STILLWATER, Okla. -- Chad Whitener galloped downfield with a convoy of Oklahoma State teammates escorting him toward the end zone. As the Cowboys linebacker veered toward the middle of the field before nonchalantly crossing the goal line late in the fourth quarter, the message was loud and clear.
Oklahoma State is a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.
The No. 14-ranked Cowboys hammered No. 8 TCU, 49-29, in a battle of Big 12 unbeatens at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday. And in doing so, Oklahoma State crashed the conference party that many people expected to feature the Horned Frogs and Baylor as the headliners.