The Big 12 Championship Game matchup is set between No. 9 Iowa State and No. 11 Oklahoma. Though tiebreakers could have made the process more of a headache in the final weeks -- a fitting end to an already tough year -- the Cyclones, Sooners and even No. 15 Oklahoma State made everything much simpler on Saturday.
It started with the Cowboys dropping a surprising game to TCU, 29-22. This was a classic bookmakers game with Oklahoma State sitting as just a 2.5-point favorite on the road. This was an improbable win for Gary Patterson's Frogs. On top of falling behind 13-0, they also committed five turnovers. It was not a recipe for success, but in beating Oklahoma State, Iowa State was then guaranteed a spot for Arlington regardless of its outcome against West Virginia.
But, boy, did the Cyclones play like they had something to prove anyway, thrashing the Mountaineers 42-6. West Virginia came into Ames fielding the Big 12's best defense and was completely outclassed. Brock Purdy continues to play his best football of the season with a 20-for-23 effort for 247 yards passing and four total touchdowns. Running back Breece Hall had 153 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. Six different players caught a pass for positive yards. This is as balanced as the Cyclones' offense has been in 2020.
They'll be rematched against a Sooners team that just won their sixth in a row by beating Baylor 27-14. For the first time in two months, however, Oklahoma wasn't sharp on offense. In fact, neither team broke 300 total yards. Oklahoma's offensive line didn't give the running game the lanes it needed or quarterback Spencer Rattler great protection with four sacks allowed. Baylor's defense had the Sooners confused. Dave Aranda's team still only has two wins on the year, but they've played more inspired down the stretch.
Still, this Oklahoma team is playing its best football overall now, as is Iowa State. The rematch of the early October game in Ames unquestionably pairs the Big 12's two best teams. The first meeting saw the Cyclones outlast the Sooners 37-30.
