What the Heck Happened in Knoxville?

One of the crazier games we may see all year took place in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday evening.

In front of 100,000 fans and on national television, the Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers fought to the bitter end in a 2 overtime thriller.

Quite frankly, the first three quarters were about as boring as it gets. Especially if you are a Sooner fan.

Going into the game there was plenty of hype for both squads. Tennessee looking to prove to the nation that they are to be back in the national spotlight and compete for SEC championships again. Oklahoma looking to prove that they too were ready to be considered a contender in the BIG 12 and the playoff picture.

Just to briefly summarize the first three quarters of this contest..it was "blah." Tennessee scored 17 points and Oklahoma couldn't catch a break on offense.It seemed as if every time there was a positive play for the Sooners, a penalty would negate it. An untimely dropped pass here, a holding call there. All of it resulted in 3 points for 3 quarters and 7 minutes. Which is 52 minutes of actual gameplay without a touchdown. Crazy.

Credit OU's defense for playing tough and keeping them in the game, without their play the offense would have had ZERO chance to make the miraculous comeback in the 4th quarter. The defense held Tennessee to 68 total yards in the second half with 51 of those yards coming on the first two plays of the half.

OU was seemingly done.
Baker Mayfield threw his second interception of the afternoon to end the 3rd quarter and to a team that hadn't scored a touchdown all evening, 14 points seemed insurmountable.
I almost turned the channel.. I'm glad I didn't because what took place in the 4th quarter was nothing short of a miracle.
Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma offense sprung to life in the 4th quarter. Scoring their first touchdown of the game with 8:40 left after an amazing scramble and throw by Mayfield in the back of the endzone to running back Samaje Perine.
Now, instead of packing it in and heading home, the Sooners cut the lead in half making it 17-10 with 8 minutes left.

After ANOTHER defensive stop by OU,  the offense proceeded to get the ball back with 6 minutes left and a chance to tie with a touchdown. Unbelievable.
Mayfield once again grinded the offsense down the field and threw an incredible pass to Sterling Shepard in the corner of the endzone with 40 seconds left to tie the game at 17-17.


OVERTIME

Tennessee gets the ball first and scores a TD. Maybe its just not the Sooners night.
Mayfield again wouldn't be denied scoring on 4th & goal on a QB keeper.
We were all tied again at 24-24 and heading to a second overtime.
This time Oklahoma got the ball first and after a few run plays Baker Mayfield found Shepard on the sideline and Shepard took it all the way to the endzone.
There's the lead 31-24! No way Oklahoma should have been in this game yet here we are, one stop away from the Sooners running out of Rocky Top with a victory.
Zack Sanchez makes a great play on 3rd down and intercepts the pass sealing the victory for the Sooners. The most improbable and unlikely Sooner wins I have ever witnessed with my own eyes. Also a win that could catapult them into a 9-0 starts before facing Baylor, TCU, and OSU to finish the season.