Iowa State and Oklahoma will meet in the Big 12 championship game after each team clinched a berth on Saturday.
The No. 9 Cyclones (8-1) will be making their first Big 12 title game appearance in program history. They will also finish in sole possession of first place in the conference’s regular-season standings, the first time they’ve accomplished that feat. On Saturday, the Cyclones dominated West Virginia 42-6 to mark their fifth consecutive Big 12 victory and eighth conference win, both of which are school records.
“It’s special, that’s for sure, just because of where Iowa State has been,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “To finally be able to get to the game that we all dream of playing in is pretty sweet.”
No. 11 Oklahoma (7-2) clinched its fifth consecutive trip to the Big 12 championship game with a 27-14 win over Baylor on Saturday night. The Sooners’ streak began in 2010, when they defeated Nebraska, before the title game went on hiatus from 2011 to 2016 because the Big 12 did not have the requisite number of teams to host a championship game following conference realignment.
Since the league reinstated the Big 12 title game in 2017, the Sooners have qualified for and won all three.
The Sooners, who started 0-2 in conference play this season, have won six consecutive games to clinch their spot in the championship game. Including the league titles they won in 2015 and 2016, when there was no championship finale, they will be seeking their sixth consecutive Big 12 crown.
“It says a lot about the culture of this program,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “This team has been able to uphold the fighting spirit that OU football lives.
“When you come to OU, that’s just part of the deal. You’re always going to be on a big stage, there’s always going to be expectations to win championships and those things aren’t easy.”
The Big 12 championship will take place Dec. 19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.