Aggravating. Perplexing. Underwhelming. Any of those adjectives could describe the performance Oklahoma fashioned at Baylor on Saturday in the Sooners’ 27-14 loss.
How about miserable? USA TODAY Sports writer Dan Wolken listed Oklahoma in his weekly “Misery Index.”
It’s easy to understand why. Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff hopes—while not completely dashed—took a serious shot. In the process, the Sooners’ 17-game winning streak was snapped.
Baylor also bookended Oklahoma’s 23 straight November victories. Before Saturday, the Bears were the last team to beat OU in the month of November way back when on Nov. 8, 2014.
That was the day Baylor nickeled and dimed then-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops and Oklahoma all afternoon long en route to a 48-14 blowout win over the Sooners.
This loss to Baylor wasn’t on par with that level of ineptitude, but the Bears absolutely controlled the second half and largely kept the Sooners’ offense in check.
True freshman quarterback Caleb Williams struggled and was intercepted twice, completing just 10-of-19 passes for 146 yards. Meanwhile, Baylor outgained Oklahoma in total offense with 413 yards against the Sooners’ 260.
Baylor senior running back Abram Smith and junior quarterback Gerry Bohanon each rushed for more than 100 yards as the Bears racked up 296 rushing yards.
The game ended with Baylor’s Isaiah Hankins booting through a 32-yard field goal to extend the final margin. In a multiple score game that was already decided, the kick had no impact on the game’s outcome.
Afterwards, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda cited the kick’s importance if the Bears wind up in a tiebreaker scenario for the Big 12 championship game where point differential becomes a factor.
All of this happened after officials cleared the field of Baylor fans that had just stormed it moments before thinking the final seconds had expired off the game clock.
Oklahoma head football coach Lincoln Riley took exception to Baylor and Aranda choosing to kick on the final play.
“I know why Dave tried to kick the field goal. I don’t agree with it. I still think above all else there’s a code of sportsmanship that I believe in. I wouldn’t have done it, but that’s his decision, that’s his football team,” Riley said.
On Riley’s comments, Wolken wrote that “nobody likes the enforcer of unwritten rules or the guy whining about sportsmanship after getting his rear end handed to him.” Wolken also had this to say about the Sooners and Riley’s comments.
Perhaps Riley was so eager to delve into this topic because his offense generated just 260 yards and has not been overwhelmingly good all season regardless of whether it’s Caleb Williams (10-for-19, 146 yards, two interceptions) or Spencer Rattler under center. As it turns out, the struggles against Tulane, Nebraska, West Virginia, Kansas State, Texas and Kansas weren’t a fluke but rather a reflection of real weaknesses that Oklahoma just hasn’t fixed well enough from week to week.
Though you can’t count out Oklahoma’s playoff chances completely, the Sooners on Saturday justified all the skepticism from fans and the committee about whether they truly belong in the Playoff. – Wolken, USA TODAY Sports
Unfortunately for Oklahoma fans, it’s tough to argue against that last statement. The Sooners played the best team they’ve faced all season in Baylor and were soundly beaten.
Oklahoma dropped like a rock in both polls that were released today: OU fell to No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and to No. 12 in the Associated Press Poll.
The College Football Playoff committee already wasn’t high on the Sooners. OU checked in at No. 8 in the second edition of the CFP rankings. Oklahoma is sure to drop in those rankings as well when the new set is released Tuesday night.
The Sooners return home to play host to Iowa State on Saturday at 11 a.m.
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