Texas QB Quinn Ewers sets Big 12 title game record in dominant win
Thanks to a historic performance by quarterback Quinn Ewers, Texas is headed to the SEC as Big 12 champions.
Texas pounded Oklahoma State, 49-21, in the Big 12 Championship game, securing its first conference title since 2009 in its final season as a Big 12 member.
Ewers was named MVP, finishing 35-of-46 for 452 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He set the Big 12 conference championship game record for yards in a game and was given the inaugural Big 12 championship belt from WWE's The Undertaker afterward.
Texas raced out to a 35-14 halftime lead with Ewers throwing four touchdowns. ESPN Stats & Info notes that's the most in a half in Big 12 title game history. He also finished with the third-most yards in a game in Longhorns program history.
Texas could join 2018 Ohio State as the only one-loss conference champion in the College Football Playoff era to fail to reach the semifinals due to potentially four undefeated champions in the ACC (Florida State), Big Ten (Michigan), Pac-12 (Washington) and SEC (Georgia).
Even if the Longhorns fail to make the playoffs, an earlier report on Saturday suggests their championship window isn't closing. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Ewers is trending toward returning to Texas next season instead of declaring for the NFL Draft.
That decision would significantly boost Texas as it moves to the SEC and increase its odds of making the 12-team playoff in 2024.
More must-reads: