Written by Terry P. Johnson at Bloguin
Heading into this weekend’s action, some people still had questions about whether or not Oklahoma belonged in the College Football Playoff. Depending on who you talked to, either Michigan State or Notre Dame (or both) belonged in the field over the Sooners.
After Saturday evening’s throttling of Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series, it’s clear that OU is in the College Football Playoff.
Forget about what else was going on this weekend: The Sooners’ impressive victory on Saturday was enough to earn a playoff spot even if Notre Dame, Iowa, and Michigan State had won 222-0. Sure, the ‘Pokes were without starting quarterback Mason Rudolph for this contest, but even with a healthy version of Rudolph under center, OU still would have won the game decisively. The dynamic duo of Joe Mixon (14 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD) and Samaje Perine (17 carries, 131 yards, 2 TD) was too much for the Cowboy defense to handle, even though Oklahoma State came into the game allowing just 3.82 yards per carry. Adding in Baker Mayfield’s 11-carry, 77-yard performance, the Sooners ran for 344 yards – the highest total OSU has allowed since Tulsa went for 365 back in 2011.
Likewise, OU was solid on defense. Yes, the Sooners gave up 365 yards through the air, but they still came up with two interceptions, including a pick-six by Jordan Thomas that gave Oklahoma an insurmountable 34-10 lead. The run defense was equally impressive, limiting Oklahoma State to just 132 yards on the ground. While that might not sound like a big deal, it’s worth noting that the Sooner defense posted these numbers against Walsh, who’s better known for his skills as a runner.
More importantly, Oklahoma held the Pokes to just 23 points, which was their lowest total of the season.
It’s tough to argue with those results.
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