After OT win over Baylor, Oklahoma waits to hear about College Football Playoff

ARLINGTON, Texas — No. 6 Oklahoma has done all it can, winning a fifth Big 12 title in a row with another close win over No. 8 Baylor.

Now the Sooners wait to see if they are going to get back in the College Football Playoff. That is up to the selection committee.

“I hope they see the Big 12 champions. They’ve got a job to do, I get that,“ coach Lincoln Riley said after Oklahoma’s 30-23 overtime win Saturday.

“We’ve had a job to do as a team, which was continuing to improve through the year, trust the things that we could and ultimately win the Big 12 championship,” he said. “We’ve done that.”

Rhamondre Stevenson had a 5-yard touchdown run in overtime, and then freshman Jacob Zeno — whose two long passes in the fourth quarter helped tie the score — was under constant pressure when the Bears got their last chance.

A day after No. 5 Utah lost in the Pac-12 championship game, and before No. 4 Georgia took on No. 1 LSU for the SEC title, Oklahoma (12-1, No. 6 CFP) became the first team in any league to win 10 conference championship games. It was the 13th Big 12 title overall for the Sooners, who went to the playoff three of the previous four seasons.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said he likes the league’s case for a playoff spot.

It was the second time in four games that Oklahoma beat the Bears (11-2, No. 7 CFP), who in coach Matt Rhule’s debut season two years ago lost 11 games with a depleted roster in the aftermath of a scandal that led to the firing of two-time Big 12 champion coach Art Briles.

Rhule feels Oklahoma should be in the playoff no matter what else happens.

As for his team, Rhule told them, “Feel that pain of watching those guys pull that stuff out and celebrate, and let that drive you in the offseason. But at the same time, also understand what we’ve done.”

The Bears tied the score after Zeno came in during the fourth quarter, the second quarterback used after starter Charlie Brewer left the game in the second quarter following a big hit he delivered on a defender.

There was an 81-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Trestan Ebner with 9:41 left in regulation and a 78-yarder to Chris Platt that set up John Mayers’ third field goal, a 27-yarder with 3:25 left to make it 23-all.

“It’s not supposed to be easy,” Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts said.

After Oklahoma scored on three plays to start overtime, the Sooners put the heat on Zeno. He was sacked for a 10-yard loss, and then he was under duress again when he flung a game-ending pass that fell to the turf harmlessly.

The Bears had only 105 total yards before the 81-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter by Zeno, who had played in only one game and was the scout team quarterback imitating Hurts in practice during the week. They finished with 265.

Hurts, who last year led Alabama’s comeback win over Georgia in the SEC title game, was 17-of-24 passing for 278 yards and a touchdown. CeeDee Lamb had eight catches for 173 yards.

Brewer was taken out of the game not long after bulling over a defender on a 7-yard run early in the second quarter.