Dramatic 2OT Dr. Pepper Challenge at 2023 Big 12 Title Game Leaves CFB Fans Stunned

Even though Texas vs. Oklahoma State was supposed to be the big draw, the main event of the 2023 Big 12 Championship Game turned out to be the Dr. Pepper Challenge during halftime.

The two students, Ryan and Gavin, had one of the most epic, tightly-contested battles in the history of the event. They went back and forth all the way through double overtime before Ryan prevailed.

For those who aren't familiar with the game, two college students throw a football through an inflatable Dr. Pepper can. The person with the most successful attempts in a 30-second period wins $100,000 toward their tuition.

Since both competitors were tied after regulation and the first overtime, they went to a sudden-death toss-off where they would each throw individually until one of them missed. Gavin led off the period with a miss, allowing Ryan to secure the win when his attempt was successful.

There was controversy at the end of the first overtime period when it looked like Ryan's last pass left his hand after the official blew the whistle. Gavin would have won at that point, but apparently there's no instant replay review in the Dr. Pepper Challenge.

As you might expect from such a singular event of this magnitude, football fans and analysts had a lot to say about the performances of Ryan and Gavin.

In the end, amid the controversy, Dr. Pepper announced that it would give both contestants $100,000 due to the mistake, making both Ryan and Gavin winners.

Needless to say, Ryan and Gavin's epic halftime duel was one of the highlights from an otherwise straightforward game as Texas cruised to a 49-21 win over Oklahoma State.