No. 22 Oklahoma State, which was ranked as high as No. 6 at one point, finished the regular season in third place in the Big 12 conference following a convincing 42-3 thrashing of Baylor in Waco, Texas, Saturday.

OSU was the only Big 12 team to beat No. 8 Iowa State, who finished the regular season in first place.

Oklahoma State’s offense had 608 yards – 347 passing, 261 rushing – against a Baylor defense that limited Oklahoma to 269 yards total a week earlier and hadn’t allowed more than 429 yards in a game this season.

Baylor’s 156 yards of total offense was the second-fewest allowed by OSU in the Mike Gundy-era; the Cowboys held Savannah State to 139 yards in 2012. OSU held Baylor to just three points, the fewest allowed by the Cowboys since they won 59-3 against Lamar on Sept. 14, 2013.

ESPN.com is projecting that OSU either will play Miami in the Cheez-It Bowl in Camping World Stadium in Orlando on December 29 or play Arkansas in the Texas Bowl in NRG Stadium in Houston on New Year’s Eve.

The Cowboys will have to play without their best player, All-American running back Chuba Hubbard, who did not play against Baylor and won’t play in the bowl game.

“As I rebound from this injury, I have decided to begin my preparations for the 2021 NFL Draft,” Hubbard said in a statement.

Hubbard has been nursing an ankle injury for much of the season. He missed the last three games and only had 14 carries for the entire month of November.

The good news is the play of wide receiver Dillon Stoner, who had eight catches for 247 yards and three first-half touchdowns. Stoner has at least one catch in 47 of his past 48 games.

Stoner became the eighth player in OSU history with 200 yards receiving in a game, joining Adarius Bowman, James Washington, Dez Bryant, Rashaun Woods, Tylan Wallace, Curtis Mayfield and Justin Blackmon. Wallace, who leads the conference in receiving, was also unavailable against Baylor due to injury.

Freshman  Dominic Richardson, who filled in for Hubbard, rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Richardson scored the first touchdown of his career on a 17-yard run in the second quarter.

OSU quarterback Spencer Sanders completed 20-of-30 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns. It marked the second time in his career to throw for at least 300 yards, the other coming with a 400-yard effort earlier this season vs. Texas. Sanders’ 75-yard touchdown pass in the opening quarter was his longest of the season. His previous long was 55, which came last week against TCU.

Baylor (2-7, 2-7 Big 12) played two days after their football facility was temporarily closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Rumors are circulating that Gundy will be a candidate for the vacant head coaching job at Auburn. Auburn fired Gus Malzahn. Gundy reportedly was under consideration by Auburn in 2012 when they hired Malzahn. Gundy was publicly criticized by Hubbard and OSU shortened his contract, reduced his salary and lowered his contract buyout in light of the coronavirus this year.

But even though Gundy entertained the idea of leaving before, he is the most successful coach in OSU history and he played his college ball there.