Oklahoma St. 10 - 34 W. Virginia (3:12 left in 4th Quarter)

Well, the roof has caved in on OSU now.  The Cowboys are exhausted, they are hot, and they don't have their starting quarterback.  They take the kickoff and go four and out, giving WVU the ball at the OSU 40.  On first down, the Mountaineers give the ball to Dreamius Smith of Wichita, Kan., who dashes 40 yards through a winded Cowboy defense to put an exclamation point on the WVU victory.

So the streak of defeats for the UCFC holder is broken at three.  WVU goes on the road and puts together a very impressive performance, using its strength and power to wear down OSU in the second half and come away with a hard-fought victory.

Now the Mountaineers will go home to face -- Texas Christian, who leads Texas Tech 68-27 early in the 4th Quarter.  That will be a big-time game.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 27 W. Virginia (4:44 left in 4th Quarter)

Desperately trying to get their hands on that Big Gold Trophy, OSU tried to go upfield again.  But OSU has had to play this game without its regular starting quarterback, J.T. Walsh, who has been sidelined with a foot injury.  Daxx Garman, the backup, has made a game effort, but has really struggled with accuracy in the second half.  On this drive, he took the Cowboys out to the Oklahoma State 38.  On first and 10, he had a wide receiver wide open deep down the right sideline, but overthrew him.  On second and 10, he had a received in the middle of the field, but missed him.  And on third and 10, he threw the ball to Dravon Henry of West Virginia, who returned it 51 yards for a touchdown.  It was Henry's second interception of the game, and it has probably put a nail in OSU's coffin.  On TV, you can see the OSU fans are heading for the exits.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 20 W. Virginia (5:40 left in 4th Quarter)

WVU isn't able to use up much clock this time, because:  (a) OSU called all three of its timeouts trying to stop the clock, and (b) the WVU offensive coordinator insists on calling pass plays that his players are incapable of making work.  So the Mountaineers' drive stalls at midfield, and they punt to the OSU 19.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 20 W. Virginia (7:27 left in 4th Quarter)

On 4th and 5 from the WVU 37, the Mountaineers' defense HOLDS, and WVU takes over on downs. OSU threw a long pass when they probably should have gone for something shorter, and the WVU defense was able to put enough pressure on the OSU QB to force a wild pass.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 20 W. Virginia (8:53 left in 4th Quarter)

Moving with the power of desperation, OSU's offense has slogged its way to the WVU 43, where the Cowboys face 2d and 11.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 20 W. Virginia (10:14 left in 4th Quarter)

With some help from a pass interference call, WVU puts together a nice little drive that goes down to the OSU 26, where it stalls due to a penalty and some really bad passing attempts.  (WVU has run something like 33 plays in this half, to only 8 for OSU, and I really don't know why they were passing at all, given that it's 90 degrees and the announcers were talking about how tired the OSU defenders were).  Anyway, the Mountaineers sent in Josh Lambert, who kicked a 43-yard field goal to give the WVU a two-possession lead.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 17 W. Virginia (14:34 left in 4th Quarter)

OSU goes three and out, and they punt to the WVU 31.  There are no returns on these punts, by the way, because the OSU field is laid out west-to-east, which means that the punt returners are looking directly into the sun as the ball is heading their way.  I have no idea why anyone would lay out a football field in this way, but that's what the folks at OSU decided to do.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 17 W. Virginia (37 seconds left in 3d Quarter)

Starting from its own 1, WVU holds the ball for over seven minutes, eventually moving to the OSU 46.  But the drive stalls -- as drives have tended to do in the Oklahoma heat today -- and the Mountaineers punt to the OSU 16.  

Oklahoma St. 10 - 17 W. Virginia (7:55 left in 3d Quarter)

OSU makes a few first downs, but can't do much more.  So they punt -- and the ball is downed at the WVU 1 yard line.  Very good play by the OSU special teams.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 17 W. Virginia (9:59 left in 3d Quarter)

The WVU offense, no doubt rested after a halftime break away from 90-degree heat, takes the opening kickoff of the second half and quickly drives into field goal range.  The drive stalls, but Josh Lambert boots a 39-yard field goal to give WVU a seven-point lead.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 14 W. Virginia (Halftime)

OSU doesn't do much, and the clock runs out after one more punt.

It is 90 degrees in Stillwater today, and you have to wonder if the hot weather is slowing everyone down.  But whatever the cause, we are not seeing our usual Big XII shootout so far today.  OSU had 299 yards in the first half, while WVU had 250.  But OSU also had the only turnover of the game, so it's all very much up for grabs.  My guess is that WVU doesn't have enough firepower to impose its will on a pretty good OSU team so far from home, but we'll wait and see.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 14 W. Virginia (50 seconds left in 2d Quarter)

For once, it is not looking good for the people who took the over in this game.  WVU drives to midfield, but their offense stalls yet again, and they punt to the OSU 10.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 14 W. Virginia (3:33 left in 2d Quarter)

With momentum on its side, OSU drives deep into WVU territory.  But their drive stalls, and then Ben Grogan MISSES a 36-yard field goal that could have drawn OSU within one point of the lead.  Will that miss now cause momentum to swing back toward WVU?

Oklahoma St. 10 - 14 W. Virginia (7:04 left in 2d Quarter)

WVU's offense, which got off to such a good start, has simply stopped working.  Once again, the Mountaineers can't do much with the ball, and the punt down to the OSU 7.  For the first few minutes of this game, WVU seemed to have everything under control.  Now all the momentum is with OSU.

Oklahoma St. 10 - 14 W. Virginia (8:34 left in 2d Quarter)

I wanted WVU to go for it on 4th and 3 from the OSU 46, but they decided to punt.  On paper, the decision made sense, as OSU hadn't scored a touchdown in seven quarters.  But this is the Big XII, where the home team -- or any team -- can score at any time.  So sure enough, the Cowboys quickly go 90 yards, sparked in large part by a 52-yard run by Brandon Sheperd of St. Louis.  The touchdown came on a 9-yard pass from Daxx Garman of Carroll H.S. in Southlake, Tex. to Teddy Johnson of Coppell H.S. in Coppell, Tex.  Ben Grogan tacked on the extra point, and the Cowboys are right back in the game.

Oklahoma St. 3 - 14 W. Virginia (10:13 left in 2d Quarter)

WVU gets to the OSU 46, but their drive stalls, and they punt to the OSU 10.

Oklahoma St. 3 - 14 W. Virginia (14:11 left in 2d Quarter)

OSU finally puts together a nice drive, and they get to the WVU 24 before stalling.  Ben Grogan of Martin H.S. in Arlington, Tex. boots a 41-yard field goal to put the Cowboys on the board.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 14 W. Virginia (43 seconds left in 1st Quarter)

Suddenly defense has broken out in the Big XII.  Now WVU goes three and out, and they have to punt.  OSU will start at its own 44.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 14 W. Virginia (2:42 left in 1st Quarter)

The OSU announcers tell us that the Cowboy offense has not scored in six quarters, which is unbelievable in Big XII play.  Sure enough, the Cowboys go three and out, and they punt to the WVU 14.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 14 W. Virginia (4:13 left in 1st Quarter)

With a chance to really put the hammer down on OSU, the Mountaineers go three and out.  They punt, and the Cowboys will take over on their 31.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 14 W. Virginia (5:55 left in 1st Quarter)

OSU had a nice drive going, but a long pass is intercepted by Dravon Henry of Aliquippa H.S. in Aliquippa, Pa. (one of the great town names in America).  WVU will take over on its own 15 yard line.  The OSU radio announcers sound discouraged.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 14 W. Virginia (7:49 left in 1st Quarter)

So far, OSU does not look as though it has recovered from its blowout loss to Texas Christian last week.  West Virginia scores quickly, as Trickett hits Mario Alford (of Greenville, Ga.) on a slant pass and Alford outraces the OSU secondary, going 79 yards for WVU's second touchdown of the game.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 7 W. Virginia (9:09 left in the 1st Quarter)

OSU doesn't get very far, and they punt to the WVU 11.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 7 W. Virginia (10:29 left in 1st Quarter)

Well, that was easy.  West Virginia takes less than two minutes to drive 68 yards for a touchdown, scoring on a 19-yard pass from Clint Trickett (of Tallahassee, Fla.) to Kevin White (of Plainfield, N.J.). Josh Lambert of Garland H.S. in Garland, Tex. boots the extra point and the Eers have a seven-point lead.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 0 W. Virginia (12:19 left in 1st Quarter)

OSU drove to the WVU 38, but they are stopped on downs and the Mountaineers take over.

Oklahoma St. 0 - 0 W. Virginia (15 minutes left in 1st Quarter)

OK, it's time for kickoff on a clear, sunny day in Stillwater.  Oklahoma State is wearing old-school uniforms:  white helmets with an orange bucking-bronco logo, orange jerseys with white numerals, and white pants with orange and black stripes.  West Virginia is wearing yellow helmets with the navy WV logo, white jerseys with navy numerals (in their weird, sixties-NASCAR-style font), and yellow pants.  Not a great pair of uniforms, but believe me these two teams could look much worse.

West Virginia wins the toss and defers to the second half.  Oklahoma State decides to take the opening kickoff.  The kickoff goes through the end zone and OSU will start on the 25.

Oklahoma St. v. W. Virginia

Well, things have gotten wacky in the Big XII, and the Unofficial College Football Championship has been swept up in that madness.  Since conference play began, the UCFC holder has taken the Big Gold Trophy on the road for four games in a row.  Here's how it's gone (home teams listed first):

9/20:  W. Virginia 33 - 45 (4) Oklahoma
9/27:  Texas Christian 37 - 33 (4) Oklahoma
10/11:  (5) Baylor 61 - 58 (9) Texas Christian
10/18:  W. Virginia 41 - 27 (4) Baylor

So that's three consecutive losses by top-10 teams on the road, and each of those losses handed the UCFC to a new team.  Meanwhile, the Big XII standings were further scrambled when Kansas State upset Oklahoma 31-30 last week in Norman.  Going into today's play, the Big XII looks like this:

(11) Kansas State:  3-0, 5-1
W. Virginia:  3-1, 5-2
(12) Baylor:  3-1, 6-1
Oklahoma St:  3-1, 5-2
(10) Texas Christian:  2-1, 5-1
(17) Oklahoma:  2-2, 5-2
Texas:  2-2, 3-4
Texas Tech:  1-3, 3-4
Iowa State:  0-4, 2-5
Kansas:  0-4, 2-5

After beating each other up for the last few weeks, it now appears that the Big XII may be on the outside looking in when the new playoff games kick off on New Year's Day.

But the folks in West Virginia and Oklahoma State are not thinking about the playoffs right now.  The Mountaineers have won three games in a row and have only lost to Alabama and Oklahoma.  OSU has only lost to Number-2 Florida State and Number-10 Texas Christian -- although they were humiliated (42-9) by the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth last week.  But the Cowboys are back home today, and both WVU and OSU are still on pace to reach a very good bowl if they can keep winning.  So this is a huge, huge game -- not only because of the UCFC, but for what it will mean inside the Big XII.

This is only the sixth meeting between the Mountaineers and the Cowboys, and WVU leads the all-time series 3-2.  Last year, in Morgantown, WVU beat OSU 30-21 -- but the year before, in Stillwater, OSU won 55-34.  (One thing that never changes in the Big XII -- lots and lots of points).

Vegas sees this game as a pick-em, with an over-under of 66 points.  Personally, I will be surprised if these teams combine for fewer than 66 points.  But I agree that the game itself could go either way.

W. Virginia 41 - 27 Baylor (Final)

I didn't see this game, but I'm not surprised that West Virginia -- who is traditionally very tough at home -- knocked off previously-undefeated Baylor, giving us our fourth UCFC champion in the last four weeks.  Now the Mountaineers have to go on the road, as they face a tricky game in Stillwater against Oklahoma State.  Will we see another new champion next week?

W. Virginia v. Baylor

This is a huge game, both for the teams and for the Big Gold Trophy.  The Baylor Bears, ranked number 4 in the country by the Associated Press, are 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big XII.  They also have the momentum of a miraculous, come-from-behind victory at home to knock off Texas Christian and take the UCFC.  If they win this game, they will take the trophy back home for a game with Kansas on November 1.  If they win that game -- and they would be heavily favored -- then they will take the trophy up to Norman, Oklahoma for a showdown with the Sooners.  Whoever wins that game will probably go undefeated for the rest of the year, win the Big XII, and take the trophy to the NCAA football playoff.

But it is by no means certain that Baylor will beat West Virginia.  The Mountaineers have their own momentum, as they rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Texas Tech 37-34 down in Lubbock.  This will be West Virginia's third game of the year against a team ranked in the AP top five, and while they lost the two prior games, they put up game efforts against both Alabama (23-33) and Oklahoma (33-45).  Those are their only two losses, leaving them 2-1 in the Big XII and 4-2 overall.  And they will be tough at home, as they always are.

The folks in Vegas expect Baylor to win another high-scoring contest.  They have installed Baylor as an 8-point favorite with an over-under line of 80.  That would work out to a 44-36 victory for the Bears, which still seems a little bit low-scoring to me.  Given how shaky Baylor's defense looked last Saturday, I would not be surprised by a West Virginia win.  Given how quickly Baylor can score, I wouldn't be surprised if the oddsmakers were right.  This is a very difficult game to predict.

I will not be live-blogging this game, as I will be attending a showdown in the Southern Athletic Association between the Sewanee Tigers and the Centre Colonels.  But we will have a post-game report sometime next week.

Baylor 61 - 58 Texas Christian (Final)

Baylor ends the second half the same way it ended the first half -- with a field goal.  Chris Callahan boots the ball through the uprights one more time, and BAYLOR HAS REGAINED THE UNOFFICIAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP!

Texas Christian blows a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter, and loses the UCFC after a single week.  The Frogs' all-time record in UCFC play is 31-19-6.  Meanwhile, Baylor takes over the crown that it held for most of last season, and their UCFC record is now 28-19-3.

Next week, the Big Gold Trophy goes back to Morgantown, West Virginia.

Baylor 58 - 58 Texas Christian (19 seconds left in 4th Quarter)

Baylor picks up a first down at the Texas Christian 12.  They are going to win the game and the UCFC.  Texas Christian, which gave Baylor three points at the end of the first half by snapping the ball over their punter's head, and which blew a 21 point lead in the 4th quarter, can have no complaints.  The Horned Frogs had this game won and they gave it away.

Baylor 58 - 58 Texas Christian (27 seconds left in 4th Quarter)

Facing a 4th and long from the Texas Christian 43, Bryce Petty hurled a long pass down the sideline.  The pass was broken up by Texas Christian, but the officials called pass interference.  On ABC, Todd Blackledge thought it was a terrible call.  I agree with him, but at this point I just want this game to end in regulation.

Baylor 58 - 58 Texas Christian (1:11 left in 4th Quarter)

To their credit, the Horned Frogs went for it on 4th and 3.  To their blame, they tried that stupid lob play where you loft the ball toward the sidelines and create a jump ball, hoping that the refs will call pass interference on the other team.  Given that this was the most important play of the game, and that the game is being played on Baylor's home field, you will not be surprised to learn that pass interference was not called.  Baylor takes over at its own 42.

Baylor 58 - 58 Texas Christian (1:17 left in 4th Quarter)

With 1:20 left, Texas Christian faced a 4th and 8 at the 50.  They were going to punt -- a decision that strike me as insane, given how bad their defense is playing.  But Baylor was called for having too many men on the field.  This gave Texas Christian a 4th and 3 at the 45.  At this point, Texas Christian looked like they were going to go for it.  Instead, they called time.  Then they sent out the punting team again -- and then CALLED TIME.  What are they doing?  What are they thinking about?  They HAVE TO GO FOR IT -- if they punt to Baylor, they will lose in regulation.

Baylor 58 - 58 Texas Christian (4:42 left in 4th Quarter)

Well, that punt worked out about as well as I expected.  Baylor goes 91 yards in less than a minute, scoring on a 25 yard pass from Petty to a wide-open Corey Coleman.  Here are Petty's numbers at this point in the game:  28 of 53, 511 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.  It's like watching someone play a video game.

Baylor's only mistake was scoring so quickly.  Can their defense hold?

Baylor 51 - 58 Texas Christian (5:40 left in 4th Quarter)

Just a disastrous possession for the Horned Frogs, who only go six yards on three plays.  To me, it's insane for the Frogs to punt, given the recent performance of their defense.  But they're going to give their defense at least one more chance, and they punt the ball to the Baylor 9.

Baylor 51 - 58 Texas Christian (6:39 left in 4th Quarter)

Well, it was clearly a mistake to brag on Texas Christian's defense, because that defense has now collapsed.  Baylor goes 91 yards with almost no effort, topping off the drive with a 28-yard pass from Bryce Petty to Antwan Goodley.

Texas Christian is going to get the ball, and now they pretty much have to score if they want to win this game in regulation.

Baylor 44 - 58 Texas Christian (8:02 left in 4th Quarter)

Texas Christian takes the kickoff, moves out to midfield, but can't get any further.  They punt, and the Bears will take over on their own 9.  But, again, does it really matter where Baylor starts?

Baylor 44 - 58 Texas Christian (10:39 left in 4th Quarter)

With a three-touchdown lead, Texas Christian's defense eased up somewhat, so they don't have that lead any more.  Baylor quickly zipped down the field, scoring on a 7 yard run by Devin Chafin of Buckbunnett H.S. in Buckbunnett, Tex.  As they say in the Big XII, it's not over 'til it's over.

Baylor 37 - 58 Texas Christian (11:38 left in 4th Quarter)

Texas Christian's defense has actually played well in the second half of these last two games.  Against Oklahoma, the Frogs' defense allowed only 7 points in the second half, and scored a pick-six touchdown of its own.  Now, in this game, Marcus Mallet of Cleveland H.S. in Cleveland, Tex. picked off a Bryce Petty pass at the Baylor 49 and dashed ALL THE WAY FOR A PICK SIX TOUCHDOWN.  The Horned Frogs now have a 21-point lead in Waco against the number 5 team in the nation.  This is a very impressive performance so far.

Baylor 37 - 51 Texas Christian (14:29 left in 4th Quarter)

Well, that didn't take long.  Aaron Green of San Antonio, Tex. dashes into the end zone from six yards out, and Texas Christian regains its 14-point lead.

Back to Baylor.

Baylor 37 - 44 Texas Christian (15 minutes left in 4th Quarter)

With first and 10 from its own 32, Texas Christian goes for the double-reverse pass.  The ball ends up in the hands of Cameron Echols-Luper of Auburn H.S. in Auburn, Ala.  He gets a key block from Trevone Boykin (the Frogs' outstanding quarterback), and hurls the ball FIFTY-NINE YARDS to B.J. Catalon, who makes a great catch and goes down at the Baylor 9.

Baylor 37 - 44 Texas Christian (35 seconds left in 3d Quarter)

Facing a must-score situation, Baylor does, in fact, score.  Bryce Petty quickly moved the Bears to the Texas Christian 46, and then heaved a perfect touchdown pass to a wide-open Jay Lee of Allen H.S. in Allen, Tex.

So the Bears have held serve, and now the ball goes back to Texas Christian -- although given the state of defense in the Big XII, I don't understand why they don't onside kick every time.

Baylor 30 - 44 Texas Christian (2:15 left in 3d Quarter)

The game is moving very quickly now.  Baylor could do anything, punted, and then Texas Christian zipped right back into field goal range.  Their drive stalled, but their third field goal of the game has given the Frogs a two-touchdown lead.

Baylor 30 - 41 Texas Christian (3:53 left in 3d Quarter)

On the last possession, Baylor held Texas Christian inside its own 10.  But this time, Texas Christian quickly drove 70 yards for yet another touchdown, scoring on a two-yard run by Trevorris Johnson of Alief Taylor H.S. in Houston.  For the first time in awhile, Texas Christian has a lead of more than one possession.

Oh, once again we see that the over/under line was crossed before the fourth quarter began.

Baylor 30 - 34 Texas Christian (5:23 left in 3d Quarter)

Baylor takes the kickoff, and quickly moves back into Horned Frog territory.  But the drive stalls, and the Bears have to settle for a field goal.  Now Texas Christian will get the ball.  Can they hold serve?

Baylor 27 - 34 Texas Christian (8:42 left in 3d Quarter)

On third and goal from the 3, Texas Christian tried that stupid lob pass to the corner that almost never works, and Boykin threw it well out of bounds.  So the Frogs settle for a field goal that bumps their lead up to seven points.  But that goal-line stand will feel good to Baylor fans.

Baylor 27 - 31 Texas Christian (8:50 left in 3d Quarter)

Baylor's defense holds for two more plays.  Facing third and goal at the 3, the Horned Frogs call time.

Baylor 27 - 31 Texas Christian (9:51 left in 3d Quarter)

On third and goal from the 9, Baylor is called for pass interference again.  Now Texas Christian will have first and goal at the 2.

Baylor 27 - 31 Texas Christian (10:48 left in 3d Quarter)

Texas Christian appeared to score a touchdown on its first play after the interception -- despite pass interference by Baylor -- but on review the officials held that the pass was incomplete.  Texas Christian will have first and goal at the Baylor 8.

Baylor 27 - 31 Texas Christian (10:56 left in the 3d Quarter)

Bryce Petty, the remarkable Baylor quarterback, was scrambling to make a play, when he decided to throw a pass into coverage near the sideline.  This was a mistake, as the pass was INTERCEPTED by Kevin White of Stony Point H.S. in Round Rock, Tex.  White took the ball from the Baylor 29 to the Baylor 23, where Texas Christian will have a golden opportunity to pad its lead.

Baylor 27 - 31 Texas Christian (12:11 left in 3d Quarter)

The Horned Frogs took the kickoff to start the second half, and they had a pretty good drive going until they hurt themselves with a penalty for pass interference.  The drive subsequently stalled at the Baylor 39, and with a 4th and 8 they punted down to the Baylor 11.  I would have gone for it, as I don't think it matters much where Baylor gets the ball.

Baylor 27 - 31 Texas Christian (Halftime)

Unbelievable.  Texas Christian took over on its own 48 with only 25 seconds left in the first half.  Remarkably, they ran three plays and still had 8 seconds left in the half.  Since they didn't get very far, they decided to punt.  But the punt was SNAPPED OVER THE PUNTER'S HEAD.  Suddenly there was a wild scramble for the ball.  With one second left in the half, a Baylor player fell on the ball at the Texas Christian 11.  The Bears then used their one remaining second to boot a field goal.  And with that, the half finally comes to an end.

I don't think anyone can realistically predict what's going to happen in this game.  It's been wild so far.

Baylor 24 - 31 Texas Christian (25 seconds left in 2d Quarter)

Remarkably, the Texas Christian defense holds.  Baylor punts, and the Frogs take over at their own 48.

Baylor 24 - 31 Texas Christian (1:38 left in 2d Quarter)

This time, the Frogs don't even need to put their offense on the field.  B.J. Catalon takes the kickoff AND GOES 94 YARDS FOR A TOUCHDOWN to restore Texas Christian's lead.

But, of course, Baylor gets one more shot before the half.

Baylor 24 - 24 Texas Christian (1:49 left in 2d Quarter)

The Big XII, ladies and gentlemen!

Baylor does not need to bother with any sort of two minute offense.  Instead, after moving the ball out to their own 31, they simply have Bryce Petty hurl a 69-yard bomb to K.D. Cannon of Mount Pleasant H.S. in Mount Pleasant, Tex.  So we're all tied up.  But Texas Christian gets one more shot before the half.

Baylor 17 - 24 Texas Christian (2:44 left in 2d Quarter)

Another very solid drive from the Frogs, who move down to the Baylor 22 before being stopped.  Jaden Oberkrom kicks a 39-yard field goal, and Texas Christian has a 7-point lead.  But Baylor will get another shot before halftime.

Baylor 17 - 21 Texas Christian (5:09 left in 2d Quarter)

The Bears cannot take advantage of their good field position.  They run four plays and gain eight yards.  Under the rules of football, that means you have to give the ball to the other team.  Texas Christian will take over at its own 32.

Baylor 17 - 21 Texas Christian (5:46 left in 2d Quarter)

Now momentum has swung to the Bears.  Their defense rises up and stops Texas Christian.  The Frogs then have a terrible 26-yard punt that bounces backward and is downed at the Texas Christian 40.  Baylor now has a golden opportunity to take the lead.

Baylor 17 - 21 Texas Christian (7:07 left in 2d Quarter)

Baylor holds serve, going 69 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown of their own.  The score came on a 29-yard pass from Petty to Corey Coleman of Pearce H.S. in Richardson, Tex.  Petty is now 11-23 for 219 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Baylor 10 - 21 Texas Christian (10:15 left in 2d Quarter)

Texas Christian responds to the Baylor score with a very impressive drive of its own, going 91 yards on 15 plays in the teeth of a fired-up Bear defense that was supported by a vociferous crowd.  Trevone Boykin continues to impress; he is now 9 of 19 for 162 yards.  He leads the Frogs down to the Baylor 9, from which B.J. Catalon dashes in for his second touchdown of the day.  Baylor is exceedingly difficult to beat at home, but Texas Christian is really giving it the old college try.

Baylor 10 - 14 Texas Christian (2 seconds left in 1st Quarter)

Baylor zips down the field as usual, but this time their drive stalls at the Texas Christian 5.  Chris Callahan -- he of the Second Baptist School -- kicks a field goal to bring the Bears to within 4.

To give you a sense of the speed with which these teams play, consider that the two quarterbacks combined to throw 28 passes in the first quarter.

Baylor 7 - 14 Texas Christian (1:23 left in 2d Quarter)

Texas Christian takes the kickoff, can do nothing, and punt to the Baylor 37.

Baylor 7 - 14 Texas Christian (2:03 left in 1st Quarter)

Well, these three-and-outs couldn't last.  That old UCFC hero, Bryce Petty of Midlothian H.S. in Midlothian, Tex., hurls a 66-yard touchdown pass to Antwan Goodley of Midland H.S. in Midland, Tex.  Chris Callahan of Second Baptist School in Houston boots the extra point.

Baylor 0 - 14 Texas Christian (2:38 left in 1st Quarter)

And now the Frogs go three and out again.  They punt to the Baylor 23.

Baylor 0 - 14 Texas Christian (3:59 left in 1st Quarter)

Back and forth we go.  The Bears go three and out, and they punt to the Texas Christian 27.

Baylor 0 - 14 Texas (5:35 left in 1st Quarter)

The Frogs cannot add to their lead.  They go three and out, and punt to the Baylor 15.

Baylor 0 - 14 Texas Christian (6:53 left in 1st Quarter)

The Bears can do nothing, and they punt to the Texas Christian 32.  The Frogs could put them in a big hole -- even by Big XII standards -- with a score here.

Baylor 0 - 14 Texas Christian (7:40 left in 1st Quarter)

Well, that didn't take long.  Texas Christian zips down the field, and scores on a 3-yard run by B.J. Catalon of Westside H.S. in Houston.  The Frogs look really great so far.

Baylor 0 - 7 Texas Christian (8:21 left in 1st Quarter)

Baylor took the kickoff and was on the move, but the Bears FUMBLE at the Texas Christian 34.  Frogs take over.

Baylor 0 - 7 Texas Christian (9:32 left in 1st Quarter)

OK, here we go.  Texas Christian goes straight down the field, scoring on a 35-yard pass from Trevone Boykin of West Mesquite H.S. in Dallas to Kolby Listenbee of Bowie H.S. in Arlington, Tex.  Jaden Oberkrom of Martin H.S. in Arlington, Tex. booted the extra point, and the Frogs have an early lead.  If I know the Big XII, that lead is not safe.

Baylor 0 - 0 Texas Christian (12 minutes left in 1st Quarter)

We don't have Gus Johnson and FOX this week, as this game is on ABC.  I wanted to hear the Texas Christian radio network, but their (excellent) broadcast does not appear to be available online unless you pay some type of subscription.  On the other hand, you can stream the Baylor broadcast for free.  So I'm rolling with the Bears.  Their radio people are also very good.

Baylor took the opening kickoff and drove down to the Texas Christian 34, but could go no further.  The Bears take over on downs.

Uniform watch:  Baylor has shiny gold helmets with the BU logo, dark green shirts with gold numerals, and dark green pants.  Texas Christian has their purple helmet with TCU and the horned frog, white jerseys with purple numerals in some type of faux-military font, and white pants.  A reasonably traditional look from both of these ancient sides.

Baylor v. Texas Christian

We are very familiar with these two programs, as they have both been very active in UCFC play of late.  Baylor recently held the title for a full calendar year -- from a 54-24 win over Kansas State on November 17, 2012 until a 49-17 defeat by Oklahoma State on November 23, 2013.  The Bears won 13 UCFC games in a row during that stretch, and scored over 40 points in all but one of those games.  Now they're back with a new football stadium and a chance to take the title from their ancient rivals in Fort Worth.  Here's what Baylor has done so far this year (home teams in bold):

8/31:  Baylor 45, Southern Methodist 0
9/6:  Baylor 70, Northwestern St. 6
9/12:  Baylor 63, Buffalo 21
9/27:  Baylor 49, Iowa St. 28
10/4:  Baylor 28, Texas 7

Those five impressive wins have zoomed Baylor up to number 5 in the AP poll.

But Texas Christian is also doing well.  Check out this record (home teams in bold):

8/30:  Texas Christian 48, Samford 14
9/13:  Texas Christian 30, Minnesota 7
9/27:  Texas Christian 56, Southern Methodist 0
10/4:  Texas Christian 37, Oklahoma 33

And those results have Texas Christian at number 9 in the AP Poll.

So, on a day when the Eyes of Texas are normally focused on the Cotton Bowl for the big game between OU and You Tee, the folks from Baylor and Texas Christian are the ones who get to see top-10 match-up that is also a UCFC battle.  This is an extraordinary development.  For decades, Baylor and Texas Christian were overshadowed by the larger public schools.  Now they get the spotlight to themselves.

And that's great, because these two teams have a phenomenal rivalry all their own.  In the 19th century, there was a bitter ideological division between the Restorationist types who founded Texas Christian and the Baptists who started Baylor.  Furthermore, Texas Christian was in Waco (home of Baylor) from 1895-1910, moving to Fort Worth only after a big fire destroyed its main building.  Texas Christian and Baylor are separated by only 87 miles of I-35 -- a short drive in the context of the Lone Star State.  They were both long-time members of the Southwest Conference, and they have played each other 109 times.  The all-time record in the series is 51-51-7.  You can't get much closer than that.

This will be the seventh time that Baylor and Texas Christian have battled for the UCFC.  Most of those match-ups took place in the 1930's, when the Big Gold Trophy stayed down in Texas for most of the decade.  The Bears and Frogs are 3-3 in UCFC games.

11/3/1928:  Baylor 7, Texas Christian 6
11/23/1929:  Texas Christian 34, Baylor 7
11/4/1933:  Baylor 7, Texas Christian 0
10/30/1937:  Baylor 6 ,Texas Christian 0
10/29/1938:  Texas Christian 39, Baylor 7 (the 1938 Frogs won the AP national championship)
10/26/1991:  Baylor 26, Texas Christian 9

Vegas has Baylor as a 7-point favorite, with an over/under line of 65.  That would work out to a final score of 36-29 -- which still seems a little low for a Big XII game with two high-powered offenses.  But if the oddsmakers are right, this page will be a different color tomorrow.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (Final)

Knight's Hail Mary pass sails over everyone and lands outside the end zone.  The GAME IS OVER!  WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!  THE TEXAS CHRISTIAN HORNED FROGS ARE THE UNOFFICIAL CHAMPIONS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL!

Texas Christian takes the title for the first time since 1991, and the Frogs are now 31-18-6 in UCFC play.  Texas Christian will now take the Big Gold Trophy to Waco for a showdown with Baylor.

Oklahoma falls to 32-17-1 in these games.  The Sooners will have to hope that they can get another shot at the UCFC before the season is over.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (5 seconds left in 4th Quarter)

OU is at the Texas Christian 46.  This will be the last play of the game.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (51 seconds left in 4th Quarter)

Texas Christian cannot run out the clock, and the Frogs punt to the OU 29.  This really is OU's last chance.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (3:09 left in 4th Quarter)

On fourth and one from the Texas Christian 22, Oklahoma gives the ball to Samaje Perine -- their bread and butter throughout the last two games.  Just as Perine was about to reach the line of scrimmage, however, Marcus Mallett -- a linebacker from Cleveland H.S. in Cleveland, Tex. -- came blasting through a gap in the line, hitting Perine low.  Perine struggled forward, but fell SHORT OF THE FIRST DOWN.

Oklahoma has no time outs left, so Texas Christian now has a golden chance to run out the clock and grab that big gold trophy.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (3:21 left in 4th Quarter)

Down to what is probably their last chance, the Sooners have abandoned the passing attack and run the ball six times in a row.  They now have a 4th and 1 at the Texas Christian 22.  What will they do now?

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (5:49 left in 4th Quarter)

Unbelievable!  Seeking to run some time off the clock, Boykin carries the ball out to the Texas Christian 46 -- and FUMBLES!  OU RECOVERS!  Three turnovers in four plays!  THIS GAME ISN'T OVER YET!

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (6:07 left in 4th Quarter)

On first and 10 from the Texas Christian 21, OU tried Perine -- but the Texas Christian defense was waiting and swarmed him for a loss.  On second down, Knight through another off-line pass -- and it was INTERCEPTED by Chris Hackett of John Tyler H.S. in Tyler, Tex.  Hackett scooted all the way out to the Texas Christian 34.  Huge sighs of relief throughout Fort Worth.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (6:55 left in 4th Quarter)

But just as Texas Christian appeared to have the game under control, their quarterback -- Trevone Boykin -- who has been excellent throughout this game, FUMBLES the ball!  OU takes over at the Texas Christian 22.  Can the Sooners pull this game out after all?

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (7:02 left in 4th Quarter)

OU Quarterback Knight simply cannot make the throws OU needs to keep its drive going.  The Sooners are forced to punt, and Texas Christian will take over at its own 20.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (7:54 left in 4th Quarter)

Well, this drive has the feel of Oklahoma's last, best chance.  The Sooners are relying more on Perine, but Knight has made one key throw to keep the drive going.  So far they have moved out to their own 39, where they face a 2d and 10.  They have called time.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (11:31 left in 4th Quarter)

But no, the Frogs cannot do anything.  They go three and out, and punt down to the OU 13.  The Sooners desperately need a score to keep the Big Gold Trophy, but their offense has stalled.  What will they do now?

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (13:05 left in 4th Quarter)

For whatever reason, the OU coaching staff has given up on their running game, and they are now having Knight pass on almost every play.  Unfortunately, as I explained in my last entry, he can't actually complete these passes.  This OU possession ended very quickly -- two incomplete passes (Knight is now 9 of 26 for the game) and a sack.  The Sooners punted, and Texas Christian takes over at its own 31.  The Frogs can now put Oklahoma in a very deep hole.

Texas Christian 37 - 33 Oklahoma (14:12 left in 4th Quarter)

On Fox, they pointed out that one reason that the OU offense has broken down is that Trevor Knight, the OU quarterback, has become less accurate as the game has gone on.  Knight was 9 of 23 for the game, and his incompletions are a big reason that OU has had to punt on its last two possessions.  So with the Sooners facing 3d and 2 at their own 46, I thought the Sooners might go with their running game.  Instead, they had Knight try another pass -- and this one was intercepted in the Sooner backfield by Paul Dawson, a senior linebacker from Dallas.  Dawson happily ran 41 yards for a touchdown to put Texas Christian on top.

But then, the Texas Christian extra point was blocked, and OU scooped up the ball and ran it the length of the field for a safety.  So instead of being up 38-31, Texas Christian leads 37-33.  But the Frogs have  momentum on their side.

Texas Christian 31 - 31 Oklahoma (14:51 left in 4th Quarter)

The OU defense holds, and Texas Christian gets off a weak punt that goes out of bounds at the OU 38.

Texas Christian 31 - 31 Oklahoma (55 seconds left in 3d Quarter)

Great job by the Texas Christian defense, which forces another punt.  The Frogs take over at their own 24.

Texas Christian 31 - 31 Oklahoma (2:18 left in 3d Quarter)

Disaster for the Frogs!  Instead of going for the first down on 4th and 1, Texas Christian goes for a relatively easy field goal.  But Oberkrom pulls his kick wide to the left -- no good!  OU takes over at the Texas Christian 20.

Texas Christian 31 - 31 Oklahoma (2:23 left in 3d Quarter)

Texas Christian, as usual, has zipped down the field.  But now the Frogs face a 4th and 1 at the OU 15.  What will they do?

Texas Christian 31 - 31 Oklahoma (5:39 left in 3d Quarter)

A service break for Texas Christian!  The Horned Frogs force a punt, and take over the ball at their own 39.

Texas Christian 31 - 31 Oklahoma (6:48 left in 3d Quarter)

But Texas Christian won't go away!  The Horned Frogs take the OU kickoff and storm down the field, scoring their fourth touchdown of the day on a 29-yard pass from Boykin to Deante Gray of Westside H.S. in Houston.  So back and forth we go, with both teams desperately striving to capture that Big Gold Trophy.

If you took the over on that over/under line of 57, you're already a big winner.

Texas Christian 24 - 31 Oklahoma (9:28 left in 3d Quarter)

I told you that Texas Christian would regret settling for a field goal the last time they had the ball.  That put them up 24-21, but since then Oklahoma has had two possessions in a row.  At the end of the first half, OU kicked a field goal to tie the game.  At the beginning of the second half, the Sooners drove the length of the field, and Samaje Perine blasted over from about 7 yards out for his third rushing touchdown of the game, and his seventh in the last two games.  Gus Johnson is now referring to him as "the Tank."

Texas Christian 24 - 24 Oklahoma (Halftime)

In the last possession of the half, OU drove deep into Texas Christian territory -- but their drive stalled and they settled for a field goal on the last play of the half.  So, for the second game in a row, the Sooners are tied at 24 on the road in a tough conference battle.  If the 2014 Sooners want to achieve greatness, they will need to crank it up in the second half.  But Texas Christian is also under pressure -- can they continue to match the Sooners, or have they blown their chance to break this game open?

Uniform watch:  the Sooners are back to their classic road uniforms today, and they look excellent as usual.  Texas Christian has a purple helmet with the TCU and Horned Frog logos, black shirts with purple sleeves and hideous numerals, and purple pants.

This game is being broadcast on Fox, so we have Gus Johnson again on the mike.

Texas Christian 24 - 21 Oklahoma (1:59 left in 2d Quarter)

In the time it took me to type that last entry, Texas Christian drove into field goal range, but for once they were stopped short of a touchdown.  Instead, Jason Oberkrom booted a 31-yard field goal, which is like a turnover in the Big XII.

Texas Christian 21 - 21 Oklahoma (5:33 left in 2d Quarter)

You have to wonder about the hopeful folks who take the under on Big XII football games.  I mean, somewhere there must have been a lot of people who believed -- really believed, enough to put money behind that belief -- that Oklahoma and Texas Christian would combine for less than 57 points.  What sort of thinking, I wonder, went into that analysis?

Anyway, I had to miss the beginning of this game due to Saturday-type errands (haircuts, a car wash, and the like), and tuned in to see that the Sooners and the Horned Frogs had opened this game with the usual barrage of Big XII points.  Here's what happened:

With 10:15 left in the first quarter, Texas Christian jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a plunge by their quarterback, Trevor Boykin of West Mesquite H.S. in Dallas.  (Boykin fumbled into the end zone, and the ball was recovered by Cliff Murphy, a tight end from Little Elm H.S. in Little Elm, Tex.  Jaden Oberkrom of Martin H.S. in Arlington, Tex. added the point after touchdown.

With 6:42 left in the first quarter, Texas Christian boosted their lead to 14-0 after a seven-yard run by B.J. Catalon of Westside H.S. in Houston.

With 4:10 left in the first quarter, Oklahoma cut the lead to 14-7 thanks to a one-yard run by Samaje Perine, their excellent freshman running back from Hendrickson H.S. in Pflugerville, Tex.  (Michael Hunnicutt of Pearce H.S. in Richardson, Tex.

With 53 seconds left in the first quarter, Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight of Reagan H.S. in San Antonio, Tex. hurled a 75-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepherd of Heritage Hall H.S. in Oklahoma City, Okla.  So after one quarter the score was tied at 14.

With 12:30 left in the second quarter, Texas Christian regained the lead, scoring on a 39-yard pass from Boykin to Oberkrom.  21-14 to the Frogs.

And with 5:33 left in the second quarter, Oklahoma responded with a 1-yard run by Perine for his second touchdown of the day.  So now we're all tied at 21.  Welcome to the Big XII.

Texas Christian v. Oklahoma

Texas Christian University has had an odd schedule so far.  First they beat Samford 48-14.  Then they took a week off.  Then they drilled Minnesota 30-7.  Then they took a week off.  Then they went across to Dallas and pounded Southern Methodist, 56-0.  So that's three blowout wins (against pretty weak opposition) and two byes.  Given that background, it's really hard to know how good Texas Christian is.  The AP voters don't really know what to do with Texas Christian, so they have slotted them at number 25.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, is coming off a big win at West Virginia and a bye -- not to mention last year's Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama.  The voters like them much better -- the Sooners are number 3 in the latest polls.  But this is a huge game for Oklahoma.  If the Sooners can win today, they will only have two road games left for the rest of the year -- at Iowa State and at Texas Tech, neither of which is ranked.  In other words, OU will have a pretty decent chance to go undefeated in the regular season, win the Big XII title, and take the UCFC into the NCAA Football Playoff.

But the Sooners can't think about any of that unless they beat the Horned Frogs.  OU leads the all-time series 9-4, but last year's game was very close -- a 20-17 Sooner victory at home in Norman, Okla.  Today, the oddsmakers like the Sooners by only 4 points in a game with 57 total points.  That would come out to an Oklahoma win by something like 31-27.  If that's the result, this will be a very entertaining game.