And here we thought the Big 12 had rid itself of those pesky conference championship games.
Thanks to a touchdown with less than 20 seconds remaining, and another gift with no time remaining, Oklahoma stunned archrival Oklahoma State 33-24 in Stillwater. The shocking home loss to a decided underdog effectively ends the Cowboys’ hope for a spot at the BCS table.
After taking a 24-20 lead with 1:46 remaining, the Cowboys allowed the Sooners to drive 66 yards for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown, a seven-yard pass from Blake Bell to Jalen Saunders with just :19 seconds left that served as the Sooners first true offensive touchdown of the game. A series of laterals on OSU’s final possession ended with a fumble recovery for a touchdown for OU.
In the win, the Sooners scored on a punt return (Saunders), a touchdown pass off a fake field goal and a defensive touchdown. The two teams were a combined 4-of-18 on third down.
A win by the Cowboys would’ve clinched the Big 12 title and the conference’s automatic BCS berth for OSU. Thanks to the Sooners’ late-game heroics, the Texas-Baylor game in Waco is now an unofficial Big 12 championship game, with the winner representing the league in the Fiesta Bowl.
Unbelievably, the Sooners, depending on how things play out the rest of the day and if they can get into the Top 14 of the final rankings (they’re No. 17), could be in line for an at-large BCS berth, likely the Sugar Bowl against an SEC opponent. The Cowboys’ loss also raises the BCS hopes for Oregon, which could very well earn a spot in the Sugar Bowl instead of Oklahoma.
Such a development could give us the Alabama-Oregon postseason game everyone thought we’d see earlier in the year, albeit on a much smaller stage.
Bedlam indeed.