No. 11 Oklahoma State scores 17 straight to come back and beat No. 20 Texas, 41-34

No. 11 Oklahoma State scored 17 points over the final 16 minutes on the way to a 41-34 win over No. 20 Texas that could prove pivotal in the race to the Big 12 title game.

Bryson Green scored the go-ahead TD for the Cowboys with 3:09 left on a 41-yard catch and run. It’s a play that will be an example for teams and players everywhere on how not to tackle.

Texas QB Quinn Ewers struggled in his first road game, especially in the second half. He appeared to break a long run with just over two minutes to go that would have put Texas in a prime position to score, but a holding penalty called the play back. Oklahoma State’s Jason Taylor then picked off Ewers for the second time with 1:23 to go. But Taylor unfortunately appeared to suffer a significant right knee injury when he landed after catching the ball.

The Longhorns got one more shot with 60 seconds to go and no timeouts but Ewers was picked off again off a deflection with eight seconds to go.

Ewers finished 19-of-49 passing for 319 yards and two TDs and three interceptions. Texas had 14 penalties while Oklahoma State remarkably didn't have any. Texas conspiracy theorists will undoubtedly go wild and point to the Longhorns leaving the Big 12 for the SEC as a reason for the disparity, but officials weren't responsible for the Texas offense going silent in the second half.

Texas (5-3, 3-2) had double-digit leads at two different points in the second quarter and extended the lead to 34-24 with 2:10 to go on a Bert Auburn field goal. But Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1) tied the game at 34-34 about seven minutes after Auburn’s kick and got the chance to take the lead after Auburn missed a 46-yard field goal with just under five minutes to go. Auburn's missed field goal came a play after WR Xavier Worthy stumbled while running under what looked to be a surefire go-ahead TD pass that fell incomplete.

OSU QB Spencer Sanders finished 34-of-57 passing for 391 yards and two TDs with one interception. Dominic Richardson had 13 carries for just 24 yards but scored three TDs. Green finished with five catches for 133 yards.

Texas now has ground to make up

Oklahoma State is now guaranteed to be tied for second in the Big 12 with the loser of the game between Kansas State and TCU on Saturday night. Texas, meanwhile, is now fourth and a half-game ahead of Baylor and Texas Tech.

The Longhorns had looked like a Big 12 title game contender over the last three weeks, especially after blowing out Oklahoma. But Texas will likely need to beat both Kansas State and TCU after the bye week to have a shot at the title game.

Oklahoma State, meanwhile, gets Kansas State in Week 9 on the road. That game is also crucial to the Cowboys’ title hopes. A loss to the Wildcats will put Oklahoma State on the wrong end of the tiebreaker to both Kansas State and TCU after the Horned Frogs’ OT win in Week 7.