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OU-LSU quick-hitters: Sooners fight, survive (17-13), time for College Football Playoff?

Bob Przybyloby: Bob Przybylo11/30/25BPrzybylo

It’s OU in 2025, nothing could be easy. Nothing has been easy. But this team has always somehow, someway just found a way to do it.

Style points go out the window in November and definitely after Thanksgiving. And OU gets a zero in that department. But a W where it matters most.

The Sooners overcame a second half deficit to take down visiting LSU 17-13 in a thriller Saturday evening at Owen Field.

A wild one that featured all the momentum changes your heart can tolerate. OU, though, did what it had to do. Is the College Football Playoff next?

Your quick-hitters.

The Final Play

LSU was all out of timeouts. Fourth-and-two at the OU 29 yard line with 1:20 left. One stop for the OU defense, any Sooner fan would take that.

And Peyton Bowen with the pass deflection. Game, set, Sooners. Great pressure by Gracen Halton, and Bowen was there to make the play.

Sategna one more time, maybe Sooner Magic?

Of course, if it was going to be anybody, it had to be Isaiah Sategna. Down 13-10 under five minutes to go, it was Sategna for one more explosive play.

Nobody knows how Sategna was that wide open, but he was. A 58-yard touchdown reception that OU fans are going to remember forever.

A 13-10 deficit into a 17-13 advantage and time to ‘Jump Around’ in Norman.

Riding the Mateer wave

Oh man, how do you describe that game from quarterback John Mateer? A whole lot of bad, sprinkled in with some good. But head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle simply said this is your game, Johnny Boy.

This is your game, and Sategna and Burks are your guys. Mateer had thrown three interceptions before finding his rhythm. Or maybe his confidence. Well, whatever it was, it came on ‘right on time’ as Venables loves to say.

It was a 45-yard touchdown connection to Burks that evened the game at 10-10. And then it was Sategna who delivered the final shot.

Mateer’s line after all of that? He completed 23 of 38 passes for 318 yards with the two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Bowen comes up big, yep, once again

This could have gotten really weird really early. Mateer threw his first pick of the day early in the first quarter.

Give credit to Mateer for his effort in making the tackle. The fact he pushed Harold Perkins out at the 4 yard line gave the defense a chance.

A chance is all that group needs. Peyton Bowen, on the very next play, with the massive interception in the end zone for the touchback.

Something about the month of November and the Bowen boys.

Up next

Well, well, we do not know. No. 8 OU (10-2 overall, 6-2 SEC) must play the waiting game. The Sooners are not going to Atlanta and playing in the SEC championship. The College Football Playoff selection show is set for next Sunday, Dec. 7. Has OU done enough? And if so, will it be in Norman?

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