ARLINGTON -- Baylor was shocked as it left the field. Absolutely floored. A pair of offensive linemen got on a knee forlornly and looked at the ground. Others had hands on their heads as quarterback Jacob Zeno was pulled to the ground on fourth down to end the game. 

For the second time against Oklahoma this season, no one thought the Bears had a chance. Oddsmakers projected the Sooners to win by two scores. For the second time, Baylor scratched and clawed to make it one of the best football games of the season. 

Last time, it was blowing a 25-point lead over the visiting Sooners in Waco for their first loss of the season. This time, it was coming from down 10 to force overtime with a third-string quarterback, only to fall 30-23.

“Playing against OU is always a good challenge because we get to see how good we really are,” Baylor linebacker Jordan Williams said. “The game didn’t go the way we wanted, but I feel like that’s a testament to what type of defense and what type of players and what kind of coaching we’ve built here.”

The Bears came into Saturday just one win away from a College Football Playoff berth. Despite getting outgained by 170 yards, the Bears forced a pair of turnovers and held the Sooners’ elite rushing game to just 2.9 yards per carry. Maxwell Award finalist Jalen Hurts played one of his worst games as a Sooner. The Bears held him to 1.1 yards per carry and finished with eight tackles for loss and three sacks. 

On offense, the Bears just didn’t quit. Starting quarterback Charlie Brewer went out in the second quarter. Backup Gerry Bohanon came in and threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Tyquan Thornton. Bohanon later struggled with a leg injury. True freshman Jacob Zeno – who played some safety and quarterback on scout team this week – stepped in and threw an 81-yard touchdown and another bomb to set up a score. 

Every time it looked like Baylor was about to fold, the team came up with a big play. It took every page of Lincoln Riley’s playbook to muster the 30 points in overtime needed to earn Oklahoma a likely playoff berth. 

“I don’t think many people realize that we’re the toughest team in the country because we’ve been through more than anybody could imagine,” Baylor defensive end James Lynch said. “What we’ve gone through freshman year, the things that have been said to us. People don’t think we belong here. It’s made us have a chip on our shoulder and made people realize who we are. 

“It wasn’t enough today. It will be soon enough.’

In the biggest moments of the game, Oklahoma’s experience came out. Biletnikoff finalist CeeDee Lamb posted 173 yards and upperclassman defender Kenneth Murray made game-deciding plays. This is a program that has been to the College Football Playoff three of the last four years and just clinched its fifth consecutive Big 12 championship. 

Next year, and beyond, Baylor will have experience too. Brewer will be back for his senior season and should be healthy for the bowl game. Lynch is the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a true junior. Most of the offense is back, and the offensive line will only get better with more experience and development. 

This is still a team in its third season under head coach Matt Rhule, who is perhaps the favorite for national coach of the year. The program flipped its record from 1-11 to 11-1 in just two years, against all odds. Saturday is just the next step of the process.

“I think it gives our young guys insight into what we have to do to get here and what we have to do to win,” Baylor linebacker Terrel Bernard said. “Just playing in the game was a big deal for us from where we’ve come from. This is what it takes to get here.” 

While Baylor will not go the the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, there is still plenty of meaningful football left. The Bears will likely head to the Sugar Bowl against Georgia – the bowls will officially be announced on Sunday. Baylor has never won a New Year’s Six or BCS bowl game. 

And even if the Bears miss out on the New Year’s Six, Baylor will face off against a good Pac-12 opponent in the Alamo Bowl at worst. After what this program has been through on the field, don’t expect them to take any opportunity for granted. 

“There hasn’t been a time where we played like an entitled group,” Rhule said. “That’s entitlement. When you have a game and you act like you’re better than the game, that’s entitlement.

“Let’s finish as a top 10 team. Let’s get to 12 wins, which has never been done here. We’ll be back. Feel that pain of watching those guys pull that game out and celebrate. Let that drive you in the offseason. But at the same time, understand what we’ve done."

The College Football Playoff committee will unveil the final CFP Top 25 rankings and New Year’s Six bowls at 2 p.m. CT Sunday on ESPN.

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