Oklahoma Football: 3 takeaways from Big 12 title redemption over Texas
By Phil Poling
No. 3: Texas is not back
Even in defeat, the Texas Longhorns had a beautiful showing in the Big 12 Championship Game. Sam Ehlinger is the present and future of the Longhorns’ football program, and if Tom Herman can continue to get the best out of his players, the rest of the conference is in trouble.
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I like to refer to Oklahoma’s defense as Sooner Swiss, but Ehlinger orchestrated a handful of possessions that would’ve been impressive even against a good defense. He marched right down the field on the opening drive of the game, and threw some incredible passes to his wide receivers that only they could come down with. He put a few up on the top shelf – where the kids couldn’t get them – but still, wide receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Collin Johnson made a number of plays through the air.
One huge mistake by Ehlinger was the safety he took in the 4th quarter that pushed the Sooners’ lead to five. Following an Oklahoma turnover in the redzone, the Sooners sent a nickel blitz that hit home and Ehlinger crumbled in the end zone, giving OU two points and the ball back. Momentum was swung.
In what was a back-and-forth game, the Longhorns looked really good at times, and other times it was the same old song-and-dance we’ve been listening to out of Austin for the past five years. This game certainly gives them a boost moving forward – and an excellent recruiting class will help as well – but the Longhorns aren’t back just yet; the Big 12 still belongs to Oklahoma.