ARLINGTON, Texas — No. 10 Oklahoma earned a spot in the Fiesta Bowl and ruined Nebraska’s last conference game as a member of the Big 12 for good measure.
Travis Lewis had an interception in the end zone and recovered two fumbles as the Sooners rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Nebraska 23-20 on Saturday night in the Big 12 championship, the Cornhuskers’ last stand in the conference before they move to the Big Ten next season.
Landry Jones threw for 342 yards and a touchdown and also sneaked in for another score from 1 yard out as the Sooners (11-2) made the biggest comeback in Big 12 championship history.
The No. 13 Cornhuskers (10-3) self-destructed, squandering a 17-0 lead with four turnovers and getting shut out in the second half for the first time all season.
Jimmy Stevens delivered the game-winner, a 27-yard field goal, with 8:28 to play.
Oklahoma won its seventh Big 12 title — more than twice as many as any other school — and the seventh straight by schools from the South Division.
Nebraska, which lost 13-12 to Texas on a field goal after one second had been put back on the clock in last year’s title game, suffered another tough defeat but without a close call at the end.
The Huskers had to punt it away with less than four minutes left after Taylor Martinez was sacked at midfield, then couldn’t convert a first down after getting the ball back with 1:46 to play at their own 41-yard line.
This was only the second time Nebraska and Oklahoma met in the Big 12 championship game after deciding the Big Eight title 31 times in 36 seasons.
Now, they don’t figure to meet again for another decade unless it’s in a bowl game.
Nebraska will likely fall into the Insight or Alamo Bowl.
