Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State: Game Grades and Analysis for Sooners and Cowboys
Riding a balanced attack, the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners took it the Oklahoma State Cowboys for a Bedlam win.
It was a dominant performance by the Sooners, who left Stillwater with a 58-23 victory. Baker Mayfield accounted for three touchdowns, Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon combined for four more, and the defense forced two turnovers to end this one early.
After giving up a 30-point second quarter, this one will leave a mark for the Cowboys. That 15-minute stretch saw the Sooners stretch their lead out from four points to 27, knocking the Pokes out of Big 12 contention in the blink of an eye.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The win gives Oklahoma its ninth conference title in the Bob Stoops era and likely punches the program's ticket to the College Football Playoff.
| Passing Offense | A | B |
| Rushing Offense | A+ | A+ |
| Passing Defense | B | B |
| Rushing Defense | A | A- |
| Special Teams | B | B |
| Coaching | A | A |
Grade Analysis for the Sooners
Passing Offense: It was an average day for this passing offense, which put up only 180 yards. It should have been more, but drops were an issue for the receivers throughout the game. Mayfield probably needed a bigger day through the air to overtake Alabama's Derrick Henry in the Heisman race.
Rushing Offense: The Sooners turned 42 carries into 344 yards and five touchdowns, including one from Mayfield. Mixon and Perine each put up at least 131 yards and two touchdowns. The tandem's emergence doesn't get enough credit for what Oklahoma has done over its last seven games.
Passing Defense: Jordan Thomas changed this game with two interceptions, including a pick-six, in the second quarter. From there, it was complete and utter dominance by the Sooners. Eric Striker also had a field day off the edge, making a living in the Cowboys backfield throughout the night. Zack Sanchez had one of his worst days in crimson and cream. James Washington got away with a couple of pushoffs, but he beat the Sooners' best cover man multiple times on jump balls.
Rushing Defense: J.W. Walsh was the Pokes' only real threat out of the backfield, and the Sooners bottled him up easily. When you go up by almost 30 in the second quarter, the run game pretty much comes off the menu.
Special Teams: Alex Ross finally broke loose for a 90-yard return to set up the Sooners' first touchdown. Austin Seibert missed a field goal. Kick coverage was solid all night.
Coaching: Playing a good team on the road, Bob Stoops and his staff left no doubt. The Sooners mercilessly poured it on in that second quarter and then never let the Pokes feel like they were back in it. This team had to make a lasting impression on the College Football Playoff committee, and it did that with this dominant victory.
| Passing Offense | C | C |
| Rushing Offense | F | D |
| Passing Defense | D | C |
| Rushing Defense | F | F |
| Special Teams | C | C |
| Coaching | C | C |
Grade Analysis for the Cowboys
Passing Offense: Walsh was solid, going 25-of-42 for 325 yards and two touchdowns. The Sooners were just playing a different game in the first half. Mason Rudolph's pick-six was a back-breaker that put the score out of reach at 34-10.
James Washington had another huge game with seven catches for 169 yards and a touchdown. He's the first Cowboys receiver to go over 1,000 yards since Josh Stewart in 2012, and he'll find himself on some watch lists next season.
Rushing Offense: What rushing offense? Walsh led the team in carries (12) and yardage (50), but he was obviously the only threat. The Pokes must address their deficiency in this phase of the game in the offseason.
Passing Defense: The Pokes weren't bad, but a bevy of Sooners drops also bailed them out. Emmanuel Ogbah was barely heard from in what was probably his final game at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Rushing Defense: Oklahoma literally ran away with this one. The Sooners had two touchdown runs of 66 yards or more, along with another that went for 25 yards. Nobody really seemed interested in tackling, which made it easy for these talented backs to go nuts.
Special Teams: Ben Grogan made all three of his field-goal attempts. Miketavius Jones made a nice effort to keep Ross out of the end zone on his big return, but that's the only nice thing we can say about that play. The Sooners are too balanced on offense to give them field position like that.
Coaching: Tackling was horrible, and you never got the sense that Mike Gundy and his staff had any answers for what was happening. The Sooners are obviously the more talented team, but Oklahoma State has to be better in a rivalry game with such high stakes.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
