The Big 12 Championship provided a ton of drama on Saturday, and the ending likely knocked one team out of contention for a College Football Playoff bid.
The Baylor Bears held off a spirited comeback bid from the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Saturday’s championship. It culminated in a last-minute goal-line stand that saw Baylor make three consecutive stops with the Cowboys at the one-yard line.
Oklahoma State trailed 21-16 and drove 89 yards to set themselves up for a potential go-ahead touchdown. A pass interference call in the end zone gave the Cowboys the ball at Baylor’s two-yard line with 1:19 left. After gaining a yard on first down, the Cowboys were stopped twice at the one, setting up a do-or-die 4th and goal play.
The Cowboys came within inches of taking the lead, as running back Dezmon Jackson bounced outside and tried to get the corner. He came up inches short, with Baylor safety Jairon McVea putting together a vital pursuit to cut Jackson off from the end zone.
https://twitter.com/TPortalCFB/status/1467230750542028807
The pylon cam showed just how close Jackson came to breaking the plane.
Greatest pylon cam in history pic.twitter.com/ZrhrNTnqcW
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 4, 2021
That is ultimately how close Oklahoma State came to a playoff bid. The Cowboys came into Saturday’s game at 11-1, and would have been a likely playoff team with a win. They were significantly hindered by the absence of star running back Jaylen Warren, who did not play with an ankle injury. Warren’s absence was particularly notable in light of Oklahoma State’s inability to punch it in at the goal line.
The Cowboys’ loss is great news for Notre Dame, especially in light of this admission from the chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
