2021 Big 12 Championship Game History, But Who Picks Up? Baylor Says They Will
ARLINGTON, Texas – There were more references to the northeast corner of AT&T Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday’s first day of the 2022 Big 12 Football Media Days. Both of the teams that were in the 2021 Big 12 Championship Game, Baylor and Oklahoma State were among the five teams in the house on the first day. Dezmon Jackson who had the ball in his hands on that last play and was stopped inches from the goal line and the pylon in that corner is now at Sam Houston State. Jairon McVea made the game winning tackle and he has graduated.
However, there is plenty talk about that play and whether Oklahoma State can use it for motivation as Spencer Sanders and other Cowboys hinted on Wednesday. Baylor is hoping it is a signal and the start of more success especially in December in Arlington. Head coach Dave Aranda admits they could practice for championship moments some more.
“I want to say we called a time-out and we didn't have a time-out. I think that's probably the first thing. I don't know if I should be saying that< Aranda said of that play. “I think we called a defense that was for a certain personnel group, and they came out not in that personnel group, and there was some confusion. There was a fair amount of chaos on the sidelines. You could feel it. That whole drive, I have to imagine, if it felt like that where we're at, I can only imagine some Baylor alumni and Baylor fans sitting at home watching it on TV, kind of what it felt like in the living room.
“So, you could kind of feel something like this was coming, and we'd been in some games last year that were like that,” Aranda continued. “But you know, Jairon McVea, if there was a door to be opened, Jairon would open it. If there was trash on the ground, he would pick it up. If a meeting started at 8:00, he was there at 7:50. If it was -- if a meeting started at 8:00, he's there with his pencil and his paper open. He's always been that guy.”
Aranda will tell you he needs more guys like that to keep the Bears heading in the right direction. One of those is linebacker Dillon Doyle. Doyle has played in both the Big Ten and now the Big 12.
“For a long time in the Big 12 Oklahoma was the standard because they won all those championships in a row. We want to become that team in this conference,” Doyle started. “College nationwide Alabama is the standard, Alabama and Georgia are the teams with all those playoff appearances. We hope to become that. Those are high-minded goals, and we don’t take those lightly. We’re looking to grow and we know it is the daily disciplines that will get us there.”
I agree with his last sentence and I’m anxious to find out who has the most daily discipline. This could be a very close race, you know the kind decided by inches.