Check another box off when it comes to Oklahoma. When it comes to the last month of the season, there has been a lot of good that has happened for the Sooners.

A lot of good with a big qualifier of what would happen once the competition improved, though. OU answered that emphatically with a 41-13 beatdown of Bedlam rival Oklahoma State on Saturday evening.

The Sooners have now won five in a row, and there are no ‘yea, buts’ to pass around anymore. This is not the same team that blew a 21-point lead twice in the second half to Kansas State. This is not the same group that couldn’t hold on in Ames against Iowa State.

The failures of the initial two games in conference aren’t erased, obviously, but it’s time to put them officially in the rear-view mirror.

“We talked about, all week, we didn't wanna come in ... people get into all this, well, you're defending something. Whether it's you won a championship in a previous year, or you won a rivalry game in a previous year, whatever,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “We're not defending anything. This is this year's team and this year's version, and whatever is in our sights, our goals, we're chasing those.

“We wanted to play tonight like we were the hunter and not the hunted. It was kind of our mindset all week, the way we played, coached, the whole thing. You can't come into big games like this against a great opponent and play conservative. And not that we have. We really wanted to emphasize that with our players, that we had to play aggressive, we had to go take it if you're gonna beat a good team like this, and we certainly did that.”

And they did it in a way that showed OU’s utter dominance against a talented Oklahoma State team. Whether it was Spencer Rattler and the passing game and 21-point first quarter. Or Rhamondre Stevenson wearing down the Cowboys in the fourth quarter, the offense brought it.

You could make the argument the defense was just as big of a story. From setting the tone to allowing under 250 yards of total offense, that corner continues to be turned by Alex Grinch’s group.

“We just wanted to prove we was top dog,” defensive end Ronnie Perkins said. “We the best defense in the Big 12. That’s all. We’ve been hearing a lot about their defense throughout the week. No disrespect to them at all. It sounds kinda crazy to say, but defense runs through Oklahoma in the Big 12 too now, offense and defense.”

And perhaps another championship. There’s still work to be done in a big-time matchup in Morgantown next Saturday at West Virginia, but OU has somehow managed to navigate its way back toward a berth in the Big 12 championship.

Nothing has changed in the scenario because of what happened Saturday. Before the game, OU was in position that if it wins out, it’s one of the two teams. What’s changed, however, is the perception of what the Sooners look like in 2020 after doubling up the Cowboys in yards, 492-246.

You feel a lot more confident that this group, this is the one Riley believed was going to be what the 2020 Sooners are all about.

“We don’t have a losing mentality at this program with our standard,” Rattler said. “Of course, we want to win. We’re used to winning around here. We knew we had to turn it up a notch and work harder in practice and do the little things more. Game-by-game, we just improved and improved. You could just see it keep going. We still have work to do and we’re going to get that done.”

It wasn’t flawless, but the errors aren’t as glaring anymore. Rattler accounted for all five touchdowns, four passing and one rushing. Stevenson took over on the ground in the second half, finishing with 141 yards on 26 carries. Perkins set the tone with three tackles for loss and two sacks.

All phases playing at a high level, and the Sooners look like that same dominant program that is controlled the Big 12 for five straight seasons.

“For staff members, not saying it's easy, but that's our job,” Riley said. “We get up and come to work the next day regardless of what happens. For our players, though, mentally, they had to get past that and they had to buy in and believe. They haven't flinched. I give them all the credit. They deserve it. It's exciting how this team is playing right now and what this team is capable of.”