Oklahoma Football: 3 takeaways from Red River Shootout win over Texas

3. Baker Mayfield back in Heisman race despite being held in check

Baker Mayfield’s Heisman campaign seemed in danger of collapsing after the loss to Iowa State. Through he played well in defeat, Mayfield was bound to take an outsized share of the blame for the upset to the Cyclones. In the Iowa State loss, the quarterback completed 24-of-33 for 306 yards but only threw two touchdowns.

As he showed on Saturday, though, he remains one of the best quarterbacks in the country. But it took a major effort to survive the Longhorns in Dallas and his Heisman credentials took another hit as he faded down the stretch. Mayfield threw his first interception of the 2017 season, but he put in another solid effort in general.

Mayfield started efficiently, and he remains on pace to break his own single-season record for passing efficiency. But Texas eventually figured out how to keep Mayfield in check after halftime, as the Sooners slogged through multiple three-and-out series. Mayfield was shaken up, but he continued to battle through the end of the game. By the final whistle, he finished with 302 yards with two touchdowns and the one interception on 17-of-27 passing.

Oklahoma’s success hinges on how much of the load its quarterback can shoulder. Mayfield has been up to the task throughout this season, and he came up big again on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl. The Sooners could climb back into the top 10 of the AP Top 25 this week thanks to the solid showing by their leader on offense.