Baylor, though enough chaos could unfold in the next three weeks to get the Sooners into the top four at 13-1 and atop the Big 12. The conference championship remains in play, though that would demand beating Iowa State, Oklahoma State and possibly the Cowboys again. The team that was flattened by Baylor probably isn’t running the table, unfortunately. The loss represents a major setback for the Sooners and young quarterback Caleb Williams, who looked mortal for the first time in his freshman season. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports
It was a devastating setback to a promising season that had the potential to go undefeated. But the Sooners still have a shot at defending their Big 12 title if they can rebound with wins over Iowa State and Oklahoma State to close out the regular season. And while it may seem like the College Football Playoffs are out of the question at this point, if the Sooners can close the season with three straight wins and win the Big 12 title, they’ll have a chance.
Of course, at this point, it would take a lot of help for the Sooners to work their way back into the top four.
It’s been a wild roller coaster of a season for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021. While things look rough now, there’s still a lot of football to be played. We’ll learn a lot about the Oklahoma Sooners this week. Will they bounce back to play good football against a tough Iowa State team with something to prove themselves? Or will they come out of the gates unprepared for a physical football game?
We’ll find out this Saturday at 11 a.m.
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