Going into Saturday, the ninth-ranked Baylor Bears needed two things to happen to earn a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. First, they had to defeat Texas Tech in the regular-season finale in Waco; then, they needed No. 7 Oklahoma State to beat No.10 Oklahoma.
The Bears took care of what they could control when they narrowly defeated Texas Tech 27-24. Baylor never trailed in the game, but Texas Tech remained within striking distance the entire time. The Red Raiders even had a chance to send the game to overtime, but their kicker missed on a long 53-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
Following the game, Baylor fans turned into Oklahoma State Cowboy fans. They had to wait several hours for the outcome of the Saturday night game to find out if they would play in the Big 12 title game.
In the end, Oklahoma State defeated their biggest rivals, Oklahoma, 37-33 in a thrilling match-up that came down to the final seconds. The result confirmed the Baylor Bears’ spot in the Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Baylor and Oklahoma State will kickoff for the conference title at 11 am on December 4.
The Cowboys finished the regular season with the best record of all Big 12 teams, at 11-1 and 8-1 in the conference. Their lone loss came by three points on the road versus Iowa State, and they defeated Baylor 24-14 in early October.
Oklahoma State is currently ranked seventh in the College Football Playoff rankings, but their ranking is bound to rise following their win over the Sooners. The Cowboys must win the conference championship to have a legitimate chance at making the college football playoffs.
The hard-fought win over Texas Tech came despite the Bears being without starting quarterback Gerry Bohannon following an injury he suffered in last week’s 20-10 victory over Kansas State.
Just like last week, backup quarterback Blake Shapen excelled in Bohannon’s absence. Shapen completed 20-of-34 passes for 254 yards, and two touchdowns in his first career start to keep Baylor’s hopes of making the Big 12 championship game alive.
Shapen’s two touchdown passes were crucial for Baylor. First, he hit Trestan Ebner for a 61-yard catch-and-run score on the game’s opening drive. Then, Shapen connected on a clutch 9-yard touchdown pass with tight end Ben Sims to extend the lead to ten points with seven minutes left in the game.
Abram Smith had a magnificent game as well; he rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown for the Bears.
Baylor finishes the regular season at 10-2 and 7-2 in the Big 12 Conference, improving significantly in the second year under head coach Dave Aranda. In his first year in charge last season, Aranda and the Bears finished 2-7.
The loss against Baylor gives the Red Raiders a final regular-season record of 6-6 and 3-6 in the conference. It was a tumultuous season in Lubbock with several injuries and a midseason coaching change.
Texas Tech must win its bowl game to avoid a sixth consecutive losing record. The Red Raiders will find out who and where it will play in their first bowl game since 2017 next weekend. Fans of the program are certainly hoping for better results as new coach Joey McGuire officially starts his tenure.
