Oklahoma St. 49 - 17 Baylor (Final)

I don't know what it is about Big XII football that lends itself to blowouts of this kind, but we do seem to get a lot of them.  There have been three UCFC games this year that I thought might be really close:  Baylor v. Oklahoma; Baylor v. Texas Tech; and Oklahoma St. v. Baylor.  All three had moments of drama in the first half, but all three turned into blowouts in the second half.  Big XII football reminds me of arm-wrestling; once one team gets the momentum, it is extremely difficult for the other team to turn things around.

For over a year, the momentum was all with the Baylor Bears, who put on one of the greatest runs in UCFC history.  Let's review their many triumphs once more:

11/17/12:  Baylor 54, Kansas St. 24
11/24/12:  Baylor 52, Texas Tech 45 (OT)
12/01/12:  Baylor 41, Oklahoma St. 34
12/27/12:  Baylor 49, UCLA 26 (Holiday Bowl)
08/31/13:  Baylor 69, Wofford 3
09/07/13:  Baylor 70, Buffalo 13
09/21/13:  Baylor 70, Louisiana-Monroe 7
10/05/13:  Baylor 73, W. Virginia 42
10/12/13:  Baylor 35, Kansas St. 25
10/19/13:  Baylor 71, Iowa St. 7
10/26/13:  Baylor 59, Kansas 14
11/07/13:  Baylor 41, Oklahoma 12
11/16/13:  Baylor 63, Texas Tech 34

That is a remarkable run for any team.  But for a program like Baylor, which has so often labored in the shadow of bigger schools with larger fan bases, it is something to be cherished and honored.  I am very sorry for the Baylor fans that they have lost the UCFC after such a long run, and that they probably will not win the Big XII title or have a chance to play for the National Championship.  I am very sorry that they lost so badly tonight, when they were playing on national television.  I think it is unfair that many casual fans will only remember this defeat, and not their great run of victories.  I do believe, however, that in future years, Baylor fans will have wonderful memories of this season.  I will remember seeing Bryce Petty carve up one team after another as if he were playing a video game.  I will remember their hard-fought victory in Manhattan, Kan., and their great blowout over Oklahoma, and all the beautiful touchdowns that I saw them score.  And I hope they win the rest of their games, and get the national attention they deserve.

Baylor loses the UCFC after defending it twelve times in a row.  Their all-time record in UCFC play falls to 27-19-3.

As for the new champions, they deserve a great deal of credit.  No one has come close to controlling Baylor the way Oklahoma State did tonight.  And while the Cowboys certainly got some help from Baylor's injuries, a volcanic home crowd, and the cold weather, they were much the better team on both sides of the ball.  Oklahoma State has been improving all year, and they came together with a great effort tonight.  They are very worthy holders of the UCFC.

The Cowboys move to 3-10 in UCFC games, and they take the title for the first time since 2008.  They will keep it for at least two weeks, because they don't play again until December 7, when they will host the Oklahoma Sooners.  If the Cowboys win that game, they will be the Big XII Champions.  We will be watching.