Game Day in Waco for OU vs Baylor

[Wheat]

well, ALRIGHTY!~

BFS, BABY!~

 

[Wheat]

WACO, Texas — Baker Mayfield left the field celebrating. He took a selfie with fans. Got kissed by assistant coach Cale Gundy. Jogged along the rail, high-fiving the OU fans who helped counter the noise machine that is McLane Stadium.

Of course, Mayfield entered the field the same way. Jacked up. Talking smack. Bouncing around like he mistook the Brazos River for San Juan Hill.

All of which is OK, because Mayfield spent his time on the field the very same way. Running around, making plays, breaking tackles, throwing lasers in the middle of the Big Green Forest. Getting his pals excited.

Speaking of which, get excited, OU fans. Go crazy if you want. The Sooners beat Baylor 44-34 Saturday night and did more than get the Art Briles monster off their back. They announced to the college football world that OU is a team to be reckoned with, even if it is in a league that the College Football Playoff committee wishes would go away.

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Mayfield not only threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns, he ran for 76 yards and a TD. The Sooner quarterback had plenty of people talking Heisman after the game, but forget that chunk of hardware. How about another, more important trophy?

OU's victory over Baylor puts the Sooners in the national championship discussion, especially on a night when other one-loss contenders like LSU and Stanford went tumbling.

“You go into the No. 6 (ranked) team in their backyard, you play this way, it says that we're one of those teams that has a chance at everything,” Bob Stoops said. “Come into an undefeated team, ranked that high, waiting on you like they were, and win by 10, has got to be a positive.”

To be fair, Baylor didn't have its quarterback. Seth Russell has a broken bone in his neck, and the Bears had to go with true freshman Jarrett Stidham for the second straight game. Briles didn't seem to believe in Stidham near as much as we were led to believe; the Baylor offense, while still potent, was a step behind its usual amazing productivity.

But they don't do this for fair. Stoops, Barry Switzer, Bud Wilkinson, heck, all of us, can recite the seasons the Sooners had to forge ahead without their leader. Go with who suits up. And while Baylor would have been much more trouble with Russell, two things to remember. The Bears still were plenty of trouble, and even if Russell had played, there's no guarantee he would have been the best quarterback on the field.

OU football: Sooners kicker Austin Seibert misses first extra point in win over Baylor

OU's offense has been mostly spectacular this season, but in the Sooners' two biggest stages, Tennessee and Texas, the offense went mostly splat. Only a fourth-quarter uprising in Knoxville kept both games from ending in defeat.

That all changed Saturday night, when the OU offense excelled in the spotlight. Samaje Perine reminded America that it's not just the SEC that has big, marauding tailbacks, denting Baylor for 166 rushing yards. Sterling Shepard staked a claim that he, not Baylor phenom Corey Coleman, is the Big 12's best receiver, with 14 catches for 177 yards. The line protected well and opened holes. And Mayfield brought his A game. Which includes a certain je ne sais quoi.

Stoops called him a gym rat and a baller. “There's something special about him,” Stoops said. “He just has that tenacity, toughness, competitiveness and talent. He's got an incredible arm. He's got a great ability to be athletic out of the pocket. Whatever it is, he's out there making plays.”

Making plays and going all Teddy Roosevelt.

“Baker's energy affects us every day,” Stoops said. “He's one of those guys that can't wait to get to practice, can't wait to play. Revs everybody up. He's outgoing and loves to share it. Whole team loves getting some of it.”

Especially on this night. The truth is, the Sooners have been a little peeved that they've yielded the high ground to Baylor. Two straight Big 12 titles for the Bears, none for the Sooners, who used to own the conference. OU has grown a little weary of Baylor's and Briles' brashness. Grown a little weary of getting blistered by the Bears.

That all changed Saturday night, and we knew it for sure with five minutes left, when Mayfield went into Pac-Man routine, running away from Baylor behemoths and looking for running room, only to needle a seven-yard touchdown pass to fullback Dimitri Flowers that gave OU a 10-point lead. Suddenly, the Sooners had announced their candidacy to not only win the Big 12, but go beyond even that.

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Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at [email protected]. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.

 

[occupant]

somebody's job is on the line this weekend

WHEW!!!