Mayfield, Oklahoma top Oklahoma St. 38-20 to win Big 12

At the time you’re angry because you missed out on such a great player, but now that we’re years removed from it, it was such an exciting situation to be around – recruiting against your biggest rival for the best player in your backyard. Stoops is 101-9 while coaching the Sooners in Norman.

“Bedlam, Nebraska, Texas, about everybody, right?”

“We’re a healthier football team now, not only physically but mentally”, OSU coach Mike Gundy said.

But the seventh-ranked Sooners’ attention wasn’t on an in-state feud on Monday. It would be Oklahoma State’s first appearance in the bowl game since it played Arizona in 2010. The Big 12 will be left out for the second time in three years, with the victor going to the Sugar Bowl instead to face an SEC team (likely Auburn or Florida).

So if you’re still clinging to hope for a Big 12 playoff participant this season, here is the best path I can envision for the Bedlam victor: Root like insane for Clemson (11-1) to get routed by No. 19 Virginia Tech (9-3) in the ACC championship game. It’s the one thing it competes with nine other programs for on a level playing field.

The Oklahoma Sooners know they are on the outside looking in as far as the College Football Playoff is concerned, but Bob Stoops’ team continues to play well. “I’m hoping we get more of those in the future, because we owe those guys one”.

Among that four-team mix, from which no possible member now ranks below the Cowboys, Oklahoma State would have to finish in the top two. It was the Sooners’ 16 straight Big 12 victory.

The Sooners are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 conference games.

This season, however, freshman RB Justice Hill has provided a spark for the Oklahoma State offense with 171 carries for 943 yards (5.5 per carry) and five scores. And, following Saturday, given a few numbers, the elements and an eye test he passed – in the rain – against the 11th-ranked Cowboys, for that conference championship, it’s become believable to think the OU quarterback might possibly sneak into the Big Apple and claim the game’s most celebrated singular trophy. With the Sooners and Cowboys in first and second this year, the Big 12 would be smart to move Bedlam to the middle of the season to avoid the potential for the teams to meet in consecutive weeks. In 2011, Oklahoma State defeated the Sooners 44-10 to win its only Big 12 championship and deny OU a share of the title. That game was at Pickens Stadium in Stillwater. The score gave the Sooners a 10-3 lead at the time.

Another mindset is to embrace the importance of the game and enjoy the high-stakes aspect of it.

“We’ve never had an opportunity to play here for a Big 12 championship”, said OU offensive tackle Orlando Brown.

Ultimately, championships are what define rivalries.

AM: I think both offenses will produce more than 500 total yards. This is because the Big 12 will not be going to a divisional format like all other conferences because (among other reasons) of a competitive imbalance between the schools in the north and the south of the geographical area.

Bedlam hasn’t reached that status yet. Unofficially, the conference will host a winner-take-all title game this Saturday in Norman. With their very bad out of conference schedule, could the Big Ten champion jump the Huskies?