This wasn’t the Bedlam game we expected. Not after Oklahoma started the season in the top 10 and Oklahoma State took Florida State to the wire on opening night. But with Cody Thomas and Mason Rudolph leading their respective clubs, not Trevor Knight and J.W. Walsh, and no Big 12 championship implications on the line for the first time in five years, Bedlam lived up its billing.
Oklahoma State scored the game’s final 10 points in to rally for a 38-35 overtime victory over the 20th-ranked Sooners in Norman.
This was an overtime game that had no business going to overtime.
Oklahoma took possession of the ball at the Cowboys’ 41-yard line leading 35-28 with 3:16 remaining in the game. Oklahoma State had no timeouts, so a first down clinched the game. The Sooners lost four yards on the next three snaps, so they were forced to punt. That’s when Jordan Sterns committed the greatest penalty in the history of the Oklahoma State football program. Jed Barnett‘s punt was downed at the 15, but Sterns was flagged for running into the kicker and, for some ill-fated reason, Stoops accepted the penalty.
Tyreek Hill returned the next punt 92 yards for a touchdown to the the game with 45 seconds remaining.
Then, on the Sooners’ last-gasp possession to win the game in regulation, Oklahoma was faced with a 4th-and-1 at its own 46, well within distance for something crazy to happen, but Bob Stoops let the clock expire with a timeout in his pocket.
Oklahoma took the ball to open the extra frame, and it was a complete debacle. The Sooners lost two yards in three plays, and Michael Hunnicutt missed a 44-yard field goal attempt.
The game was fate accompli at that point, as the Cowboys bullied the ball to the three-yard line and Ben Grogan knocked in a 21-yard field goal, his first since October, to give Oklahoma State the win.
The Sooners took a 28-14 lead into the break but, playing without Knight, its offense ground to a halt after Samaje Perine left the game with an ankle injury in the third quarter. He was carrying the Sooners’ offense to that point, rushing 26 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Outside of a nine-play, 83-yard touchdown drive, Oklahoma’s offensive output in the second half and overtime resulted in five punts, a fumble, a turnover on downs and a missed field goal.
Thomas completed 10-of-17 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, but was only 4-of-11 for 34 yards after halftime.
Meanwhile, Thomas’ counterpart was terrific in his Bedlam debut. True freshman Mason Rudolph hit 19-of-35 throws for 273 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Brandon Sheperd caught seven passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, Desmond Roland rushed 18 times for 68 yards and two touchdowns, and Hill added three rushes for 38 yards and six receptions for 22 yards to his punt return score.
After taking a 28-14 deficit into the third quarter, the Cowboys outscored Oklahoma 24-7 over the final 15 minutes plus overtime.
The win extends Oklahoma State’s season, as the six-win Pokes are now eligible for their ninth straight bowl game. They entered Saturday losers of five straight by three touchdowns or more for the first time in half a century. The win was Mike Gundy‘s second Bedlam victory in his 10 seasons as head coach, and Oklahoma State’s first win in Norman since 2001.
The loss drops Oklahoma to 8-4 on the year, concluding the most unsatisfying season in recent Oklahoma memory, and certainly in Stoops’ 16-year tenure. The Sooners beat Texas but were outplayed and out-fought for most of the game, lost to all three ranked teams they faced, and gagged away a sure Bedlam win in historic fashion.
And as for College Football Playoff implications? This result will have no impact on the TCU-Baylor debate as both clubs played each team, but it could set the third-ranked Frogs and sixth-ranked Bears back relative to No. 5 Ohio State in the eyes of the committee. Each team now has one more win over a bowl team, yes, but Oklahoma will now assuredly drop out of the Top 25. TCU will now have one Top 25 victory (No. 9 Kansas State), while Baylor will now have two, assuming it beats Kansas State tonight. Ohio State, meanwhile, will have two with a win over No. 13 Wisconsin tonight.