Texas defeats Oklahoma State, wins first Big 12 championship since 2009

It’s been 14 years since Texas could say it was a conference champion. That was 2009, when Vince Young led the Longhorns to a Big 12 Championship victory over Nebraska en route to a national championship appearance.

That drought ended Saturday as Quinn Ewers took the Longhorns past Oklahoma State 49-21. Now, with one final Big 12 title before heading to the SEC next year, Texas will await its fate when the College Football Playoff rankings come out on Sunday.

Ewers had a record-setting day for the Longhorns, completing 35 of 46 passes for 452 yards and touchdowns to lead the charge. It was a day full of trick plays for Steve Sarkisian, who drew up both a flea flicker and a big-man touchdown to T’Vondre Sweat in the first half — both of which resulted in touchdowns.

It’s been quite the year for the Longhorns, whose 12-1 record is the program’s best since that 2009 season. Sarkisian’s third season as head coach has been a special one, and it could continue into the CFP depending on what the committee decides to do on Selection Sunday.

What Texas’ Big 12 Championship victory means for the College Football Playoff

Texas’ Big 12 championship makes things even more interesting as the College Football Playoff committee decides how the final Top 25 will shake out.

The Longhorns have just one loss on the season, but their biggest victory came over No. 8 Alabama in Week 2. That could be critical if they want to make the CFP for the first time ever, but all eyes will turn to Atlanta as the Crimson Tide take on No. 1 Georgia. An Alabama victory would certainly generate some conversation about how the top four will look.

Regardless, one spot has seemingly been decided. Washington took down Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Friday night, meaning the Huskies completed an undefeated season and should find themselves in the top four Sunday afternoon. The Ducks’ second loss is significant for Texas, which came in at No. 7 behind No. 5 Oregon and No. 6 Ohio State in the latest rankings. Because the Longhorns won their conference title, there’s a case to be made they should jump both teams.

But Saturday night, two conference title games will determine how the final rankings shake out. The first is in Indianapolis where No. 2 Michigan will take on No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines look primed to return to the CFP as heavy favorites against the Hawkeyes, but the next question mark will be at the ACC Championship.

Florida State enters the title game against Louisville with an undefeated record, but the Seminoles are without quarterback Jordan Travis. That’s a consideration for the committee with Selection Sunday looming, and an FSU victory would also generate some discussion.