Oklahoma football: You can call it a comeback

Oklahoma football overcame a 28-3 deficit on the road to defeat previously-unbeaten Baylor 34-31 to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Oklahoma football’s College Football Playoff hopes looked like they were dead in the water on the road in Waco, but Jalen Hurts and Alex Grinch’s defense weren’t quite ready to give up.

The Sooners rallied from a 25-point deficit, the largest in school history – to knock off Baylor 34-31 in Waco.

After amassing just 80 yards passing in the first half the Sooner offense roared to life, scoring on five of its last six possessions and gaining 525 total yards,

As good as the offense was, it was the Sooner defense that stole the show in the second half. Oklahoma forced a pair of turnovers after the break and shut the Bears out after trailing 31-10 going into the locker room.

The Sooners scored first, kicking a field goal in the first quarter to go up 3-0, but Oklahoma fans had to watch as the Bears scored the next 28 points to take a commanding lead.

But just when it looked like Oklahoma was going to get run off the field, Jalen Hurts led the team on a 14-play, 75-yard drive capped by an 8-yard pass from Hurts to Austin Stogner to make it 28-10.

The Bears answered with a field goal to make it a three-touchdown lead at halftime, but Oklahoma cut it to two scores when Hurts found Stogner again for a three-yard score.

The Sooners were closing in on making it a seven-point margin but Hurts fumbled on the goal line for the Sooners’ third turnover.

After forcing a Baylor punt, the Sooners went right back down the field. They drove 90 yards on 13 plays capped with a 19-yard pass from Hurts to Theo Wease.

Oklahoma’s defense got another three and out, giving the ball right back to the offense. Jalen Hurts and company responded by going 77 yards on 13 plays to tie the game on a 2-yard pass from Hurts to Brayden Willis to tie the score at 31-31.

The defense forced a Baylor punt to give the offense the ball back late in the fourth quarter. Hurts and company responded by going 59 yards on nine plays to set up Gabe Brkic for a 31-yard field goal to give the Sooners the lead with less than two minutes to go.

Nick Bonitto sealed the Sooner win with an interception, one play after dropping what seemed to be a game-winning pick.

Oklahoma moves to 8-1 overall and needs one win in its final two games to clinch a Big 12 title game appearance. It will likely draw Baylor again, which also needs one more win to stamp its ticket.