Oklahoma linebacker Caleb Kelly (19) knocks TCU quarterback Kenny Hill (7) to the ground after recovering a fumble and running it back for a touchdown in the first half of the Big 12 Conference championship game on Saturday. (AP)
ARLINGTON, Texas — There is no doubt about it — Oklahoma is in the College Football Playoff for the second time in three seasons.
The Sooners (12-1) left little to ponder with a second demolition of TCU — this time 41-17 — in the Horned Frogs’ backyard for the Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday afternoon. OU entered the contest ranked third in the CFP rankings.
Now the Sooners must play the waiting game.
The big question now facing OU is opponent and location. The Sooners are likely slated for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., against SEC champion Georgia, which defeated No. 2 Auburn on Saturday. It would be the crimson and crème’s first trip to the “Granddaddy of Them All” since 2003 — a 34-14 crushing of Washington State.
The Sooners’ official playoff destination will be decided when the final rankings are released Sunday at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
Regardless of where OU ends up, there is one thing the Sooners proved to the nation and the committee against the Horned Frogs — the assertion that OU has a weak defense is no longer valid.
Ever since the Bedlam debacle, which featured 114 points total, the Sooners have been a different team on the defensive side of the ball.
We all know what to expect from Baker Mayfield and his seemingly infinite list of weapons, but for most of the season, there was mystery concerning which defense would show up from game-to-game.
It looked great on the road against Ohio State, but not so much against the likes of Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
OU gave up 166 points against those four Big 12 opponents. The closing stretch of the season, though, tells a different story.
The Sooners have surrendered only 71 points the past four games, holding a Top 10 team in TCU to 37 points total in two contests. West Virginia put up 31 last week, but most of those points came when OU was already in cruise control — the 45-10 halftime lead is all that is needed for proof of that.
The Sooners’ defense has been a punch line on the weekly playoff rankings show, with committee chairman and Texas Tech A.D. Kirby Hocutt making it clear how the group feels about OU’s inadequacies.
After witnessing the defense firsthand twice, TCU coach Gary Patterson said those developed notions should be re-evaluated, referencing OU’s 35-19 outing against Auburn in last season’s Sugar Bowl as justification.
“Everybody said we didn’t play any defense in the league last year, and look how (OU) played against Auburn last year in the bowl game,” Patterson said. “My advice to them is just wait. I mean, (OU) got an opportunity a year ago to go play, and they played very well. They will be as physical as a lot of teams they’re going to play against.
“Everybody said they weren’t up to par last year, and they won their bowl game. I’ll put the challenge out to whoever get an opportunity to play them — have fun. We had a chance to do it twice.”
Furthermore, OU forced two turnovers against the Horned Frogs in the Big 12 Championship, ending a three-game drought in that category.
The first came on TCU’s opening play of the game, and Caleb Kelly was in the right place at the right time, scooping up a Kyle Hicks fumble before rumbling 18 yards for a touchdown. That score gave the Sooners their 10th point in only nine seconds of gameplay.
It was only the second time this season OU scored a defensive touchdown — the first coming on a Parnell Motley interception return against Tulane on Sept. 16. It was also the first scoop-and-score the Sooners have experienced in four seasons.
The other turnover came in the third quarter when linebacker Will Johnson intercepted a Kenny Hill pass, returning the ball to the TCU 12-yard line. The turnover led to a 40-yard field goal from Austin Seibert, extending the lead to 41-17 with 2:14 remaining in the frame.
It was Johnson’s second interception of the season. The first came against Oklahoma State, which coincidentally marked the last time OU recorded a turnover of that variety.
Even after the recent performances, many people might maintain their skepticism about the Sooners’ defensive caliber and it championship-worthiness, but to Motley, there is nothing this unit can’t obtain.
“We just keep improving our game since about a couple of weeks ago,” Motley said. “We are playing good ball on defense, so we’ve got to keep the momentum going day in and day out. If we keep doing what we’re supposed to be doing, no doubt we’re going to have a good chance to win the national championship.”