Tag: Oklahoma football

Week 12 Roundup: 5 Things That Matter, Winners, Losers, Overrated, Underrated

The Week 12 college football roundup. The 5 things that matter, winners and losers, overrated and underrated, and what it all means.

[jwplayer PkCtjTd4-boEY74VG]

The Week 12 college football roundup. The 5 things that matter, winners and losers, overrated and underrated, and what it all means.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

College Football Week 12 Roundup

CFN 1-130 Rankings | Bowl Projections
Early Week 13 Line Lookahead
Rankings: AP | USA Today Coaches | FWAA
– CFP Rankings Projection
– Predicting every remaining game, conference race
Quick Thoughts: Big Ten |  SEC

Week 12 Roundup
The Really Big Thing | Most Overrated Thing
Most Underrated Thing | What It All Means

5. Winners & Losers From Week 12

Winner: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

Remember way, way back to the old days of mid-October when Trevor Lawrence was supposedly freelancing, making too many big mistakes, and throwing eight interceptions in his first seven games?

Remember when he was overrated, not worthy of being considered a slam-dunk No. 1 overall NFL prospect, and was regressing in his sophomore year?

Good times.

Yeah … in his last four games he hit close to 80% of his passes and averaged over 12 yards per throw with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. If that wasn’t enough, he also ran for 130 yards with two touchdowns as Clemson hung up 52 points or more on the board in each of those four games.

Loser: Arizona’s passing game

In recent years, a mediocre day from the Arizona passing attack usually happened because the ground game was going off. The Wildcats only threw for 68 yards against Oregon State back in 2017, but that’s because they ran for 534.

Against Oregon on Saturday, Arizona’s Khalil Tate and Grant Gunnell combined to throw for a season-low 132 yards with no touchdown passes. Worse yet, the 4.4 yards per pass were the fewest by any Arizona team since a 51-13 loss to the Ducks back in 2014.

Winner: RB Najee Harris, Alabama

Alabama’s passing game carried the team, but now with Tua Tagovailoa done for the year, it’ll be up to Harris and the ground game to start doing a whole lot more. Harris has rushed for eight touchdowns in the last four games and caught touchdown passes in each of the last two. He wasn’t needed much in blowouts over Arkansas and Mississippi State – running for 86 and 88 yards, respectively – but he took off for over 100 yards in the other three of the previous five games.

Loser: Georgia Tech’s running game  

Going back to early in the 2009 season in a loss to Miami, Georgia Tech failed to run for 100 yards just three times in a span of 134 games.

It has failed to run for 100 yards twice in the last three weeks.

The program went on a run of 40 straight games going back to 2016 with 100 yards rushing or more. That streak snapped a few weeks ago when Pitt allowed just 86 yards in a 20-10 win. On Saturday, Virginia Tech beat the Yellow Jackets 45-0, allowing just 53 yards on 31 carries.

It was the first time Georgia Tech was held to under 75 yards since Clemson gave up just 71 in the middle of the 2015 season.

Winner: The quarterbacks in the LSU 58-37 win over Ole Miss

Defense, schmefense. In LSU’s wild and crazy win over Ole Miss, Joe Burrow further cemented his Heisman credentials by completing 32-of-42 passes for 489 yards and five scores, and he ran for 26 yards.

Ole Miss freshman QB John Rhys Plumlee came up with 212 yards and four touchdowns … rushing. He also threw for 123 yards with a pick, and Matt Corral threw for 89 yards and a touchdown.

In all, the quarterbacks in the game accounted for 945 yards of total offense.

Loser: Northwestern’s quarterback play

The good news: Northwestern finally won a game again. It rocked a miserable UMass team – with the nation’s worst defense, by far – 45-6.

The bad news: the passing game completed 7-of-13 passes for 76 yards and two picks. Two weeks earlier, the Minutemen gave up 488 passing yards and five touchdowns to Liberty.

Winner: Kent State’s fourth quarter vs. Buffalo

0-60. That’s what Kent State was in its previous 60 games when down by 21 points or more. It was down 27-6 to a Buffalo team looking for its sixth win, bow eligibility, and a big step forward in the MAC East race.

Instead, in the final eight minutes of the game, Kent State scored a touchdown, recovered the onside kick, scored on a 41-yard pass play for a score, blocked a punt, tied the game on a fourth down touchdown pass, and won on the last play of regulation with a 44-yard Matthew Trickett field goal.

Loser: Baylor in the second half vs. Oklahoma

Everything was going so well. Baylor was up 31-10 at halftime, the party was just getting started, and then … Oklahoma score 24 in the second half – 31 unanswered overall – and Baylor suffered a brutal collapse. It couldn’t move the chains at all after halftime – Oklahoma ended up controlling the clock for over 41 minutes.

Winner: Rice

Rice had one win over an FBS program in its previous 31 games going back to September 9th of 2017. It won last year’s season finale against Ole Dominion, and it was competitive through most of the first part of the season despite the 0-9 start, and then … Rice 31, Middle Tennessee 28. The Owls failed to score in the second half, and it got WAY too tight, but it was the program’s first win of the season.

Loser: Duke

Didn’t you used to be Duke? The Blue Devils started the season 4-2 with acceptable losses to Alabama and Pitt, and since then they’ve not only lost four straight, but the offense has gone bye-bye.

They scored 30 or more in five straight games, and 44 total in the last four losses in blowout after blowout. A once sure-thing bowl season is now destined to be a loser, bottoming out in a 49-6 home loss to a Syracuse team that hadn’t won an ACC game.

Week 12 Roundup
The Really Big Thing | Most Overrated Thing
Most Underrated Thing | What It All Means

NEXT: The really big thing was …

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

So, Oklahoma’s win over Baylor is what ‘Sooner Magic’ is

Don’t act like you haven’t heard an OU fan say it before. The phrase Sooner Magic has been thrown around, but it was on display Saturday.

WACO, Texas — Don’t act like you haven’t heard an Oklahoma fan say it before.

Growing up in the state of Oklahoma or spending time around Sooners, the word ‘Sooner Magic’ is sprinkled throughout Oklahoma football lore.

As head coach Lincoln Riley entered the postgame press conference after his team put together the greatest comeback in the program’s storied history, the room became dead silent.

It stayed that way.

Then Riley looked up from the stats page in front of him.

“Well, that was fun. Where do you start?”

Where the hell do you start after overcoming a 28-3 deficit to beat Baylor 34-31 in its own stadium keep your dreams and hopes alive?

It’s easy, really.

Sooner Magic.

“You never know 100% that you’re going to be able to come back from something like that, but I think they all felt like we had a chance,” Riley said after the game. “I got to be honest, even at Kansas State when we got down in that third quarter, I think maybe about half of us really believed we had a chance to come back and win that thing. In this one, there was not one person on that sideline that didn’t believe it.”

Belief absolutely had to be there.

But Jalen Hurts becoming the best player in college football after looking like a player that could be replaced at halftime. A defense that was knocked around and then down turning into a dominant force. A slew of freshmen receivers having a coming out party.

None of it actually makes sense.

Ask Jalen Hurts, who acknowledged that the media in the postgame press conference probably didn’t think they’d win after halftime, which he was 100 percent right.

Not a single non-biased person who watched the first half of that game thought the Sooners could overcome it. That’s the magic in it, but this one may be the biggest trick the Oklahoma football team has pulled out of the hat yet.

“It’s a moment where you’ve got to embrace it,” Hurts said about heading to the Oklahoma fans in the standing room only section in McLane’s Stadium south end zone. “You’ve got to embrace it and enjoy. Coach Riley, man. Coming in here, I always say it’s a challenge. A challenge coming to play here, a challenge coming in and having to put your full and complete trust in a whole entire new group, something you’re not used to. But man when we have that trust, when we have that belief in one another, when we’re going out there and executing without any doubt, we’re pretty good.”

Since Riley got to Norman, Oklahoma, in 2015, the magic has been rampant.

Down 17 points in Knoxville, Tennessee, in one of the loudest environments in college football, some walk-on named Baker Mayfield illustrious Oklahoma career was born in a comeback 34-27 overtime win over Tennessee in which the Sooners scored 14 points in the fourth-quarter.

The Sooners erased a 45-24 with 21 unanswered in the fourth-quarter lead against Texas in OU-Texas part I in 2018 after the offense sputtered and the defense put up a performance its coordinator got fired for. Then, already once this year, Oklahoma about erased the first 25-point deficit of the season in the fourth-quarter against Kansas State after an abysmal performance by Alex Grinch’s defense and the first blemish on Jalen Hurts’ OU career.

This time around, Lincoln Riley ended up on the right side of the comeback—one that he will cherish and hopes it can spark this team in the right direction.

“As a coach, there’s a lot of great wins. We’ve been lucky to have a ton of them here. Coming back like we did, how it all played out, this one is up there for sure. I am beyond proud, also beyond excited about us continuing to grow. I think people still see we got a lot of things to continue to grow and get better. I think this can be a catalyst for that. I think it will be.

Our best ball is coming soon.”

The numbers won’t help anyone truly understand.

The film will to an extent, but it will still leave you questioning, ‘How?’

It’s unthinkable. It’s unimaginable. It’s inexplicable.

That’s the Sooner Magic, though. The same thing my grandpa told my dad about during his day. Then my dad told me during his.

I just had to see it happen for my own eyes to believe.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Oklahoma jumps to No. 8 in AP Poll after historic comeback

After the largest come-from-behind win in school history, Oklahoma vaulted ahead of Penn State to move to No. 8 in the AP Poll.

After the largest come-from-behind win in school history, Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) vaulted ahead of Penn State to move to No. 8 in the AP Poll.

After one of the worst first halves in recent history, Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff pursuit seemed out-of-sight, until a 25-point comeback sent the Baylor Bears home with their first loss of the season. 

The top five all won their respective matches, the closest being No. 4 Georgia’s 21-14 win over Auburn, sending the Tigers to No. 16. The Bulldogs clinched the SEC East with the win.

Minnesota was the only top ten team to lose on Saturday. The now No. 11 Golden Gophers lost 23-19 to Iowa, who moved from No. 20 to No. 19.

Next week, the top-ranked game will be between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State. 

Next Saturday, the Sooners will host TCU at 7 p.m. in their final home game of the season. The game will be broadcasted on FOX.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Oklahoma rises one spot in newest Amway Coaches Poll

Following their historic come-from-behind win over Baylor, the Sooners jumped up one spot in the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY.

[jwplayer 2KXMSFL4-er0jUifI]

Following their historic come-from-behind win over Baylor, Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) jumped up one spot to No. 7 in the Amway Coaches poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

On Saturday night, Oklahoma erased a 25-point deficit to come back and defeat Baylor 34-31 and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Both the Sooners and now No. 13 ranked Bears are now 9-1, and are headed on a collision course for their second meeting in a Big 12 championship game. 

Minnesota was the only top ten team to lose in Week 12, as they fell from No. 7 to No. 11 following their loss to No. 20 Iowa. 

The top-five remained the same, as LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, and Georgia all remained the top teams. Georgia narrowly defeated Auburn, who fell from No. 13 to No. 16.

Big 10 titans Ohio State and Penn State will meet next week.

Next week, Oklahoma takes on TCU at 7 p.m. on FOX in their final home game of the regular season before finishing the season with Bedlam in Stillwater.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Kickoff time, broadcast details set for Oklahoma-TCU

To the victor goes the spoils. After wins by Oklahoma and TCU, the two will get a primetime, nationally televised matchup on FOX.

To the victor goes the spoils.

After a historic comeback win for No. 10 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) against Baylor and a TCU win at Texas Tech, the Sooners and Horned Frogs get a primetime, nationally televised kickoff.

Oklahoma and TCU (5-5, 3-4) were on a six-day hold, but after both being victorious, the two will kickoff from Norman, Oklahoma, at 7 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcasted on FOX.

The Sooners had a string of five-straight 11 a.m. CT kickoffs, but have since gotten three-straight night games.

Oklahoma last played a home night game on Nov. 10 when Iowa State about pulled off a comeback of its own in a 42-41 fourth-quarter thriller. The Sooners game against TCU will be the last home game of the 2019 season.

Head coach Lincoln Riley and his 2019 team will finish the season on the road at Oklahoma State on Nov. 30. The kickoff time and broadcast details for that game will be announced on Monday, unless it gets put on a six-day hold.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

WATCH Jalen Hurts, Lincoln Riley celebrate after Oklahoma’s historic comeback against Baylor

It was a historic comeback. Oklahoma did something that hasn’t ever been done at OU. Watch Lincoln Riley and Jalen Hurts celebrate.

It was a historic comeback in all facets.

Down 28-3 in the second-quarter and then 31-10 at half, No. 10 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1) pulled a comeback of the ages and beat No. 13 Baylor (9-1, 6-1) 34-31.

The celebration was on, but no one embraced the win more than Sooners’ head coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Their celebrations were delayed with the rest of the team on the field as both finished up on-field interviews. Then the party was on inside McLane Stadium as Oklahoma completed its biggest comeback in program history. 

Program history.

Here is Hurts and Riley embracing with each other and then going and celebrating with Oklahoma fans that traveled down to Waco, Texas, for the game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Just how historic Oklahoma’s comeback against Baylor was

We knew what we were watching was unprecedented, but Oklahoma’s comeback victory over Baylor was historic in OU and college football history

What?

How?

No. 13 Baylor (9-1, 6-1) threw a haymaker Ali would have been shook by. The Bears jumped out to a 28-3 lead in the first half against No. 10 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1), and went into halftime up 31-10.

The Sooners took it, laid on the ground for longer than they should have, then got back up and took the fight to Baylor.

Kicker Gabe Brkic secured an Oklahoma lead with a 31-yard field goal and 1:45 to go in the game. Then, RUSH linebacker Nik Bonitto picked off Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer on the final drive to put a nail in the Bears’ College Football Playoff coffin.

The Sooners comeback was historically great in college football history. Here is what records Oklahoma’s win broke Saturday night:

The 25-point deficit the Sooners overcame was the biggest comeback win in the history of the program. Previously the record was 21 points against Iowa State in 1970 and Kansas State in 1981.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Oklahoma’s 31-10 halftime deficit is the largest margin overcome to defeat an FBS team that entered the game 9-0 or better since NCAA classification began in 1937. USC overcame 17 points against 9-0 Notre Dame in 1964, then Nevada overcame a 10-0 deficit to Boise State in 2010.

It was that kind of night for Oklahoma—a season-saving night.

The Sooners take on TCU this upcoming Saturday at 7 p.m. on FOX.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

3 reasons why Oklahoma beat Baylor 34-31

There aren’t enough adjectives to describe Oklahoma’s roaring comeback over Baylor. Here are three reasons why the Sooners pulled it out.

In miraculous fashion, No. 10 Oklahoma overcame a 28-3 first half deficit to shock No. 13 Baylor 34-31 with a game-winning field goal.

The Sooners looked dead.

Jalen Hurts’ turned the ball over three times. The defense couldn’t get a stop. Baylor had all the momentum from the second drive until halftime.

Here are three reasons why Oklahoma came back in the second half and beat Baylor.

CONTROLLING THE CLOCK

In the second half, the Sooners flipped the script on the main strategy to beat them.

Oklahoma had the football for 24:20 of the 30 second half minutes. The Sooners out-gained Baylor 368-to-69 and outscored the Bears 24-0. That is also aided by the help of a defense that forced two takeaways and three three-and-outs in the second half alone.

It truly is hard to find a time this season where Oklahoma played better than in the second half against Baylor on the road.

TAKEAWAYS

They ended the streak.

The last time the Oklahoma defense forced a takeaway prior to Saturday’s night game was on Sept. 28 against Texas Tech when Neville Gallimore ran down a ball carrier and popped the football free.

Parnell Motley got it going after Baylor’s running back sprung free on its first drive of the second half. The senior defensive back popped the ball free from behind as safety Pat Fields picked it up.

The game-sealing play came from an interception by RUSH linebacker Nik Bonitto who dropped into the flats and in front of the receiver running a quick out route.

Takeaways equal victory, as Alex Grinch says, and did Oklahoma learn that lesson the hard way at Kansas State, but flip that script on College Football Playoff hopeful Baylor.

BELIEF

There is not a stat or a number to bring up here.

After Jalen Hurts’ fumbled on the two-yard line heading into the end zone, you’d have been crazy not to think that his journey and Oklahoma’s season was over. The Sooners, though, stayed the course.

A three-and-out later, a surge from the young pups in Oklahoma’s receiving corps and Hurts finding a new gear culminated into what has become the latest version of Sooner Magic.

Questions about this team were valid. The Sooners answered them and showed the world who they were this Saturday night.

That doesn’t happen without confidence and belief from the top-down of Oklahoma’s football program.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=KgexQ9rYCW-655007-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

How Twitter reacted to Oklahoma’s 34-31 comeback win over Baylor

Wow.
No. 10 Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1) erased a 25-point deficit against No. 13 Baylor (9-1, 6-1)

Wow.

No. 10 Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1) erased a 25-point deficit against No. 13 Baylor (9-1, 6-1), handing them their first loss of the season and taking the Bears’ playoff hopes with them.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Oklahoma’s largest comeback win in school history.

28-3 is a tough lead to keep…

An exact representation of the game.

Norman is a 10/10 good boy.

The Bears could be on the next episode of ‘Fixer Upper’.

Surrender Cobra!

Second half team? Second half team.

Right, mhm, sure.

Pete, buddy. You must be new here, huh?

Heel turn for Jalen Hurts in the eyes of Sooners fans.

Before the comeback was in full motion:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

How Twitter reacted to Baylor’s dominant first half against Oklahoma

No. 10 Oklahoma 8-1 (5-1) has yet to show up against No. 13 Baylor 9-0 (6-0). Here is how Twitter reacted to the first half.

No. 10 Oklahoma 8-1 (5-1) has yet to show up against No. 13 Baylor 9-0 (6-0). The Sooners trail 31-10 at halftime and haven’t looked like they belonged on the same field as Baylor.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the first half.

Former Sooner cornerback, Zack Sanchez has had enough…

If you’re going to talk down on a player, at least spell their name right …

Watching cooking shows over football is a totally new level of hurt.

These guys…

Simple and to the point.

Should we tell him?

Conspiracies are always fun!

Florida State would gladly take anyone affiliated with Oklahoma…

This man rather do chores. Sad!

#BasketballSZN

@OldTakesExposed ??

I love a good pun.

*Checks depth chart* Now entering the game, walk on freshman, Dom Trady?

This is dedication.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]