Neither five-star quarterback could save Oklahoma's season on Saturday afternoon as the Sooners fell to Baylor 24-14 in a game where Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler were each benched for each other.
Williams, who has been Oklahoma's starter since leading a comeback victory over Texas earlier in the season, started the game, but he struggled to hit open receivers, couldn't seem to find a rhythm, and threw multiple interceptions.
With the Sooners trailing 17-7 midway through the third quarter, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley benched Williams in favor of former starter and preseason Heisman favorite Spencer Rattler.
It didn't work.
Rattler completed 4-of-6 passes for 36 yards, but the Sooners still couldn't move the ball on either of his possessions, leading to punts.
With Rattler unable to spark the offense and Baylor's lead growing to 24-7, Oklahoma went back to Williams who engineered a quick touchdown drive. But even if that did turn the tide, it was far too late as Baylor simply ran out the clock before kicking a late field goal as time expired to cap off a 27-14 win.
"That was for the Big 12 tiebreaker," Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said of the decision to kick a field goal with the lead as time expired. "We wanted to win by 10."
The Big 12 is the only FBS conference that uses scoring differential as a tiebreaker.
Rattler and Williams – both the top-rated quarterbacks in their respective recruiting classes when they signed with Oklahoma – finished a combined 14-for-25 passing for 182 yards with two interceptions and no passing touchdowns.
Oklahoma falls to 9-1 on the season. Given its strength of schedule, the loss likely eliminates the Sooners from College Football Playoff contention.
