Oklahoma fans were already making their plans for Atlanta next week.
The Rose Bowl couldn’t have started any better Monday for the Sooners, who looked like they were ready to run Georgia into the nearby Arroyo Seco in the first half.
But a late charge by the Bulldogs, who scored 24 straight points to take the lead and withstood a furious charge in the fourth quarter, enabled them to claim a wild 54-48 double-0vertime victory over the Sooners.
Sony Michel’s 27-yard run from the Wildcat helped lead the Bulldogs into their first College Football Playoff in one of the most memorable games in recent college football history.
It ended Baker Mayfield’s career in the bitterest of ways.
Lorenzo Carter’s blocked field goal on the ensuing possession set up Michel’s late heroics.
Here are 3 quick thoughts from what undoubtedly will be remembered as one of the toughest in Oklahoma football history.
A late first-half mistake let Georgia back into the game
Baker Mayfield’s 2-yard reception from Cee Dee Lamb boosted Oklahoma to a 31-14 halftime lead. Everything was going right for the Sooners’ offense.
But a special teams miscue gave Georgia the ball at the Oklahoma 47. Two plays later, Rodrigo Blankenship nailed a career-best 55-yard field goal at the halftime gun to pull them within 31-17.
Instead of leaving the field with a three-score lead, the long kick pulled the Bulldogs back in the game. And after their defense made a stop to start the second half, the game was back on.
The Sooners’ defense couldn’t tackle
Oklahoma’s much-maligned defense was perceived to be its biggest weakness.
During the early offensive binge, the Sooners held up. But once Georgia’s line got going, the Sooners fell apart.
Michel (181 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Nick Chubb (145 yards, 2 touchdowns) sliced through the Sooners en route to 317 rushing yards. It looked like how Big 12 defenses have done it against the Sooners the last couple of years.
Michel and Chubb became the third pair of backs in the nation to each top 1,000 yards this season. And once they got started, the Sooners couldn’t stop them.
It led to many Twitter comments about Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley perhaps making a change in his defensive coordinators. Veteran Mike Stoops has been a fixture around the program dating to his brother’s beginnings.
After the struggles in the second half, many Oklahoma fans wouldn’t complain about a switch — perhaps by the end of the week.
Poor field position victimized the Sooners in the second half
Oklahoma sputtered during Georgia’s comeback, but the Bulldogs got some help.
Oklahoma started drives in the second half with possession at the Oklahoma 14, 17, 2, 18, 25 and 12 yard lines. It kept them bottled up and provided the field position to fuel Georgia’s comeback.
Georgia’s heart wasn’t to be denied, even if they had to go to the second overtime to finish the victory off.
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