Oklahoma State Football: Winners and Losers from Cowboys Win vs. Baylor

Every game has multiple winners and losers, and the Oklahoma State Cowboy's victory over the Baylor Bears was no different.

Obviously, the Cowboys were the winners on the scoreboard, but there's still a few places to nit-pick, even in a huge win like this. The same goes for Baylor; they may have lost the game, but a few of their players had great performances in Stillwater.

Who were the big winners from this game? Read on to find out.

Winner: Justin Blackmon

Last weekend, against the Missouri Tigers, Justin Blackmon sat out the second half with concussion-like symptoms. The Cowboys didn't need him, as they rolled to a 45-24 victory, but many were wondering if he'd be healthy enough to play against Baylor this weekend.

Blackmon quickly answered that question on Saturday. In the first drive alone, he had four catches and over 40 yards. He kept up that high level of play throughout the third quarter, when the starters were pulled, and ended the game with 13 catches, 172 yards and two touchdowns.

Blackmon hadn't topped 100 yards since the Cowboys played Texas A&M four weeks ago, so it was good to see him get over the century mark again. No one can be questioning his health after this display, and he's looking strong as we move towards the last four games of the season.

Loser: Oklahoma State's Back-Up Wide Receivers

Because of the injuries to Justin Blackmon and Hubert Anyiam, the Cowboys second-string receivers had to step up and perform last week against Missouri. Michael Harrison and Tracy Moore played very well and gave Brandon Weeden reliable, downfield targets without a few of his biggest weapons.

This week, those receivers weren't there consistently. Tracy Moore had one big catch downfield and Kye Stanley had an 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Outside of that, the only reliable threat in the passing game was Blackmon.

One of these young guys is going to have to step up as this team moves forward. Baylor's defense isn't very good and, if the receivers can't produce against them, it's scary to think about how much difficulty they could have against teams like Kansas State and Oklahoma. 

Winner: Kendall Wright

Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon and Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles are widely thought of as the best two receivers in the Big 12, and rightfully so. That said, Kendall Wright isn't very far behind. 

He has 66 catches, 874 yards and nine touchdowns on the season, and he didn't disappoint Baylor fans this weekend. He wasn't able to get in the end zone, but he did have 11 catches and 117 yards in the loss. 

Wright was one of the lone bright spots on the Baylor sideline this weekend. He and Terrance Williams had huge games for the Bears, but were unable to lead Baylor to victory. Look for Wright to continue dominating opposing defenses as Baylor moves through the rest of their schedule.

Loser: Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin III was in the thick of the Heisman race coming into this week's game and had a chance to make a big move with a signature road win against Oklahoma State. He moved the Baylor offense up and down the field over and over again but could never put the ball in the end zone.

The Cowboys forced him into two interceptions, doubling his season total, and held him to only one touchdown. They also kept his completion percentage to under 70 percent for the first time this season. Basically, RG3 was completely dominated when it mattered.

Griffin racked up yardage but couldn't put points on the board. That's been the problem for quarterbacks all season when they play Oklahoma State's ball-hawking unit. Griffin might still have an outside shot at a Heisman trophy, but his hopes were pretty much dashed with this performance.

Winner: Oklahoma State Defense

Five total turnovers. That's how the Cowboys won this game. Their defense gave up over 600 yards, but they were able to lock the Bears down when it mattered most. 

Broderick Brown continued his outstanding play by recovering two fumbles, while Daytawion Lowe and Justin Gilbert had interceptions. Oklahoma State continued to show that they are the best ball-hawking unit in the nation. 

The Cowboys lead the NCAA in turnover margin and have the most interceptions. Many have questioned them because they give up way too many yards, but when they keep making big, drive-stopping plays, it's hard to argue that this defense can't take OK State to the national championship.

Loser: Baylor's Psyche

The Baylor Bears had 13 more first downs than the Cowboys. They had more total yards than the Cowboys. They even converted five of seven fourth down attempts. They were able to do all that and they still couldn't beat Oklahoma State.

It was ridiculous to see the Bears move into the Cowboys red zone on almost every single possession in the first half and never come away with points. You don't often see a team move the ball as easily as Baylor did, and then lose the game.

The Bears psyche has to be damaged after the way they lost to Oklahoma State. The Cowboys defense stole away countless touchdowns and almost seemed to be messing with the Bears offense at times. It will be interesting to see if this game has any long-term effects on Robert Griffin III and Co.

Winner: Joseph Randle

Joseph Randle isn't going to be on anybody's Heisman list, but, after back-to-back games with four touchdowns, he might be a dark horse candidate. Randle has destroyed defenses in the past two weeks with his amazing speed and vision.

Last week, Randle had three touchdowns on the ground and one through the air. This week's touchdowns all came on the ground and in only three quarters of play. I would be remiss to not mention that his back-ups also had great games. Jeremy Smith gained 77 yards on only three carries, and Herschel Sims had 104 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown run.

The Cowboys rushing attack looked great against Baylor, and Randle was the biggest reason why. He needs to continue having games like this and take some pressure off of Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon. It looks like he can, especially if his back-ups are playing this well.

Loser: Baylor's Kicking Game

Aaron Jones did have his first field goal since the Bears played Stephen F. Austin in September, but he missed one early that set the tone for how the game was going to go for Baylor. Admittedly, it was a long field goal, but the Bears needed points at that point in the game, and he didn't come through.

Jones hasn't had many chances to kick field goals this year; however, when he does, he misses quite often. This week he had a chance to get Baylor its first points and shrink the lead to 14-3. 

His miss didn't completely destroy the game, but it certainly wasn't good for Baylor to come away from two solid possessions without any points. Baylor needs to find a kicker that can convert better than 50 percent of his attempts, or they'll continue having trouble moving forward.

Winner: Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners had a huge game this weekend against the Kansas State Wildcats, and were able to come away with a victory against a top 10 team. That said, the OU coaches had to be watching the Oklahoma State game very closely.

With an Oklahoma State win, the Sooners still have a chance at playing for the national championship. OU needs the Cowboys to continue their undefeated streak as they move towards Bedlam. If OU beats an undefeated OK State team, they would have a very good chance at playing for the national title, especially if Stanford falls before now. 

No team likes to count on another team to win games for them, but that's the spot the Sooners find themselves in. A victory over the undefeated Cowboys might be just enough to propel them back into the title picture.

Loser: Oklahoma State Fans

Stick with me for this one. Cowboys fans have yet to be treated to anything besides a blowout on their home turf this season. It's great to see a win, but most fans would also like to see a good game.

The good news is that Oklahoma State is sure to have at least one of those this year. We're slowly nearing the biggest Big 12 game of the season, Bedlam. When the Sooners come into Stillwater it's always a huge game, but this year is different. This year, a spot in the national championship might be on the line.

Oklahoma State fans are ready to finally see their team go up against a quality opponent at Boone Pickens Stadium, and the Sooners are going to be the team that gives it to them. It's only one short month away, but rest assured that everyone in the nation is ready to see this match-up cap off a great regular season.