Oklahoma football: Sooners up one more to 12th spot in AP and Coaches Poll
By Chip Rouse
Following the final week of the regular season, with the Oklahoma football team recording its first 10-win season under head coach Brent Venables, the Sooners moved up one spot to No. 12 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Poll.
Despite having the second-best overall record in the Big 12 and the second-highest national ranking of the Big 12 teams, Oklahoma will miss the Big 12 Championship game for the third consecutive year.
No. 19 Oklahoma State will play No. 7 Texas for the Big 12 title on Saturday at AT&T Stadium (home of the NFL Dallas Cowboys) in Arlington, Texas.
For a while on Saturday, it appeared that the Sooners might earn a spot in the Big 12 Championship and a rematch with Texas. The Sooners handed the Longhorns their only defeat of the season, 34-30, in the annual rivalry game between those two longtime foes.
Oklahoma State overcame a 24-6 halftime deficit at home against BYU on Saturday, outscoring the Cougars 21-3 in the second half. A 48-yard field goal by BYU’s Will Ferrin as time expired in regulation tied the game at 27 and sent it to overtime.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the first OT session. Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon scored a touchdown on a two-yard touchdown run to start the second overtime, but the Cowboys’ were unsuccessful in their required two-point conversion attempt, leaving the door open for BYU.
Oklahoma State, however, intercepted a pass by Jake Retzlaff of BYU in the second overtime, ending the game and sending the Cowboys to the Big 12 Championship as a result of their head-to-head win over Oklahoma earlier in the season.
Kansas State, which just last week was No. 19 in both major weekly polls, dropped out of the top 25 as a result of a 42-35 loss at home against Iowa State on Saturday.
Florida State moved back to No. 4 in both polls this week, joining No. 1 Georgia, Michigan and Washington as the country’s top four teams. Ohio State, previously No. 2, dropped to No. 6 after losing to Michigan on Saturday.