College Football

Oklahoma State falls inches short of CFP in Big 12 title loss to Baylor

Updated Dec. 4, 2021 7:44 p.m. ET

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Talk about drama.

On fourth-and-goal, and trailing No. 9 Baylor 21-16 with 24 seconds to go, No. 5 Oklahoma State opted for a rushing play on its final push toward the end zone.

Cowboys QB Spencer Sanders turned to his left and handed the ball off to senior running back Dezmon Jackson, who bounced the play to the outside of the field to avoid a sea of Baylor defenders up the middle.

Jackson darted left and engaged in a one-on-one speed date with Baylor safety Jairon McVea. McVea got the upper hand in the race to the pylon, as he outgunned Jackson to the corner and shoved him out of bounds as Jackson dove for the pylon, sealing the Bears' 21-16 championship win.

It was the perfect ending to a spectacular showing for McVea, who said postgame that his only thought as the play unfolded was, "I gotta stop this guy." 

And it very well may be the best pylon cam footage we've ever gotten up to this point:

The Bears are now hoping to capitalize on their Big 12 title win with a coveted appearance into the College Football Playoff. But one team that won't be a part of the foursome is Oklahoma State, which watched its playoff chances waft away as Jackson game up centimeters short of the goal line, thanks to McVea's effort.

With a win, Oklahoma State would have climbed to 12-1 on the season, its lone setback being a three-point loss at Iowa State on Oct. 23. 

Saturday would have been the Cowboys' fifth ranked win on the season and would have given them as a good a chance as any team at qualifying for the CFP. 

As for Baylor, it's thanking its lucky stars for McVea.

The senior is in his sixth year and initially joined Baylor's roster as a walk-on. He was an unheralded two-star recruit coming out of small-town George Ranch High School in Richmond, Texas. He had just one D-1 scholarship offer coming out of high school, and instead of taking the lone offer from FCS Texas Southern, McVea bet on himself.

Now look at him.

McVea finished the game of his life with nine total tackles (second on the team), an interception, a pass deflected and a QB hurry. 

In addition to the big takeaway (which was one of four INTs the Bears defense collected on the day), McVea jarred the ball loose from an OK State receiver on a later possession, resulting in another turnover.

Love is in the air across Waco tonight, and hope will be just as abundant as the Bears wait to see just how high their win will take them in next in the upcoming CFP rankings. 

But for now, it will bask in the elation of perhaps the greatest play in Baylor football history.

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