“We kept getting that feeling we were going to bust a big play,” Taylor said, “but it didn’t happen.”

Nebraska had the ball on OU’s end of the field virtually all of the second half, but never came away with points.

“It was maybe one of our best defensive games,” Stoops said. “We came up with a lot of big plays, stops and turnovers when we really had to have them.”

It was that kind of night for the Huskers, who finished the regular season 9-4 and will face an SEC opponent in the Cotton Bowl. The clock had hardly started to tick before the miscues started digging their grave.

OU cornerback Marcus Walker stripped Nebraska’s Maurice Purify on the first play from scrimmage. Reggie Smith scooped up the fumble and returned it to the 2.

Allen Patrick, who rushed for just 35 yards on 15 carries, barreled into the end zone one play later to give the Sooners a 7-0 lead.

OU never trailed in the game and was on the verge of blowing the game open in the first quarter. Minutes later, Thompson hit Kelly for a 66-yard touchdown, giving the Sooners a 14-0 lead.

It turned out to be enough.

Nebraska’s only retort was a gift. Thompson threw an ill-advised pass from his own end zone, which Andrew Shanle swipped.

Three plays later Taylor hit Hunter Teafatiller for a 23-yard touchdown.

It was Thompson’s only bad decision on the night. Because with the running game spinning its wheels, the game was in his hands.

That was evident late in the third quarter.

The Sooners had a stretch of six straight series without a first down and every drive started inside their own 20.

They were backed up to their own 1 late in the third quarter when the string finally snapped. When it did, OU’s 40th conference title in its illustrious history followed.

Thompson hit freshman tight end Jermaine Gresham for a 35-yard gain on third down. Six completions later, he hit Kelly for a 3-yard TD and the game was on ice.