The game began at 11:12 a.m. CST and aired on ABC, garnering an average viewership of 7.89 million people.

The higher-ranked Longhorns were heavy favorites to win the game, with spreads favoring Texas by at least two touchdowns.

Ewers's 452 passing yards set a Big 12 title game record; he was named Most Outstanding Player of the match.

[2][3] The 2023 Big 12 Championship Game featured the Texas Longhorns, with an 8–1 conference record, representing the No.

[8] Media outlets viewed the title matchup as consequential for the selection of Texas and Oklahoma State in bowl games and potentially influential for a possible College Football Playoff (CFP) bid for Texas, contingent on the outcome of other conference championship games.

[13] On November 16, 2023, the Big 12 began a collaboration with professional wrestling promotion, WWE, which introduced custom-made championship title belt for the 2023 Big 12 Football Championship Most Outstanding Player, presented on-field at the conclusion of the game by The Undertaker.

[14][15] The Big 12 Conference approved a new tiebreaking procedure for the 2023 season in August 2023 following the addition of new member schools.

[24] The Texas Longhorns finished their 2022 season with an 8–5 record, losing their final matchup against the Washington Huskies in the 2022 Alamo Bowl.

[26] The Longhorns were considered a possible playoff contender and heavy favorites for the Big 12 conference title entering the 2023 season, ranking first in the Big 12 preseason media poll for the first time since 2009 despite the departure of two players in the 2023 NFL draft accounting for 87 percent of Texas's 2022 rushing yardage.

3 Alabama 34–24 at Bryant–Denny Stadium in a game described as a signature win for both the program and head coach Steve Sarkisian by media outlets.

[43] The loss knocked Texas out of their position atop the Big 12 conference standings and resulted in the Longhorns dropping to No.

[44][45] Texas narrowly beat Houston in a game that saw starting quarterback Quinn Ewers suffer a shoulder injury.

Both the 2022 and 2023 seasons were preceded by numerous players transferring out of the program, casting doubt on the team's success.

[59] Oklahoma State's offensive line and wide receiver personnel suffered numerous injuries in the first three games of the season.

Alan Bowman and Ollie Gordon II were selected as the Cowboys's starting quarterback and running back, respectively.

[71] Oklahoma State clinched a spot in the conference championship game following their double-overtime defeat of BYU on November 25.

[81][82] A kicking interference penalty on the subsequent punt was followed by a 39-yard scoring drive by the Longhorns, culminating in a 10-yard touchdown pass from quartrback Quinn Ewers to wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

[81][82] After forcing a second non-scoring drive from Oklahoma State, Texas took a 14–0 lead on a drive that included a 54-yard reception by wide receiver Xavier Worthy and a 24-yard touchdown reception by tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders on a reverse flea flicker.

[82] Texas subsequently completed another scoring drive, with Ewers recording his third touchdown with a 2-yard pass to defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat.

[85] The 27-yard interception return gave the Cowboys a short field,[81][85] setting up a 7-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Rashod Owens.

Despite advancing to the Oklahoma State 25-yard line, a Texas delay of game moved the Longhorns back five yards and preceded a missed field goal by Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn,[81][82] ending a streak of 19 successful field goals.

Longhorns defensive back Derek Williams Jr. was ejected from the game for targeting on the kickoff return.

[81][82] The first score of the second half was off of a 57-yard rush along the sideline by Longhorns running back Keilan Robinson in the third quarter.

Longhorns wide receiver Xavier Worthy injured his ankle early in the fourth quarter, putting him out of the game.

Texas scored their final points of the game with an 11-yard touchdown run by Robinson at the end of a 15-play and 7-minute drive in the fourth quarter, giving the Longhorns a 49–14 lead.

His 452 passing yards – a career high[91] – set a Big 12 Championship Game record-high previously held by Sam Bradford.

[82][84] His four touchdowns – all in the first half – were tied with Baker Mayfield and Ell Roberson for the most in a Big 12 title game.

[86][89][91] Although no team outside of the top six in the penultimate CFP rankings had earned a playoff berth in prior years, the unprecedented number of teams with one or fewer losses and Alabama's defeat of top-ranked Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship Game appeared to sustain Texas's playoff bid.

3 seed in the 2023–24 College Football Playoff, placing the Longhorns in a semifinal match against Washington in the 2024 Sugar Bowl.

[102] A dead longhorn was found on the lawn of an Oklahoma State fraternity one day before the game, prompting concern from UT students at the time of the discover.