Every play matters in a college football game but some do a better job than others of telling the story. Here are the five plays that explain Oklahoma’s 30-23 overtime victory in the Big 12 championship vs. Baylor.

OU 30, Baylor 23 – OT final

Play No. 1: Welcome back, Lamb

It did not take long to realize how big CeeDee Lamb was going to be in this game. The eventual Most Outstanding Player got things started in a hurry after the teams traded punts to begin the game.

Jalen Hurts found Lamb for an easy completion on the sideline, and then Lamb did what Lamb always does and made something out of what appeared to be nothing.

Down the sideline, 71 yards later, and OU was set up for its first touchdown of the game. Even without the 71 yards, Lamb had seven catches for 102 yards. With it, makes it eight grabs for 173 yards, and you begin to understand why his absence in Waco needed to be discussed.

The only thing Lamb didn’t do was find the end zone, but he was clearly the best player on the field Saturday.

Play No. 2: ‘Flashy’ Big 12 at its best

This game was not for the weak of heart, and the start of the second quarter showed you exactly why with a violent collision between Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer and OU nickelback Brendan Radley-Hiles.

OU was up 10-0 when Brewer smacked into Radley-Hiles. Both guys attempted to stay in the game, but future events warranted they both be removed and neither played in the second half.

This was just a physical, hard-hitting game. If anybody believes this Big 12 season was flashy and about points, sorry, you just weren’t watching.

Remains to be seen if there are any longterm issues for Radley-Hiles or Brewer, but it was one big-time convergence.

Play No. 3: Three years in the making for Basquine

No other way to say it, but Baylor’s defensive line took this game over after OU’s 10-0 start. It was Baylor 13-10 at halftime, and it was 13-13 in the third quarter when we pick up the action again.

Facing a third-and-six at the Baylor 18 yard line, Hurts made a nice throw toward outside corner of the end zone. But really, it was one heck of an adjustment by wide receiver Nick Basquine to turn his body and bring home the score.

On the previous drive in the red zone, Lincoln Riley went conservative and played for the field goal. Here, he went for the score. All the trials and tribulations, ended up being Basquine’s first receiving touchdown since October 2016 in the epic 66-59 win at Texas Tech.

Good things come to those who wait, huh?

Play No. 4: Dats that Tre Brown speed

What more can you say about this play? OU’s defense, Alex Grinch simply weren’t ready for whatever or whoever Jacob Zeno was. The third-string quarterback lit up OU on his first pass, and OU’s lead shrunk to 23-20 midway through the fourth quarter.

Baylor faced a first-and-15 at its five yard line when Zeno found Chris Platt in stride streaking down the sideline. This is a 95-yard touchdown against any other OU defender on the roster, except one.

That one was around as Tre Brown avoided colliding with Pat Fields and put on the burners to track down Platt after a 78-yard gain.

“That was big time. At the end of the day, it was an explosive play,” Fields said. “We had to make them count in 3s. They couldn't score touchdowns. We had to keep on making them kick field goals. Coach Grinch always says you can't beat the University of Oklahoma kicking field goals.

“That's a way bigger play than a lot of people are going to give him credit for. He's probably not every going to get credit because it was an explosive play for the offense. That was huge for us.”

OU’s defense held Baylor to a field goal, and we were tied 23-23.

Play No. 5: Bonitto, Redmond meet at the quarterback

OU’s fourth quarter wasn’t one to remember, but the overtime was. After Rhamondre Stevenson scored to give OU a 30-23 lead, time for the defense to make one last statement.

Facing a third-and-10 at the OU 25 yard line, Zeno simply had no time with Nik Bonitto and Jalen Redmond accounting for the sixth sack of the game for OU’s defense.

And when Redmond hits you, he finishes you. Redmond would get pressure on fourth down, and the fifth championship in a row was locked up.

“It was a little stunt. I was supposed to go upfield and go inside,” Bonitto said. “And I had beat ‘em earlier in the game on that play, so I felt like I had a pretty good chance of getting to the quarterback. Once I beat him, I just saw him. And J-Red had my help outside, because I saw he was kind of flushing him a little bit, and then we got him.”