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The 2019 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 7, 2019, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas between the Baylor Bears and Oklahoma Sooners. The 18th Big 12 Championship Game, Oklahoma defeated Baylor 30–23 in overtime to win its fifth consecutive and 13th overall Big 12 Conference football championship, and 49th overall conference championship.

This was the third year of the current division-less format of the game; instead of representatives from two divisions, the two teams with the best conference records from a full round robin conference schedule earn a spot in the game. The Big 12 Championship Game featured the winners of the former North and South divisions from 1996 to 2010, and the conference did not have a championship game from 2011 to 2016.

Previous season[edit]

The 2018 Big 12 Championship Game featured top-seeded Oklahoma against second-seeded Texas. It was the first time the two rivals had played each other in the conference title game. Texas had won the regular season's Red River Showdown game 48–45. In the championship game, Oklahoma was victorious by a score of 39–27, winning their fourth consecutive and 12th overall Big 12 Conference championship.[3]

Teams[edit]

The 2019 Championship Game was contested by Baylor and Oklahoma. The teams had met 29 times previously, with Oklahoma leading the series 26–3. The Sooners came into the game having won five straight meetings, including the 2019 regular-season meeting, which was played in Waco and saw Oklahoma complete the largest comeback in school history by overcoming a 25-point deficit to win 34–31.[4][5]

Baylor[edit]

The Baylor Bears, led by head coach Matt Rhule, were making their first Big 12 Championship appearance. They were the first team to make their debut in the Big 12 Championship since TCU in 2017.

Oklahoma[edit]

The Oklahoma Sooners, led by Lincoln Riley, were making their eleventh Big 12 Championship appearance; they were 9–1, having won each of their past eight appearances in the conference title game, including both editions played since the Championship game was reinstated for the 2017 season.

Game summary[edit]

2019 Big 12 Championship Game

at AT&T Stadium • Arlington, Texas

  • Date: Saturday, December 7, 2019
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. CST)
  • Game attendance: 65,191
  • Referee: Mike Defee
  • TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline)
  • ESPN game summary

Statistics[edit]

Oklahoma received the opening kick-off, but both teams punted on their first offensive possessions. Oklahoma opened the scoring with a six-yard touchdown run by Kennedy Brooks on a 78-yard drive that featured a 71-yard pass from Jalen Hurts to CeeDee Lamb. After a Baylor fumble, Oklahoma scored again with a 44-yard field goal by Gabe Brkic. In the second quarter, Baylor got on the board with a 44-yard field goal by John Mayers. Baylor starting quarterback Charlie Brewer left the game with an injury after being sacked by Kenneth Murray. Late in the second quarter, Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts was intercepted by Jordan Williams and returned to the OU 23 yard line, after which Baylor tied the game with a 33-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Gerry Bohanon to Tyquan Thornton. Baylor took the lead in the final seconds of the half with a 28-yard field goal by Mayers to make the score 13–10.

On Oklahoma's first offensive possession of the second half, the Sooners tied the game with a 24-yard field goal by Gabe Brkic. They then took the lead on the next drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Nick Basquine. Early in the fourth quarter, Baylor backup quarterback Gerry Bohanon was also injured. The Sooners took a 10-point lead with another 24-yard field goal by Brkic. Baylor, led by third-string quarterback and true freshman Jacob Zeno, responded with an 81-yard touchdown pass from Zeno to Trestan Ebner. On the next drive, Zeno completed a 78-yard pass to Chris Platt, which set up a 27-yard field goal to tie the game with 3:25 remaining. Oklahoma was forced to punt, and Baylor was unable to score in the final minute, forcing overtime.

In overtime, Oklahoma received the ball first and scored in three plays via a five-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson. On Baylor's possession, Jacob Zeno was sacked by Nik Bonitto and Jalen Redmond on 3rd and 10, and they failed to convert on 4th and 20, ending the game.[6]

Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had eight receptions for 173 yards and was named game MVP.[1]

Aftermath[edit]

Oklahoma, who had been ranked sixth heading into the game, moved up to fourth in the final College Football Playoff rankings, earning them a spot in the CFP semifinal to be played at the Peach Bowl. Facilitating the rise in the rankings was No. 4 Georgia's loss to LSU in the SEC Championship Game and No. 5 Utah's loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Baylor remained ranked seventh and received a bid to the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. Oklahoma lost to LSU in the Peach Bowl, 63–28; and Baylor lost to Georgia, 26–14.

See also[edit]

  • List of Big 12 Conference football champions

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Reed, Jesse (December 7, 2019). "Winners, losers from Oklahoma's Big 12 Championship Game victory over Baylor". YardBarker.com.
  2. ^ "Baylor vs. Oklahoma - Game Summary - December 7, 2019 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 7, 2019. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. ^ "CFP hopeful No. 5 Oklahoma beats No. 9 Texas for Big 12". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 1, 2018.
  4. ^ "How Oklahoma completed its ridiculous 25-point comeback to stun Baylor". For The Win. 17 November 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ^ "Oklahoma vs. Baylor - Game Summary - November 16, 2019 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 24, 2019. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. ^ "No. 6 Oklahoma beats No. 8 Baylor 30-23 in OT for B12 title". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 7, 2019.