STILLWATER — Mike Gundy looked like “Big Game Bob” on the call.

The converted fourth-and-1 just five plays into the game and at the Oklahoma State 29, into the heart of the nation’s top-ranked rushing offense, had some swagger.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much else Gundy or the Cowboys, 14th and falling in the BCS formula, had in terms of big-game karma.

Thus, there was neither a tricky season-stretch stumble for No. 3 Texas like happened at Texas Tech last season, nor a fourth-quarter collapse for the ’Pokes, either, as has become customary of this matchup.

This time, OSU crumbled steadily and not in a final 15-minute failure, losing 41-14.

One of the questions concerning the Cowboys was whether they could run the ball. By halftime, OSU had 89 yards, Keith Tolston with more on his own (51) than Texas had allowed on average (45) all season.

Perhaps most impressive was the mere yard Zac Robinson got on the fourth-down keeper.

But that effort went for naught as Dan Bailey would pull a 45-yard field goal attempt and Texas countered with a 25-yard field goal by Hunter Lawrence.

“We had a plan for short-yardage situations to retain possession of the ball and that was part of it,” Gundy said.

Karma can be a killer.

OSU squandered a break on its next possession when Victor Johnson’s wallop of Texas’ Jordan Shipley on punt coverage knocked the ball loose and into Bryant Ward’s hands at the UT 34. OSU couldn’t move in three plays, and on fourth-and-8 from the 33, Zac Robinson barely beat the UT blitz on a throw to the flag. Hubert Anyiam outran cornerback Chykie Brown in single coverage but dropped the pass in the end zone.

It was one of two Aniyam mishaps. His catch on a slant from Robinson on the next series was lost when Longhorns linebacker Emmaniel Acho laid the hit on him and safety Blake Gideon recovered at the UT 47. Texas wouldn’t let this one slide as running back Cody Johnson capped the 53-yard scoring drive by going in from the 1, making it 10-0 with 10:45 on the second-quarter clock.

Needing to make something happen, Robinson guided the Cowboys from their own 27 to the UT 30. It was there when cornerback Curtis Brown, he whose overplay on Tech’s Michael Crabtree in the game’s final seconds a year ago in Lubbock spoiled Texas’ then national title bid, took a 77-yard interception to the house and a 17-0 cushion.

There would be two picks returned for touchdowns, the second Earl Thomas’ 31-yarder, making it 34-7 with 9:31 in the third. Robinson’s third pick of the night — he finished with four — led to another score, a 2-yard run by Cody Johnson that made it 41-7 and began sending some of the 58,516 at Boone Pickens Stadium to the exits, with change left before the fourth quarter even began.

“It’s a weird feeling,” Robinson said. “But I’ve got to give Texas credit. That’s one of the best defenses I’ve played against here.”