Oklahoma State Advances to Big 12 Championship Game With Historic Comeback vs. BYU
A trip to the Big 12 Championship was on the line in Stillwater on Saturday. With a win by the Oklahoma State Cowboys, they would advance to the conference championship game for the second time in three seasons. But the BYU Cougars were looking to pull off the upset and make themselves bowl eligible. And a BYU win, which was preceded by an Oklahoma win vs. TCU on Friday, would have sent the Sooners to the Big 12 Title game next Saturday.
It was not looking good for the Cowboys, who trailed the Cougars 24-6 at halftime. But the Pokes outscored the Cougars 21-3 in the second half and mounted the comeback on the back of star running back Ollie Gordon, who scored all three touchdowns in the second half.
However, a missed extra point in the final minutes after OSU’s third touchdown proved costly, as the BYU Cougars responded with a 49-yard field goal to send the game to overtime tied at 27. For Oklahoma State kicker Alex Hale, it was a rare miss, as he was perfect this season (34/34) before that miss at the end of regulation.
The game went to overtime where two Ollie Gordon touchdowns put the Pokes on top, and then a forced fumble on BYU’s final drive of the second overtime sealed the 40-34 win in two overtimes. Gordon finished with 34 carries for 166 yards and five touchdowns. The game was the third-biggest comeback in Oklahoma State football history.
For Oklahoma State, it’s a trip back to the Big 12 Championship, which they last played in during the 2021 season, when they lost to the Baylor Bears 21-16 in a game that came down to the final play at the one-yard line.
This game will match the Cowboys up against the Texas Longhorns, who are contending to play for a College Football Playoff appearance, if they can get a win. But the Longhorns might need some help as well, given the crowded nature of the top of the College Football Playoff rankings.
The 2023 Big 12 Football Championship will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, December 2 with an 11 a.m. CT kickoff on ABC.
