By John Shinn

Transcript Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was bitterly cold at Arrowhead Stadium Saturday night, but No. 8 Oklahoma can throw those heavy coats in the back of the closet. They won’t be needed until next season.

Glendale, Ariz., doesn’t require that kind of outerwear.

The Sooners punched out No. 19 Nebraska 21-7 to claim their fourth Big 12 Championship since 2000 and secure a berth to the Fiesta Bowl.

However, the bruising running game that had plowed OU’s way into the postseason was nearly non-existent.

Instead, quarterback Paul Thompson and wide receiver Malcolm Kelly led the way.

Thompson threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Kelly was on the receiving end of both touchdowns and finished with a Big 12 Championship game record 10 catches and 142 yards.

It was hardly the route most expected the Sooners to take, but they’ve become pretty adept at doing the unexpected.

“People have doubted us all year and week in week out we’ve been dancing in the locker room,” Thompson said after Sooners claimed their eighth straight win.

After battling the loss of its preseason starting quarterback and Adrian Peterson’s broken collarbone, seeing nine Huskers crowded at the line of scrimmage didn’t seem like too big an obstacle.

“This team has a great will and determination,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “There’s a lot of different ways to win and I think this team has found that. We just make plays when we have to.”

They did it over and over again Saturday.

Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor threw for 282 yards and was 23-for-50 passing, but the Norman native also threw three interceptions. He’d only thrown four picks in 12 regular-season games.

The Huskers could only muster 84 yards on the ground.