Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship
No. 18 Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. No. 7 Texas (11-1)
Saturday, Dec. 2, 11 a.m. CT (ABC) AT&T Stadium (64,425) ~
Arlington, Texas
Series History: UT leads 26-11
Last Meeting: OSU won 41-34 on Oct. 22, 2022
Big 12 Championship Game Appearances:
Texas: 7 (championships in 1996, 2005 and 2009)
Oklahoma State: 2
CONFERENCE NEWS & NOTES
The scene is set for the 2023 Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship as #1 seed Texas will square off against #2 seed Oklahoma State. UT is making its seventh appearance. The Longhorns captured the Conference’s first Football Championship trophy in 1996 and earned titles in 2005 and 2009. OSU is making its second title game appearance in three years.
In the Big 12 Media Preseason Poll, Texas was picked first while Oklahoma State was chosen to finish seventh.
Texas, the home team, will wear light jerseys and occupy the South sideline of AT&T Stadium. Oklahoma State is the visiting team and will wear dark jerseys and occupy the North sideline.
Nine Big 12 teams reached bowl eligibility, which ties a Big 12 record from 2012: UCF, Iowa State, Kansas, K-State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
The Big 12 has placed at least four teams in each CFP Poll. Texas checked in at No. 7 for the fifth week, followed by No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 18 Oklahoma State and No. 25 K-State.
Among conferences, the Big 12 is first in total yards (420.8) and rushing yards (172.8), second in passing yards (248.8) and third in scoring (30.2).
The Big 12’s 35 non-offensive touchdowns rank third nationally.
Iowa State’s Abu Sama III (offensive and newcomer), Oklahoma State’s Trey Rucker (defensive) and Baylor’s Richard Reese (special teams) picked up the season’s final Big 12 football weekly awards.
The Big 12 is tied for the nation’s lead with six of the 24 teams that averaged 100% or over in home stadium capacity this season. Oklahoma is third among teams at 104.51% capacity followed by 5. K-State (103.91), 8. TCU (102.89), 12. Cincinnati (101.85), 15. Texas (101.50) and 20. Oklahoma State (100.07). All Big 12 teams averaged over 88 percent capacity.
In conference games, the home team finished the season with a 35-27 advantage.
The Big 12 finished regular season non-conference play at 30-12 (.714).
Sophomore RB Richard Reese took two kickoffs to the end zone in back-to-back returns. He was the first Baylor player since Trestan Ebner vs. Kansas in 2020 to return two kickoffs for a TD in the same game.
BYU’s 24 first-half points tied a season-high for any half against P5 competition. The 17 second-quarter points were the most for BYU in any quarter this season against FBS competition.
UCF is one of two teams (West Virginia) to have rushed for 140 yards or more in each game this season.
Cincinnati RB Corey Kiner recorded his sixth 100-yard rushing game this season to tie for the fifth-most in one season in program history and is the most since Michael Warren II had seven in 2019.
Houston sophomore WR Joseph Manjack IV extended his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 16 with a 21-yard reception in the first quarter against UCF.
Iowa State true freshman RB Abu Sama III became the second FBS player since 1996 with three or more rushing touchdowns of 60 yards against a ranked opponent and the first player in the Big 12 to have two 70-plus yard rushing touchdowns in a game since Adrian Peterson in 2005.
Kansas secured its eighth win of the season, its best regular season record (8-4) since going 11-1 in 2008.
Kansas State set a school record for most plays in a game with 102 vs. Iowa State. It topped the previous record of 100 plays against Kansas in 1970.
Oklahoma’s 69 points against TCU were its most against a Big 12 opponent since beating Texas A&M 77-0 in 2003 and the most by any Big 12 team in league play since 2021.
Oklahoma State advanced to the Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship for the second time in three years as RB Ollie Gordon II rushed for 166 yards and five touchdowns. Gordon joined Barry Sanders as the only players in Oklahoma State history to rush for five touchdowns in a single game.
TCU QB Josh Hoover totaled a career-best five touchdowns against Oklahoma. He tied a personal-high by throwing for four scores while adding one rushing.
Texas K Bert Auburn extended his streak to 19 consecutive field goals this season, a Texas and Big 12 record. The junior tied the school record for most field goals in a game (5) and set the record for most points in a single game among Texas kickers (21).
Redshirt freshman LB Ben Roberts set a career-high for tackles with 13 against Texas. Roberts ended the regular season leading the team in tackles with 100. He is behind only Donald Harris’ 104 in 1987 for the most tackles by a freshman dating to 1980.
QB Garrett Greene became the fourth West Virginia quarterback in program history to rush for at least 13 touchdowns in a season.
