Top 5 Big 12 Games 2015 to 2020

Top 5 Big 12 Games 2015 to 2020

From 2015 to 2020, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Baylor, and Texas all had teams ranked in the top six in the country at some point during those years.  They entertained us with some great games.  Once again it was very hard to narrow down the top games of this time period.  Whether you agree or disagree, I hope you enjoy taking a look back at some of the best Big 12 games of the last six years.

Oklahoma 62 Oklahoma State 52 November 4, 2017 

Number 11 Oklahoma State hosted number five Oklahoma in this classic game.  Both teams entered the game with one loss, meaning the winner of this game had the upper hand to finish first in the conference.  

Oklahoma State had the ball in Oklahoma territory down 55-52 with under two minutes left in the game, but turned the ball over on downs.

For Oklahoma, quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 598 yards and five touchdowns, running back Rodney Anderson rushed for 111 yards, receiver Marquise Brown had 265 yards and a touchdown and Mark Andrews added 102 receiving yards.

For Oklahoma State, Mason Rudolph had 448 yards passing and five touchdowns, Justice Hill ran for 228 yards and two touchdowns, James Washington had 128 yards receiving and a touchdown and Tyron Johnson added 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Oklahoma went on to win the Big 12 and play in the college football playoff.

2020 Oklahoma 53 Texas 45 4OT, October 10, 2020

Oklahoma and Texas have had better teams in the past than they had in 2020 and there have probably been better match-ups between the teams, but the 2020 version of the Red River Showdown was a crazy four-overtime game that few will forget.

Oklahoma led 31-17 in the fourth quarter, but Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger threw touchdowns on the last two possessions of the half, the second with 14 seconds left in regulation, to tie the game and send it to overtime.

The teams exchanged touchdowns in the first two overtimes.  In the third overtime, Oklahoma blocked Texas’ 32-yard field goal attempt.  When Oklahoma got the ball, Lincoln Riley decided to try a game-winning field goal on second down, but the kick from 31 yards out was missed.  Oklahoma scored a touchdown in the 4th overtime, but Texas could not answer when Ehlinger threw an interception on 2nd and goal.

This was the highest-scoring game in the history of the Red River Showdown.

Oklahoma 30 Baylor 23 OT, Big 12 Championship game, December 7, 2019

Number six Oklahoma beat number seven Baylor in overtime to win the 2019 Big 12 championship.  Baylor’s only loss of the season going into the game was a 34-31 loss to Oklahoma on November 16, so they were trying to avenge that loss.

Oklahoma jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but Baylor scored 13 unanswered points to take a 13-10 lead at halftime.  Baylor starting quarterback Charlie Brewer was knocked out of the game in the second quarter, so backups Gerry Bohanon and Jacob Zeno had to finish the game for the Bears.  Oklahoma came out strong in the second half, scoring 13 unanswered points to take their second 10 point lead of the game, 23-13.  An 81-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Zeno to Trestan Ebner pulled the Bears within three and a field goal with 3:25 left tied the game to send it to overtime.

Oklahoma scored a touchdown first in overtime and their defense was able to pressure Zeto with three incompletions sandwiching a 10-yard sack to pull out the victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyW8n7F1fR0

Iowa State 38 Oklahoma 31, October 7, 2017

I missed a big game in last week’s article; Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State on November 11, 2011.  Iowa State handed number two Oklahoma State its only loss of the 2011 season, 37-31, in double overtime.  The loss kept Oklahoma State out of the national championship game and was a key catalyst in the creation of a four-team college football playoff.  In hindsight, the importance of that game should have been included in my list.

The 2017 Iowa State/Oklahoma game was another huge upset victory for the Cyclones.  Oklahoma was ranked number three in the country at the time and had a 14 game winning streak against Iowa State.  Add to that the fact they were playing in Norman and Iowa State was forced to start their backup quarterback, Kyle Kempt, who had only thrown two passes in his career before this game.  Kempt stepped up to the challenge and passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

I found an astonishing tidbit about this one:

“According to ESPN Stats & Information, AP top-three teams had been 207-0 since 2004 in games in which they led by at least 14 points at home. Entering the game, the Sooners had been 89-5 at home against unranked opponents since 1997 — the best record among FBS teams during that stretch.”  Oklahoma had a 17-3 lead in the second quarter.

Baker Mayfield had 306 yards passing and two touchdowns for the Sooners.

https://youtu.be/TcKV2JL1GxI

Texas 48 Oklahoma 45, October 6, 2018

Number 19 Texas beat number seven Oklahoma on a last-second field goal but thought they had the game in the bag when they led 45-21 at the end of the third quarter.  Kyler Murray and the Sooners had different plans, scoring three straight touchdowns to tie the game before Texas’ Sam Ehlinger got the Longhorns in position for the game-winning 40-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the game.

Ehlinger finished the game with 314 yards passing and two touchdowns and Murray had 304 yards passing and four touchdowns.

https://youtu.be/hg8SDpmVVTc

West Virginia 42 Texas 41, November 3, 2018

Number 12 West Virginia beat number 15 Texas in Austin when they scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion run by Will Grier with 16 seconds left in the game.  Instead of going for the tie, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win and it paid off.  The game was close throughout with numerous lead changes.

West Virginia quarterback Will Grier had 346 yards passing and three touchdowns and Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger had 354 yards passing and three touchdowns.

Honorable mention:

Oklahoma 29 Texas 24, October 14, 2017

Oklahoma led Texas 20-0 before Texas came back to take a 24-23 lead in the fourth quarter.  Oklahoma responded with a 59-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield to Mark Andrews, which resulted in the final margin of victory.

TCU 55 Texas Tech 52, September 26, 2015

Number three TCU scored the game-winning touchdown with 23 seconds left to get the victory.  Trevone Boykin had 485 yards passing and four touchdowns for TCU and Patrick Mahomes had 392 yards passing and two touchdowns for Texas Tech.

Oklahoma 34 Texas 27, October 12, 2019

Number six Oklahoma beat number 11 Texas behind quarterback Jalen Hurts’ 235 yards passing and three touchdowns and 131 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Oklahoma 66 Texas Tech 59, October 22, 2016

Number 16 Oklahoma beat Texas Tech in this shootout that didn’t feature much defense.  Baker Mayfield passed for 545 yards and seven touchdowns and Patrick Mahomes tied an NCAA record with 734 yards passing and added five touchdowns.

Baylor 29 TCU 23, November 9, 2019

Number 12 Baylor needed three overtimes to hold off TCU in this one.  The score was 9-9 at the end of regulation, but Baylor scored three touchdowns in overtime to TCU’s two touchdowns to seal the victory.

Kansas State 48 Oklahoma 41, October 26, 2019

Kansas State upset number five Oklahoma in Manhattan.  Oklahoma led by 10 early, but K-State outscored the Sooners 41-6 to take a 48-23 lead.  Oklahoma made a furious comeback to pull within seven but a failed onside kick attempt allowed the Wildcats to seal the deal.

Oklahoma 27 Iowa State 21, Big 12 Championship, December 19, 2020

Oklahoma led 24-7 at halftime.  A comeback attempt by Iowa State fell short, as Oklahoma earned the six-point victory to win the Big 12.

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