Iowa State saw its final hopes at the College Football Playoff fade away Saturday following a 27-21 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game.
The teams had already met this year—a 37-30 ISU win in Ames on Oct. 3—but that was the last loss the Sooners have suffered, who have now reeled off seven straight wins after a 1-2 start to the year.
The Cyclones had a rough start to the year as well, falling to Louisiana 31-14 to begin the season on Sept. 12. Since then, Matt Campbell's squad has gone 8-1, with its defeat in that stretch a 24-21 loss to Oklahoma State on Oct. 24.
Brock Purdy was 27-for-40 on the day with 322 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. The final INT came during the Cyclones' final drive while in OU territory.
After falling behind 24-7 at halftime, the Iowa State defense held Oklahoma to 121 yards and three points in the final two quarters.
With the loss, ISU falls to 8-3 on the year. Oklahoma improves to 8-2.
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Final stats can be viewed here
Fourth Quarter
FINAL: Oklahoma 27, Iowa State 21
0:00 | OU kneels it twice. Game over.
1:05 | Offense late to get to the line and Purdy snaps it quick. Hurrying to his left, he throws it up in the air and OU's Tre Brown picks it off.
1:14 | Quick pass to Hutchinson and they get 9 of the 20 back. He also gets out of bounds.
1:18 | Incomplete on a deep pass intended for Chase Allen. 2nd and 10.
Offensive line moves early. False start ISU.
2nd and 15 and another false start. Now 2nd and 20 from the OU 43.
1:28 | Hutchinson with the 1-yard reception and there's another flag. 15-yard facemask on OU. Brings to ball to the Sooner 33.
1:36 | Purdy with a short completion to Breece Hall. 2nd and 7. Ball at midfield.
1:43 | Xavier Hutchinson with the catch and run to get up to the ISU 47 and a first down.
1:49 | Purdy sacked but there is a flag. It is offside on OU.
1:55 | Kene Nwangwu brings the kickoff to the ISU 30. The Cyclones have one timeout remaining.
2:01 | Pass on third down is incomplete and the OU field goal is good.
Oklahoma 27, Iowa State 21
2:11 | Rattler keeps it again on the read option, gets to the outside and picks up five. ISU calls their second timeout.
2:19 | Rattler keeps it on the read option but nothing doing. Cyclones call their first timeout.
2:53 | Willis catches a pass, is met at the first down marker but powers through the defender. 1st and 10 OU at the ISU 20.
3:30 | Stevenson sidesteps a couple defenders and picks up five. The clock is important now. ISU has all three timeouts remaining.
4:20 | Rhamondre Stevenson loses a yard on first down. Rattler hits Brayden Willis for a big first down to the ISU 42 on second down.
5:06 | OU's Tre Brown with another good kickoff return. Sooners will start at their own 44.
5:15 | Hall drives the pile forward for a TD. XP is good.
Oklahoma 24, Iowa State 21
5:45 | Breece Hall catches the short Purdy pass and takes it all the way down 6.
6:30 | The completion to Xavier Hutchinson is overturned upon replay. On 2nd and 10, Hutchinson gets it again and picks up the first down.
6:36 | Purdy completes back-to-back throws for first downs. ISU now at the OU 25.
8:10 | Sean Shaw Jr. with the catch and another ISU first down. Hall follows it with a run for a few and the Cyclones are in OU territory.
8:47 | Purdy hits Charlie Kolar in stride for a big ISU first down. It's a 20-yard gain.
8:53 | Hall goes nowhere on first down and Purdy fires deep downfield but incomplete on second down.
9:35 | ISU will start this next drive at their own 13 yard line,
10:15 | Sooners run the ball and come well short. OU will punt.
10:20 | After a gain of 14, OU is now at 3rd and 8 two plays later.
11:19 | OU will start on its own 36 after the punt.
12:00 | Purdy completes a pass but is well short of the first down. Punt team coming out.
12:45 | Purdy sacked on second down. 3rd and 12 coming up.
13:31 | The Cyclones will start from their own 15 after the punt.
13:39 | ISU forces back-to-back completions. 4th and 6 OU from the ISU 47.
14:24 | Rattler starts the final quarter with a 21-yard completion and a short 4-yard completion. 2nd and 6 in ISU territory.
Third Quarter
0:00 | OU starts with a 3-yard pass and that'll be the end of the third quarter.
0:12 | OU lines up offside again but no matter. Breece Hall jumps over the goal line for the TD.
Oklahoma 24, Iowa State 14
0:23 | Breece Hall is stuffed but there's a flag. Offside on OU.
1:07 | Kolar hauls in the high Purdy pass and the Cyclones have 1st and goal on the 5.
1:37 | Charlie Kolar brings in the Purdy pass to convert the third down.
3:20 | Xavier Hutchinson takes the quick pass all the way down to OU's 34. That's a 42-yard gain.
4:41 | Starting at their own 10, ISU starts with a 10-yard completion to Charlie Kolar.
5:15 | Will McDonald with the sack and it pushes OU out of field goal range at the 45.
6:40 | After Rattler picks up a first down with his legs, he throws for another one. OU down to the ISU 37.
7:42 | Purdy unable to pick up the final yard or two on 3rd and 7. Punt team coming out.
Fair catch by Oklahoma at their own 30.
9:14 | JaQuan Bailey bats down the Spencer Rattler pass, forcing another OU 3-and-out.
Milton with another fair catch and ISU will start at their own 23.
10:05 | After evading more pressure, Purdy sails it high and OU's Pat Fields is there for the INT. Pass was intended for Chase Allen.
10:28 | Purdy scrambles on 3rd and 11 for a first down. Cyclones at midfield.
11:58 | Fair catch called for by Tarique Milton. ISU will take over at their own 32.
12:06 | Pass incomplete. Cyclone defense forces a 3-and-out.
13:17 | Joe Rivera's punt rolls down to the OU 25.
13:30 | Purdy sacked by Nik Bonitto. 3-and-out for the Iowa State offense.
14:11 | Woodi Washington breaks up the pass intended for Landon Akers. 3rd and 9 coming up.
14:47 | Iowa State starts the half with the ball and a Breece Hall run that goes nowhere.
Second Quarter
HALFTIME: Oklahoma 24, Iowa State 7
0:00 | ISU runs one play but will let the clock run out.
0:37 | Spencer Rattler keeps it himself for the 9-yard touchdown run. Extra point is good. OU leads 24-7.
0:49 | Rhamondre Stevenson with a run to pick up another first down. 1st and goal at the 9.
0:59 | Back-to-back completions and OU is now inside the ISU 25.
1:26 | Tre Brown brings the kickoff back to ISU's 45.
1:34 | Charlie Kolar takes the Purdy pass in for a 10-yard score. XP is good.
OU leads ISU 17-7
2:45 | Purdy sacked, but OU flagged for a face mask during the tackle and ISU has a 1st and 10 in Sooner territory.
On the next play, Purdy fires a strike complete to Landen Akers. ISU now at the OU 22.
3:47 | ISU takes over at their own 34, and the 1st and 10 pass is incomplete.
4:32 | Cyclones force a 3-and-out.
5:21 | Purdy fires it into the endzone but Tre Norwood picks it off. OU with the red zone INT.
5:28 | ISU calls their second timeout.
6:03 | Cyclones go for it anyway. Purdy keeps it on the option read and is down to the OU 11. Campbell continues to jaw and point at the refs.
6:10 | Iowa State calls their first timeout. Cyclones adamant that OU moved and Campbell is heated again.
6:50 | Hall comes up short on 3rd and 2. Stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Offense stays on the field.
7:30 | Play action pass is complete to Dylan Soehner and just like that, ISU is in OU territory.
Breece Hall follows it up with a 9-yard run. Hall stuffed on 2nd down. 3rd down upcoming.
8:35 | Brkic kicks the ball out of bounds, which might be a small shot of energy for ISU as they'll start from their own 35.
8:35 | 54-yard field goal attempt by Gabe Brkic is good.
OU leads 17-0.
PHOTOS: Iowa State, Oklahoma face off in Big 12 Championship Game
8:40 | Pass broken up by Arnold Azunna, who came in to replace the ejected Isheem Young. 4th down.
9:10 | Back-to-back runs don't gain much. 3rd and 7 coming up for the Sooners.
9:54 | Joe Rivera with the punt and OU returns it to the ISU 40.
10:05 | Purdy avoids getting sacked in the end zone, but the Cyclones go 3-and-out. 4th and 8 from their own 4.
11:30 | After a false start, OU punts and it is downed at the 1 yard line. ISU flagged for running into the kicker, but it is declined.
12:10 | Marvin Mims with another reception, but a couple yards short of the first down marker.
13:03 | Short punt. OU will take over at midfield.
13:40 | Nothing doing for the Cyclones on 2nd and 27 or 3rd and 26. They'll punt.
14:27 | Following a chop block penalty against Darrell Simmons Jr., Purdy throws incomplete. False start on Colin Newell pushes ISU back to a 2nd and 27 on their own 8 yard line.
14:52 | Rattler connects with Mims again, this time on a 45-yard touchdown pass. XP is good. Sooners up 14-0.
First Quarter
END OF Q1: Oklahoma 7, Iowa State 0
00:00 | OU runs it three straight times to pick up the first down.
Rattler snaps the ball again before the clock expires and it's nearly picked off but falls into the arms of Marvin Mims. First down at the ISU 45.
1:27 | Connor Assalley is no good on the 43-yard field goal attempt. Hits off the right and lower crossbar. Still 7-0 Oklahoma.
1:32 | Following a pass breakup from OU's Tre Brown, Purdy fire incomplete. Intended for Hutchinson. 4th and 8.
2:43 | Hutchinson takes a screen pass for a first down. ISU driving, now at the Oklahoma 28.
3:21 | Norman, Oklahoma native Charlie Kolar hauls in the Purdy pass for a 28-yard gain. Breece Hall follows that up with 9 yards on a 1st and 10 run.
4:07 | Taking over at their own 20, Purdy finds Hutchinson for the third time so far 7 yards.
4:14 | 36-yard field goal attempt by Gabe Brkic is wide right.
4:19 | Iowa State forces an incompletion on 3rd and 9. Cyclones brought pressure up the middle.
6:21 | Rattler throws it up and Jaden Haselwood comes down with it at the ISU 17.
6:47 | OU now inside the ISU 40 after back-to-back completions from Rattler.
8:05 | A holding call pushes the Sooners back to 2nd and 17, but Stevenson runs for 25 yards and a first down.
9:09 | Starting at their own 13, OU starts with a 15-yard completion to Rhamondre Stevenson.
9:55 | Purdy gets the ball to Hutchinson again on 3rd and 8 but he's a couple yards short. ISU punts.
11:30 | ISU starts from their own 25. Breece Hall 9-yard run plus a completion to Xavier Hutchinson gives the Cyclones a first down.
12:05 | Chandler Morris, OU's third-string quarterback, runs the option in for a 2-yard touchdown. Extra point is good and OU is up 7-0.
13:34 | Sooners now on the ISU 35. On 2nd and 1, Spencer Rattler completes 19-yard pass to get Sooners into the red zone.
14:27 | Starting from their own 25, Oklahoma starts with a 3-yard run and a 13-yard pass. Asheem Young flagged for targeting but the play is under review.
Ruling is confirmed and Young is disqualified.
15:00 | ISU wins the toss and defers to the second half. Kickoff goes out of bounds and OU will start with good field position.
Pregame
Let's talk College Football Playoff. The Cyclones, ranked No. 6 in the CFP, have an outside chance at making it into the Playoff.
Here's how it could work, per ESPN:
(The scenario: Iowa State beats Oklahoma + No. 2 Notre Dame beats Clemson + No. 1 Alabama beats No. 7 Florida + No. 5 Texas A&M beats Tennessee + No. 4 Ohio State beats No. 14 Northwestern + No. 9 Cincinnati beats No. 23 Tulsa)
So in this case we've got the No. 5 and No. 6 teams battling for a clear open spot -- in the Predictor's mind -- after Clemson is knocked out. Both Texas A&M and Iowa State pick up wins over championship weekend, but the No. 6 team earns the better victory and earns a conference championship. Is that enough? The Predictor leans yes. It's close though: Iowa State would have a 36% chance to get in and Texas A&M would have a 31% shot. I've already noted that Iowa State's inclusion in the playoff would be completely nonsensical, but we're not really here to talk about who should get in, but rather who will get in. The Cyclones do have a shot.
A Tennessee win would greatly help ISU in its chase for a CFP spot.
The Saturday slate (Top 10 CFP teams)
- No. 6 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Oklahoma, 11 a.m. (ABC)
- No. 14 Northwestern vs. No. 4 Ohio State, 11 a.m. (FOX)
- No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Tennessee, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
- No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 2 Notre Dame, 3 p.m. (ABC)
- No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 7 Florida, 7 p.m. (CBS)
- No. 23 Tulsa vs. No. 9 Cincinnati, 7 p.m. (ABC)
- Vanderbilt vs. No. 8 Georgia, CANCELED (COVID-19 protocols)
Another game of note: The Sun Belt Conference Championship Game between No. 19 Louisiana and No. 12 Coastal Carolina (who is undefeated) has also been canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
WATCH: Previewing the Big 12 title game on "CyHawk Gameday"
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