4 Sooners’ games land inside the top 50 of ESPN’s 100 best games of 2021
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
It was a wild year for the Oklahoma Sooners. They played a ton of close games in 2021 that left Sooners fans on the edge of their seats all season long. From week one, when they Tulane back into the game to Bedlam, the Oklahoma Sooners rarely made things look easy last season.
For better or worse, Oklahoma provided a ton of excitement on the field and four of their games ended up inside the top 50 of ESPN’s 100 best games of the 2021 season (ESPN+).
48. Oklahoma 28, Iowa State 21
Oklahoma’s Key Lawrence (12) forces a fumble as he hits Iowa State’s Brock Purdy (15) during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Iowa State Cyclones at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman.
What ESPN had to say:
OU built a 14-7 lead off of a 74-yard Caleb Williams run and a Jalen Redmond fumble return and led 28-14 late. But then Iowa State scored, quickly forced a punt and mounted a two-minute drill that got the Cyclones to the OU 15 in the closing seconds before a Pat Fields interception ended the comeback. – Connelly
What we had to say:
The Oklahoma Sooners were in desperate need of a bounce-back win against the Iowa State Cyclones after dropping their first game of the season the week before to Baylor. It wasn’t a pretty win by any stretch of the imagination, but the Sooners defense took care of business and kept Breece Hall and Charlie Kolar in check to pull out the victory and stay in the Big 12 title race.
43. Oklahoma 23, Nebraska 16
OU safety Pat Fields (10) returns a blocked extra-point attempt for two points during the Sooners’ 23-16 win against Nebraska on Saturday at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
What ESPN had to say:
In the resumption of one of college football’s most storied rivalries, NU outgained OU per play and created more scoring chances. But the Huskers missed two field goals, Adrian Martinez threw an interception at the Oklahoma 3 and while Nebraska got within seven points late, a last-ditch comeback drive never got off the ground. – Connelly, ESPN
What we had to say:
This game didn’t have the explosive plays that many were hoping for. Instead, it turned into a slugfest of defensive football. In a game that was 7-3 at halftime, the Sooners went up 14-3 late in the third quarter and then 16-9 after Pat Fields PAT return for two points kept it a seven-point game.
Bonus: 11. Kansas 57, Texas 56
AUSTIN, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 13: O.J. Burroughs #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks intercepts a pass intended for Xavier Worthy #8 of the Texas Longhorns in the end zone in the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
What ESPN had to say:
Kansas led by 21 points at halftime and by 14 with five minutes left, but the defense couldn’t make one last stop. Texas forced overtime with a late touchdown, but that only delayed the inevitable. The teams traded overtime touchdowns before Jalon Daniels hit walk-on Jared Casey for the game-winning 2-point conversion … turning him into an Applebee’s spokesman in the process. – Connelly, ESPN
What we had to say:
This isn’t Oklahoma-related, but it’s always fun to revel in your rival’s misery a bit right? As “bad” as things were for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021, and as bad as things have felt at times in the last two months, one thing remains true, Texas lost to Kansas.
9. Oklahoma 55, Texas 48
Oct 9, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Kennedy Brooks (26) runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
What ESPN had to say:
Even by the standards of the Red River Rivalry, this was wild. Texas took a 38-20 lead into halftime, and OU’s Spencer Rattler was benched in favor of freshman Caleb Williams. The Sooners scored 18 points in nine minutes to tie the game at 41-41, and the teams traded late touchdowns. Overtime? Nope! With just three seconds left, the Sooners’ Kennedy Brooks burst into the open field and raced 33 yards to win the game.
What we had to say:
This one had just about everything involved. Turnovers, big plays, a quarterback change (again), and late-game heroics on both sides of the ball. Oklahoma fell behind by as many as 21 points in the first half and when Caleb Williams entered the game for good, the Sooners were down 18. From the time he took over, OU outscored the Longhorns 38-13 to complete one of the wildest Red River Showdown matchups to date.
4. Oklahoma State 37, Oklahoma 33
Nov 27, 2021; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive end Collin Oliver (30) tackles Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams (13) during the first half at Boone Pickens Stadium. Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
What ESPN had to say:
Oklahoma State had already enjoyed a memorable season before its last three games — the Cowboys started 10-1 with loads of close wins. Then fate turned the chaos dial up all the way.
Against Oklahoma, the Pokes took a 24-17 lead before the Sooners flipped the game with a 16-0 run that included a safety and a touchdown off a muffed punt. OSU looked disheveled but rallied, scoring a touchdown, then scoring again after OU muffed a punt of its own. The Sooners drove inside the Cowboys’ 25 twice in the final two minutes, but the Pokes somehow kept them out both times. – Connelly
What we had to say:
It was a disappointing end to a season filled with unmet expectations as the Oklahoma Sooners dropped a close contest against the Cowboys in Bedlam. This game was a microcosm of much of the 2021 season. Look good for a half and then unable to adjust to the pressure packages that the opponent was throwing at your star quarterback. Caleb Williams played tough and gave the Sooners a chance at the end of the game. But four attempts to get the ball into the endzone inside the red zone fell short and the Sooners lost 37-33 and the hopes of repeating as Big 12 champs fell by the wayside.
1
1
