No. 6 Oklahoma survives upset bid after Oklahoma State fails to convert late two-point conversion
No. 6 Oklahoma’s hopes for the College Football Playoff are still alive after escaping Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys scored a touchdown with 1:03 left to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 48-47. OSU, at 5-4, decided to go for two but quarterback Taylor Cornelius’ pass was behind receiver Tylan Wallace and fell incomplete.
Cornelius had found Wallace on fourth down a play earlier for the 24-yard score.
Oklahoma State was forced to try an onside kick and it failed. With the help of a delay of game penalty after the kick on the Cowboys, Oklahoma was able to run out the clock and get the one-point win.
Oklahoma State missed a PAT earlier
Had Oklahoma State made an extra point earlier in the fourth quarter the Cowboys could have gone ahead 49-48 with a successful PAT.
OSU tied the game at 41-41 with 12:20 to go. But Matt Ammendola’s extra point sailed to the left. That miss loomed large as Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy had to make a choice after Wallace’s TD to play for the win or the tie. There would have been no choice had OSU taken a 42-41 lead earlier in the quarter.
Serious questions linger about Oklahoma’s defense
It’s not a reach to say Oklahoma and Alabama boast the two best offenses in the country. But the Tide have a five-spot edge in the College Football Playoff rankings because of the defenses.
A midseason change at defensive coordinator for Oklahoma hasn’t paid off just yet. The Sooners gave up 640 yards of offense to the Cowboys, including 501 passing yards from Cornelius. New defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeil has been in charge for three games and his unit has given up 46 or more points in two of them.
Until Oklahoma shows some defensive improvement — holding an awful Kansas State offense to 14 doesn’t count — the Sooners are going to need some help from the five teams above them in the CFP rankings to move into the top four. Wins over West Virginia in the final week of the regular season and the Big 12 championship game will certainly boost Oklahoma’s playoff chances, but those are far from a guarantee with the level of defense the Sooners are playing right now.
Kyler Murray continues to sparkle
Oklahoma running backs Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks hogged the scoring for Oklahoma on Saturday as they combined for five touchdowns. But QB Kyler Murray still had a great day. Murray was 21-of-29 passing for 349 yards and a score. He also added 66 rushing yards.
Murray is a clear second if you believe Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa is the favorite for the Heisman Trophy. And in any non-Tua year, Murray would be the favorite. With a completion percentage around 70 percent and the ability to score with his feet and his arm, Murray is a near-lock to make it to New York City as a Heisman finalist.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
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