Big 12 Power Rankings Week 8: Every Game Matters

Big 12 Power Rankings Week 8

Week 7 wasn’t just a crazy week for all of college football; it was a very telling one for the Big 12 Conference. With Iowa State taking down the conference’s only undefeated team, it might have knocked the Big 12 out of the Playoff, but as the conference says, “Every Game Matters,” and that was proven last weekend.

With players emerging as the future for their respective teams, as well as overall play and coaching providing a more solid snapshot of the identity of each team last weekend, Week 7 certainly set the tone for what could create some interesting scenarios as we focus more on December 1–the Big 12 Championship Game in Dallas.

Without further ado, here’s how the teams stacked up last weekend, and what to look for this weekend.

Disclaimer: These Power Rankings are based off WEEKLY observations of games and performances. These are NOT based off an entire body of work on the season. 

10. Kansas

Kansas was on a bye last weekend, but the Jayhawks didn’t go without their share of drama. It was announced last week that offensive coordinator Doug Meacham was OUT, and that head coach David Beaty would be the primary play-caller from here on out. After spending a couple of seasons with TCU, Meacham was hired by Kansas to overhaul the Jayhawks, but as of Week 7, Kansas had the 107th ranked offense in the nation, averaging just 5.29 yards-per-play.

It’s unknown just what Kansas will look like against Texas Tech this weekend, but with the Red Raiders’ defense improving week-after-week, it’s time for the Jayhawks to step up if Beaty is to have a job at the end of the season.

9. TCU

There were high expectations from TCU this season, both offensively and defensively. Heading into Week 1, the Horned Frogs were ranked No. 16 in the nation. Despite losses against Ohio State and Texas, however, the TCU defense was still in the Top 15 nationally, so there was still a possibility to turn the tide, and hope to rely on a high powered defense to win games. Unfortunately against Texas Tech last Thursday, TCU–which was a touchdown favorite at kickoff–was handed its third loss of the season and its second loss in the Big 12.

TCU allowed 353 total yards of offense against the Red Raiders, which is relatively low for Tech’s standards, however, TCU’s offense had three turnovers, including a critical turnover by QB Shawn Robinson on a scramble with just: 43 left in the 4th quarter. A 17-14 score in the Big 12 proves just how much defenses are stepping up, and if TCU can’t rely on its unit to close games out, and with Oklahoma shuffling its defensive identity around with the firing of Mike Stoops, Saturday could be an interesting game in Fort Worth.

8. West Virginia

West Virginia took a massive tumble this week, and with good reason. The Mountaineers were routed 14-30 against an Iowa State team that continues to repeat history year after year, and throttle teams that don’t take them seriously. As a result, Will Grier was immediately thrown on the fringe in Heisman conversation after throwing for just 100 yards and finishing with -33 rushing yards.

Much of the discussion after the ISU game was that several teams had exposed West Virginia’s flaws throughout the season already, but against the Cyclones, those weaknesses just imploded. Whatever is happening with the synergy between the Mountaineers needs to be corrected, and soon, as the schedule won’t get any easier after the bye week.

7. Oklahoma State

Following its 12-31 loss against Kansas State, Oklahoma State has now dropped three of its four Big 12 games, so far. Much like TCU, the Cowboys were predicted to have a strong showing this season, but since facing Texas Tech in Week 4, they’ve now slid to a point where speculation on social media is running rampant as to whether Mike Gundy will even be in Stillwater next season.

The thing about speculation is that unless it’s from a primary source, nothing can be substantiated, but if the Cowboys want to keep it that way, things have to change for OSU and fast. First, Taylor Cornelius had a quarterback rating of just 40.7 against K-State, having thrown for zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Moreover, the Cowboys had just 15 first downs, 311 total yards of offense, and were just 5-15 on third down conversions. Penalties were also an issue, with 7-70 yards. Thankfully, OSU has a much-needed bye this week, as they prepare to face a Texas team that just might be back.

6. Kansas State

Although Kansas State blew out Oklahoma State 31-12 last weekend, the Wildcats still lack an identity, but the win was a confidence boost at a time when teams really need them. The most interesting part about the Wildcats’ game plan, however, is that in a league where passing is king, it’s almost as if OSU didn’t know how to defend the run game K-State was implementing all afternoon. The Wildcats put-up 291 rushing yards to just 130 in the air, with junior running back Alex Barnes accounting for four rushing touchdowns, and three receptions for 51 yards.

While K-State hasn’t been as effective in the passing game,  these metrics certainly give defensive units on K-State’s schedule a blueprint as to what’s working, so that’s definitely something to look at, especially with the Wildcats taking on Oklahoma after their bye this weekend.

5. Baylor

Baylor found its rhythm in the passing game under quarterback Charlie Brewer. Dare I say, this has been Baylor’s most complete team in the Matt Rhule era, and against Texas, the offense certainly showed flashes of what we should grow to expect from here on out.

Against a Texas team without its starting quarterback, perhaps Baylor took advantage of UT’s more limited playbook–especially on defense, where UT was shutout of the end zone the entire second half. The only score that came out of the second half was in the third quarter on a two-yard touchdown run by Jalen Hurd. But the bigger storyline here was that Brewer connected on 20 of 39 passes, throwing for 240 yards and a touchdown. While that might not seem like “Big 12 numbers,” it’s a step in the right direction and indicates that Brewer has Baylor’s offense trending upwards. Baylor has a bye this weekend but will head to Morgantown on Thursday, Oct. 25 to play the No. 13 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers.

4. Iowa State

Iowa State is another team that appears to be trending upward in terms of quarterbacking, and with that talent lying at the talented hands of freshman Brock Purdy, the Cyclones should be in business for a few years. Ames is always a tough venue to play in, and perhaps the Mountaineers got ahead of themselves and forgot just how hard Iowa State plays, but in WVU’s biggest test of the season, the Cyclones throttled the Mountaineers and continues its streak of holding teams well below their usual level of productivity.

Purdy finished the day at 18-25 for 254 yards, three touchdowns, and a single interception. The Cyclones also finished the day with 244 yards rushing, which is a pretty incredible number, especially when you consider how the ISU defense held Will Grier to just 100 passing yards, a single touchdown, and a 16.6 QBR, and limited WVU to just 52 yards in the ground. It could have been worse for the Mountaineers, but with the win, it gives the Cyclones a week to dial as they host Texas Tech after the bye.

3. Texas Tech

Texas Tech really turned a corner this season, defensively. And although the Red Raiders are still allowing chunks of yardage, the red zone stands, forced field goals, and ball-hawking are really making a difference in close games, as was the case in Tech’s 17-14 victory on the road at TCU on Thursday. Tech still ranks at the bottom of the conference in total defense, but Adrian Frye leads the Big 12 in passes defended at 13, and in interceptions at 4. The list also features Demarcus Fields at No. 7 and Douglas Coleman III at No. 18. Tech is also No. 20 in the nation in third-down defensive stops, so with quarterback Alan Bowman still recovering from a partially collapsed lung, the defense has been coming up big.

Quarterback Jett Duffey made some huge plays in the win, including a 62-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Deion High in the third quarter to give Texas Tech the lead, and on a 38-yard keeper for a go-ahead score in the 4th quarter. With TCU driving late in the 4th, TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson had a costly interception while trying to scramble, which Adrian Frye was able to come up with to ice the game.

Texas Tech faces Kansas this week, and with Iowa State the week after, I have a feeling head coach Kliff Kingsbury will be testing some new packages on the Jayhawks in preparation.

2. Oklahoma

The Sooners were on a bye last weekend, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as Big 12 interim journeyman Ruffin McNeill took over duties for Mike Stoops, who was relieved following OU’s loss against Texas in the Red River Showdown. With the Sooners’ defense being the biggest cause of concern over the years, it had many wondering why it took them so long to make a change at defensive coordinator, and it makes you wonder what we can expect from the Sooners moving forward.

In any event, with the way things are going, OU is still stacked and at this point, whoever ends up in Dallas on December 1 is anyone’s guess. But with the Sooners facing a TCU team that can’t seem to cauterize the bleeding this season, it’s time for Kyler Murray to go back to work.

1. Texas

Texas, once again, finds itself at the top of my Power Rankings because they’re undefeated in Big 12 play. Numbers don’t lie, and if you think this team is going to take a vacation now that they’re in the Top 10 for two consecutive weeks, you’re wrong, but maintaining momentum could be a challenge. For starters, starting quarterback, Sam Ehlinger left the game in the first quarter with blood visible on his hand. When he returned to the field, he set his helmet down, picked up a headset, and Shane Buechele finished the game.

Buechele finished the day 20-34 for 184 yards, with a touchdown and an interception in UT’s 23-17 victory over Baylor. The issue here, is that Ehlinger is a true dual-threat quarterback, known for extending plays on the ground and making up for a significant chunk of rushing yards. Ehlinger was diagnosed with a first-degree shoulder sprain, but head coach Tom Herman says he could be throwing by the end of the week.

The Longhorns have a bye this week before going on the road at Oklahoma State on the 27th, which should give Ehlinger ample time to recover, but the bigger concern for UT might be in the kicking game. Since his thrilling game-winning field goal against Oklahoma, Cameron Dicker’s production has decreased, and he finished the day 3/5 on field goals against Baylor. With how close that game was, and with how close several games have been in the Big 12 this season, that’s something the Longhorns have to work on.

Want More? Check out: Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 8: Big Shake-Ups

Q/A: Former Texas Tech quarterback BJ Symons on Kingsbury, Quarterbacks, and more

Texas Tech

Texas Tech fans, coaches, and players alike all have plenty of comments to make about the football program, but regardless of how many wins or losses that mount up at the end of the season, adjustments are made, problems are diagnosed, and everyone moves on with equal parts uncertainty and excitement. Unfortunately, pundits tend to discuss the “State of…” ad nauseum levels, and the opinions tend to create a narrative that former players might agree, or disagree with. The problem is, few seem eager to reach out to the guys who have shed blood, sweat, and tears in the trenches for expert analysis.

Former Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons was kind enough to sit down and discuss the biggest areas of concern regarding the 2018 season: Kliff Kingsbury, and quarterbacks. 

Q: In a situation when a team faces a quarterback battle, how does a coach know when a guy is the guy? Does the team tell him?

BJ: I think it’s different for every coach. I can only speak from experience. I admire Kliff Kingsbury as a coach, as a fan, and as a person. He’s committed to giving players the opportunity to prove themselves and earn the job as a starter. It seems like ever since Kliff got the [head coaching] job dating back to Baker Mayfield as a walk-on, he felt like Mayfield gave him the best chance to win over Davis Webb, who was a scholarship player, so they competed.

Mike Leach for example, when he got the job at Texas Tech in 1999, Kliff ran with the 1s from Day 1 and I ran with the 2s. And that’s not a knock against Kliff or the situation, that was just the reality. There was never a competition to earn the starting job, and honestly I think that had a lot to do with Leach, who came from Oklahoma the year prior when he was coaching with Bob Stoops. Our last game–my true freshman year when I was redshirting and Kliff was a FS/F our starting quarterback–Rob Peters was injured so Kingsbury started that last game of the season against Oklahoma, and he had a decent game and we won. So I think that played into that when Leach was hired at Texas Tech. He had the mindset that, “This guy started against us last year and played well.” I knew Leach because he recruited me to come to Oklahoma out of high school, so when he got the job at Tech, I was pleased with that. I knew him, he recruited me and I knew the offense he ran, but there was never a competition, And I guess I’m making that point because Kliff [has always been] committed to letting these guys each have a chance to compete and I think that’s  because he needs to know what he has in each of them, and if you know someone is the guy you’re not gonna invest reps in two other guys in practice if you think one of them is your starter. I don’t think Kliff knew [who the starting quarterback was this year], but from the outside, he really did give them all a chance because he wanted to see them prepare, practice and scrimmage, and wanted a sample size.

Going back to your original question, I think it’s different for every coach in how they know. He’s observing everything from afar. For example, how are receivers like in the huddle? What’s the morale of the team one guys in the huddle versus the other? Do guys play harder for one guy than the other? And we see in the news about things that Kliff said about game management and taking care of the football, and I think he just factors everything in. And at the end of the day, Kliff’s proven not only his ability to coach quarterbacks at a successful level dating back to Keenum, and Manziel who won a Heisman, and Pat and Davis and Baker; I think his track record speaks for himself that he’s going to make a decision to play the best guy that he feels is gonna give him the best chance to win.

 

Q: You were Kingsbury’s backup. Walk us through your thoughts when you knew it was your time to take over.

BJ: I was just excited because I had been a backup for four years one as a redshirt and three as a backup with Kliff as a durable quarterback. It’s really rare in todays game–especially with these offenses and the way you see qbs involved from an athletic standpoint. It’s pretty rare to see a guy not miss a start in three years. Look at the last Tech years at Tech. Mayfield started as a true freshman and had injuries, Davis had some injuries, Pat had injuries, Nik played and McLane started, so to have a quarterback start for three straight years without missing a start is rare. So as a backup, I really had no experience with the exception of blowouts here and there. In my time of being the No. 2, I had maybe thrown less than 50 passes, and it was all mop up duty, whether we were up 40 or down 40. So I think I was just excited to play in a meaningful game because I had worked and prepared for that opportunity. I was just looking forward to competing again at a high level. Part of what makes football so great and why people play it is because of the game and competition, and going out there with your team and trying to win; there’s no better feeling than that, and I had never had that because even when I played (as backup) it was fun, but it was an opportunity to play and have fun again.

 

Q: Dovetailing from that, what were your personal expectations, and did you use his records as your personal motivation?

BJ: No, I never once had a “I’m gonna set school records” mentality. I don’t even know how many yards or touchdowns Kliff had thrown for, but going into my year starting, I can’t tell you I knew those numbers at the time or set any goals. More than anything, I wanted to prove not only to myself, but to everyone that I was ready to light the world on fire. For me it was kind of like lightning in a bottle because we had so much depth and experience aside from me, so ya, I was starting for my first year but we had multiple-year starters, which made things easier. I just knew that I needed to do what I did in practice for four years. I was always a risk taker. I always tried to throw balls and make “wow” throws and force the issue which was good and bad… and the majority of my interceptions came after I was hurt, but I didn’t have records in mind. I knew we had a really good offense, and I knew what I was capable of.

 

Q: How does a quarterback carve his own legacy when he’s always being compared to the guy he replaced?

BJ: I don’t think quarterbacks think about carving legacies, but maybe some do. When I was going into my senior year at Texas Tech, I wasn’t think about carving a legacy, so I knew there would be comparisons with Kliff, but I knew my game was different than his and I wasn’t trying to be him, I was just going to go out there and be me. So I think you carve your own legacy by not trying to be the guy before you, and if that’s worthy of a legacy then it will create itself. You play your game and play how you’re coached and legacies come later.

 

Q: Any advice to the quarterbacks this season?

BJ: Trust your teammates and coaches… put in the work and just play. Don’t concern yourself with what’s going on around you. Don’t pay attention to media–good or bad. Focus on being the best, put in the time, watch film as much as you can, commit yourself to being the best quarterback you can without worrying about the distractions. At the end of the day these kids are student-athletes; they’re going to class, they’re on campus, but going out and doing other things can lead to distractions they can get caught up in and. So I would just say, my advice would be work hard listen to your coaches, study film, take care of yourself off the field, and play ball. Go out without hesitation and ball. [To be fair] I would give that advice now, but I wouldn’t necessarily have followed it. It was hard for me. I wasn’t accustomed to it. Maybe Kliff was used to everything that came with being quarterback at a high level for a D1 team, but for me it was still my first year, so I’m dealing with people in class, and fans at dinner. So it’s easy for me to sit here [now] and say “don’t pay attention to distractions,” but I wouldn’t necessarily expect 18, 19, 20 year old kids to be able to do that.

 

Q: If you could say one thing to the fans to excite them about this quarterback race, what would it be?

BJ: At the Ole Miss game, Carter was showing something. He was locked in, and I felt bad that he got hurt. I haven’t really seen Duffey play so I can’t give thoughts on him, but I’m excited about what I see in Bowman. Go back to when Patrick Mahomes came in as a freshmen. If I can make an analogy to Mahomes’ first start, he looked awful. Actually, I don’t think he looked awful, I just think he wasn’t ready. The very first action I remember seeing Mahomes he was  a true freshman, and I think Webb was still here and he got hurt, but Mahomes looked lost. I’m not hating on Pat, and I’m one of his biggest fans, but he looked like the lights were too big. What I’ve seen from Bowman makes me excited. It didn’t look like the stage was too big for him. We didn’t win the game, but he showed me a lot, especially in the way he competed. He didn’t make every throw, but he made a lot of good throws, and he’s athletic so he’s capable of making things happen with his feet, whether it be on the run or escaping pressure and making plays. I think about that and think “Wow, this is literally this kid’s first week–well not on campus–but this was literally his first game,” and I think that gets me excited. I’m not favoring him, but it was exciting.

What makes me excited about Texas Tech is the coach that’s coaching them.

Looking at the QB position in a vacuum, I’m exciting at what I see from Bowman. I didn’t see Duffy play, but Kliff gets me excited and comfortable with what we have at QB because he’s proven himself as a coach, and we’ll be fine there, but there are other issues. Penalties are a big one, and he’s the head coach and it’s all gonna fall down on his shoulders, but when you look at the QB position specifically, what’s not to be excited about? We’re gonna be fine at QB, but here’s the thing, with the track record Kingsbury has had with coaching quarterbacks, I think it’s hard to understand what’s been going on recruiting-wise the past three years where you have all this success at QB and a guy that gets drafted in the Top 10, so how do you not have five stars ready to plug in? People are on edge because it seems like we’re in a rebuilding mode and fans want to win now.

 

On money, infrastructure, coaches, and recruiting: The new facilities will help Texas Tech not get left behind. I love Lubbock but we know Tech isn’t gonna recruit at the level of OU, Texas, and A&M. And I hate to say this… actually, maybe that’s the wrong stance to have as a fan. In fact it is. It’s bullshit to even say that. Why can’t we? Lubbock is a great city. I love going there. It’s a great school, campus, and has great weather, so I think the mentality has to change. It can’t be like “Oh Tech can’t compete with OU…” Why not? Chris Beard is doing it. He’s proven that kind of talk shouldn’t be acceptable. He’s coming on back-to-back NCAA appearances and landing top recruits left and right. Players want to win. High school kids coming out want to do two things: Win and go somewhere that’s gonna get them to the next level… the NFL. The problem is, every kid lives in a false Twitter reality where they think they’re gonna be a star, and a first round pick. That’s not the real world. You having three thousand followers because you’re a four-star recruit doesn’t mean shit. So kids want to go where they’ll have the best shot. You have to put yourself in the position to win, and we’ve done what we need to in terms of infrastructure, but 6-6 isn’t gonna get you five stars. Winning a Big 12 championship is what’s gonna get you to where you’re constantly having a chance to compete for recruits and win.

Fans are nervous because they feel like there’s so much uncertainty and if there’s all this uncertainty, it feels like we’re in rebuilding mode. Then there’s the expectation at defense, but I was more disappointed in the defense than the offense. I get it, we’re down three starters in the secondary, but where was Dakota Allen? You’re preseason all Big 12 All American. I’m not hating on him, but come on, Special Teams? You’re giving a kick return for a touchdown on the second drive of the game after we’ve go 90 yards and get the momentum back and tie the game, and that shit kills the team.

Guys bought into the hype and were humbled. Regardless of what people say, Tech still has a ways to go. But here’s the thing, even if we go 6-6, Texas Tech doesn’t have the bank roll to be going through $5m a year coaches. So fire Kliff? And get who? [When he was hired at Texas Tech] Kliff was a new coach and didn’t have a huge network of assistant coaches who he could go to. He trusted them, and has been doing his job of diagnosing when coaches aren’t working out, and going from there.

I truly think Kliff Kingsbury is the guy who can get us to where we need to be, but with that said, he has to get it done and there’s work ahead, but I don’t think we’re going to find someone whos gonna come in and take us to a title. I could be wrong… look at what Chris Beard did, but let’s also take into account the size of the staff and roster.

 

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