3 Takeaways from Oklahoma's Week 12 Win
The Oklahoma Sooners extended their dominance of Bedlam on Saturday night with a thorough victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Lincoln Riley's team wasted no time padding on the points against an opponent whose defense was one of its strongest assets.
The home victory helped the Sooners get back into the Big 12 Championship Game race in a conference when every team has suffered at least two defeats. OU (6-2, 5-2) sits one game in second behind the Iowa State Cyclones.
The Sooners' sixth straight win over the Cowboys pushed their in-state rival down a few rungs in the Big 12 standings and in need of help to reach Dallas on December 19.
Fast Start Demoralized Oklahoma State's Confidence
Oklahoma possessed a 21-point lead less than nine minutes into the contest.
The Sooners' first two scores came on drives of over 70 yards. It started with the ball, drove down the field for the first score, forced a punt and pushed in the second touchdown in just over six-and-a-half minutes.
Quarterback Spencer Rattler generated the third touchdown after David Ugwoegbu picked off Spencer Sanders deep in Oklahoma State territory.
Oklahoma State bounced back well for one series, as its lone touchdown drive of the first half took place after Rattler's scoring throw to Theo Wease.
After that, the Cowboys mustered two field goals and went into the half down by 14 points.
Oklahoma State never recovered from the fast start, and in fact, it struggled more offensively when the second half began.
While Rattler kept leading the Sooners down the field to score, the Cowboys came up empty on all of their scoring chances in the second half.
Oklahoma's Defense Shut Down Chuba Hubbard, Tylan Wallace
One of the key components of the dominant victory was limiting the production of Oklahoma State's two stars: Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace.
Hubbard had 44 yards on eight carries, and his role on the ground lessened when Oklahoma State was forced to chase the game through the air.
The total was a significant decrease from last year's Bedlam, when he ran 24 times for 104 yards and a score in a 34-16 defeat.
Wallace entered averaging 17 yards per reception, but he only caught four passes for 68 yards for his lowest yardage total of the season.
The containment of Hubbard and Wallace limited Oklahoma State's big-play potential and forced it to methodically drive down the field, which took plenty of time off the clock.
If the Sooners turn in similar performances against the other top stars in the Big 12, they could secure the conference championship and a spot in a New Year's Six bowl.
The Big 12 Championship Is Within Reach
Oklahoma's five-game winning streak has moved it within striking distance of Iowa State in the Big 12 standings.
With wins over the West Virginia Mountaineers and Baylor Bears, it should land one of the two positions in the Big 12 Championship Game.
There is also a situation in which Oklahoma could be the home team in that matchup as the program with the best conference mark.
Iowa State finishes with a tricky road trip to play the Texas Longhorns and then returns home to play West Virginia. If the Cyclones lose both games, Oklahoma could sneak into the top position.
The wins over Texas and Oklahoma State have put Oklahoma in a good position to finish second. Even if the Longhorns and Cowboys catch up to the Sooners and finish with a level Big 12 record, Oklahoma would get in based off head-to-head tiebreakers.
The prospect of winning a conference title and landing in a New Year's Six bowl was very unlikely when the Sooners lost their first two league games.
Oklahoma's resurgence is a credit to the work done by the coaching staff over the last few weeks and the talent for adapting and thriving in elevated roles.