My Three Thoughts - The Big 12 Championship
Texas leaves in style by crushing Oklahoma State with ease and awaits its playoff fate
Three Thoughts is our signature way to summarize a noteworthy game we want to cover here at #Sturmstack. The last Big 12 Championship Game, between the exiting Texas Longhorns and the upstart Oklahoma State Cowboys, before the big changes in college football hit would easily qualify as a worthy occasion…
Texas has completed its primary mission for the 2023 season of leaving the Big 12 Conference with the last title it can qualify for with a resounding 49-21 destruction of Oklahoma State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in a game that was only close when it began. The result was not in doubt by noon and Texas is now 12-1 and awaits its hopeful invitation to the college football playoff. Oklahoma State finishes its conference campaign at 9-4 and will still have a chance to hit double-digits with a forth-coming bowl game invitation.
These are my Three Thoughts:
– I have seen enough evidence to confirm that there are not four better teams than the Texas Longhorns in the 2023 College Football universe. They are an absolutely phenomenal football team and it will be a massive shame if they are on the outside looking in.
Look, I get it. If you have four undefeated major conference title teams when Saturday ends, Texas will not be going. There is no way you can tell Georgia, Michigan, Washington, or Florida State that they can win every game they play in those conferences and be left out in the cold.
I just want to reiterate what many are probably clear on – this is insane that a team this good cannot get a berth in a four-team playoff. Now, this was always a predictable outcome when we had a “Power 5” setup and only a four-team playoff, but we have always seen the college football world utilize the “it will probably sort itself out” strategy. And, to the rest of the college football world, they will say, “too bad, Texas. Don’t lose your Oklahoma game and this would have been fine.” But, two things about that. Would it? What would they have done if each conference in the Power 5 had a 13-0 team but only four spots? Who gets left out then? Texas would not, but would that have been fair to Florida State or Washington? Of course, not.
The other thing about that logic is that a loss on a neutral field to Oklahoma does not make me believe that Texas would not handily beat at least two of the four teams in the 13-0 club. But, as we all know, my beliefs and thoughts are not exactly legally binding. I just don’t believe those four teams are better than these Longhorns.
I say that because it is pretty clear to me that Texas has an offense that is absolutely awesome. Today was just breath-taking in the sense that their first four drives looked like this:
Drive No. 1: 4 plays - 39 yards - 1:29 - TOUCHDOWN, 7-0
Drive No. 2: 4 plays - 84 yards - 1:54 - TOUCHDOWN, 14-0
Drive No. 3: 9 plays - 77 yards - 3:55 - TOUCHDOWN, 21-7
Drive No. 4: 7 plays - 95 yards - 3:12 - TOUCHDOWN, 28-7
I mean, holy heck. 24 plays for 4 touchdowns at 12.2 yards per play. And here is what is extra crazy – the offense is their 2nd best unit on the team because it is very clear the defense is even better.