Was this a blowout or a meltdown?
For No. 10 West Virginia, it was a full-fledged meltdown in the snow against No. 8 Oklahoma, a 56-28 loss Saturday night. That’s not how the Sooners need to spin it, of course.
This was a blowout. This was decisive. Oklahoma was up 21-0 after one quarter and held a 34-0 lead shortly before halftime before the Mountaineers scored. The Sooners rushed for 316 yards behind the tag team of Samaje Perine (31 carries, 160 yards, two TDs) and Joe Mixon (24 carries, 147 yards, one TD). They made sure they didn’t blow a huge lead when things got interesting in the second half.
Oklahoma (9-2, 8-0 Big 12) reasserted itself as Big 12 boss and now has a bye week before welcoming in No. 13 Oklahoma State (9-2, 7-1) in the Bedlam game.
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The Sooners and coach Bob Stoops should spend that bye week campaigning for the fourth spot in the College Football Playoff. They have life, but they still need help. The Big 12 is fifth in the pecking order among the Power 5 conferences, and given their two losses and the lack of a conference championship game, the Sooners need to campaign hard.
It’s not going to be easy. Every other Power 5 conference has a one-loss team. The Sooners could use a Clemson or Washington loss the next two weeks, though both of those teams have the advantage of a conference championship game. Oklahoma also will be fighting against the two-Big-Ten-teams scenario. That conference had four teams ranked ahead of the Sooners in last week’s playoff rankings, and Ohio State beat Oklahoma by three TDs on Sept. 17.
Nobody said campaigns would be easy, but the Sooners have been through a few of these with Stoops. Oklahoma lost the Big 12 championship game to Kansas State in 2003 but still played LSU for the title in the Sugar Bowl. The Sooners won a three-way tie with Texas and Texas Tech to make the BCS championship game in 2008.
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That was when two teams played for the whole thing. No wonder Stoops hasn’t panicked this season, just like he didn't panic last year when his team lost to rival Texas.
The Sooners strengthened their case on the field against the Mountaineers. Oklahoma outgained West Virginia 213-29 in the first quarter. It had 39 carries for 241 yards and three TDs on the ground by halftime. Heisman Trophy candidate Baker Mayfield had completed just four passes at that point, but two went for TDs. Dede Westbrook had two catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.
The Mountaineers (8-2, 5-2) did the rest for them. They lost three fumbles and had 80 penalty yards by halftime. Christian Brown poked an official. Coach Dana Holgorsen blew up on the sideline more than once. This was definitely a meltdown, and Jordan Evans’ 80-yard interception return in the third quarter put the exclamation point on it.
Sort of. The Mountaineers reeled off 21 straight points — because that’s what Big 12 teams do — before the Sooners put it away. Justin Crawford rushed for 331 yards in the loss. That’s the dirt the Sooners will have to fight on the campaign trail.
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Still, Oklahoma made a statement: It's a hot team making a late push to the playoff, just like it did last season.
Oklahoma can sell a lot to the committee. Mayfield could be a Heisman finalist again. Westbrook might win the Biletnikoff Award. The Sooners can win their conference title game on the same weekend the official conference championship games will take place. Oklahoma won’t be out of sight, out of mind the first weekend of December. It could have some shiny hardware to show the committee.
Will all that be enough to forgive the losses to Houston and Ohio State in September? Don’t be surprised if the answer comes out of a debate between the Sooners and a second Big Ten team in a few weeks. Would this be the Big 12’s revenge for TCU and Baylor missing out to Ohio State in 2014?
This is different. Oklahoma is the Big 12 flagship on the field. It needs one more win, and it needs to spin the debate in its direction, but it can be done.
Let the campaign season begin.
