Tag: West Virginia

The Big 12 sustained quite the shakeup with the outcome of the Red River Showdown. And while that shakeup could have lasting results on the conference as a whole, it’s anyone’s guess how Oklahoma will battle through adversity. In any event, if the Sooners were looking for a potential competitor for the Big 12 Championship, the Longhorns stepped up in a big way, and we could be looking at a repeat in Dallas.

With Texas Tech and TCU having bye weeks, Week 8 should be set up for a more telling story as to how the Big 12 could play itself out for the rest of the season, but with Week 7 already in the books, here’s how the Big 12 Power Rankings Week 7 turned out.

10. Kansas

The Jayhawks might be looking at a 2-4 record, but that’s not the whole story. In their 22-38 loss last weekend at West Virginia, Kansas’ defense had the most significant impact, with five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and one fumble recovery. The Jayhawks knew Will Grier was turnover prone and took advantage when they could.

While Kansas still struggles to establish a legitimate offense, scoring 22 points on a good West Virginia defense is an uptick in the right direction for David Beaty’s squad. With Texas Tech in Lubbock on 10/20, this bye week should help with their film study.

9. Kansas State

Following its 37-34 loss at Baylor last weekend, Kansas State is now on a three-game losing skid, and it might not get any easier. While K-State managed to tie the game against Baylor at 34-34 apiece and under 4:30 to play, the Wildcats just couldn’t get a critical stop, which allowed Baylor kicker Dalvin Warmack to kick a game-winning field goal.

While once again, the loss highlighted K-State’s continued deficiencies, the offense had a good game, with quarterback Skyler Thompson throwing for 149 yards and a touchdown, and running back Alex Barnes finishing the day with 250 yards on the ground for three touchdowns. It shows that despite terrible special teams play if K-State can continue scraping by, offensively, they could keep games close. Against an equally struggling Oklahoma State team at home this weekend, the Wildcats have to get it together this week.

8. Oklahoma State

The Cyclones showed, once again, that Oklahoma State is in trouble this season. The Cowboys show improvement one week, then go backwards the following week. And against Iowa State, that was proven once again.

Offensively, OSU was great, starting with quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who connected on 19 of 33 passes for 289 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. Cornelius also scored a rushing touchdown and finished with 46 rushing yards. Six receivers got touches, and minus a negative play by senior punter Zach Sinor, the Cowboys had 126 yards on the ground.

Iowa State was struggling to find an identity, so this loss has to sting a bit, but with Cowboys looking for a rebound, an equally struggling K-State team this week on the road will present challenges. But if OSU can etch out a win before hosting Texas on the 27th, they’ll have forward momentum they desperately need in Big 12 play.

7. Iowa State

Iowa State pulled off a much-needed win against a ranked Oklahoma State team last weekend, and as previously mentioned, with struggles to establish an identity this season, this win couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

After the win, Cyclones’ head coach Matt Campbell said, “I’m really proud of our football team today.” With David Montgomery out with an injury, Brock Purdy stepped up in a big way, completing 18-23 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns. The performance certainly had the conference’s attention, and if the Cyclones can continue improving, it should make for an interesting season.

6. TCU

TCU made headlines during their bye week when news broke that they were allegedly preparing to face Texas Tech by watching film from the Kansas City Chiefs. The reason being, TCU head coach Gary Patterson wants to dissect the similarities between how Tech and the Chiefs utilize RPOs, which can only help its struggling defense prepare, and add some technique to its offense. With just a few weeks to prepare for Texas Tech’s continually reinvented offense, however, it’s anyone’s guess as to how this aggressive film study will go for the Horned Frogs.

Another story that came out of Ft. Worth this week, was within the quarterback position, where Patterson said injured quarterback Shawn Robinson would play, but not necessarily start. With that said, there are plenty of things to follow on Thursday, as TCU hosts the Red Raiders.

5. Baylor

Baylor kicker Connor Martin had a rough day, but after missing three field goal attempts and an extra point against K-State last weekend, with just: 08 seconds left in regulation, Martin split the uprights to give the Bears the win, and a 4-2 record.

The Bears showed a lot of promise and grit in this win, but if they want to continue to grind this season out on a positive note, they need to learn to finish drives. Thankfully, the were able to rely on their secondary to keep K-State out of the end zone, and more importantly, the offense was able to turn those takeaways into points. Baylor also controlled the time and tempo in its 37-34 victory, but converting on 10 third-down attempts, Baylor should have run the score up.

With Texas this weekend, that might be harder to accomplish, but then again, this is the Big 12.

4. Texas Tech

The Texas Tech Red Raiders dodged a serious bullet when quarterback Alan Bowman sustained a partially collapsed lung during a brutal hit against West Virginia. After spending a few days in the hospital, Bowman is back with the team and participating in practices. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury hasn’t specified whether Bowman will play on Thursday against TCU. However, it is suspected that all three quarterbacks will make the trip and suit up.

3. West Virginia

Quarterback Will Grier is back to throwing turnovers, and at some point, it’s going to catch up to him. In West Virginia’s 38-22 win over the Kansas Jayhawks last weekend, Grier had four touchdowns, and as many turnovers–including three interceptions. While 509 total yards of offense is impressive, the West Virginia defense only had one QB hurry and just three sacks against Kansas. Those are things Tony Gibson has to stress, especially in November.

2. Oklahoma

While Oklahoma lost last weekend, you can’t forget that the Sooners’ offense mounted a 21-point comeback in the 4th quarter, and was one defensive stop away from sending the Red River Showdown to overtime. Unfortunately, that defensive stop merely kept the Longhorns out of the end zone, not between the uprights.

The bigger issue for the Sooners is how they’ll respond following the abrupt firing of defensive coordinator, Mike Stoops. While the defensive leadership will be replaced by Ruffin McNeill on an interim basis, that doesn’t change the fact that OU defenders haven’t been successful this season on tackling in space, or limiting explosive plays. Moreover (and as Big 12 history will tell us), if McNeill isn’t chosen as the Sooners’ full-time defensive coordinator at the end of the season, could this mean an entire defensive rebuild in 2019?

There are plenty of questions that remain, but with the Sooners facing TCU after the bye, they have some time to try and figure some things out.

1. Texas

It’s hard to deny the Longhorns weren’t the best team in the Big 12 conference last weekend. Texas entered the Red River Showdown as a major underdog, and not only did the ‘Horns shut out Heisman frontrunner Kyler Murray from producing double-digit points in two quarters, “Dicker the Kicker” became a household name on a 40-yard field goal to give head coach Tom Herman his biggest marquee win, so far.

With the Longhorns’ 48-45 victory, it catapulted them from the No. 19 spot in the AP Poll to No. 9. And with Baylor just beginning to establish a rhythm, expect a Texas team on Saturday looking to stifle that.

 

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The Big 12 is on pace for a pretty exciting year. Teams pundits anticipated to be at the top, have fallen significantly in the last few weeks, and others continue to progress, even if wins don’t tilt in their favor.

Aside from injuries that impacted teams’ game plans, this was a fairly standard weekend, in terms of what we expected from some of the Big 12 teams this season. Will those injuries have longterm impacts on personnel, is anyone’s guess at this point. However, with the uncertainty, we have to take a look at depth charts to see which teams have the best shot moving forward.

Without further ado, here’s the Week 6 Power Rankings for the Big 12 Conference:

10. Iowa State

The Cyclones were one of the Big 12’s most highly anticipated teams coming into this season, but so far, they’re leaving a lot to be desired. with losses against Iowa, Oklahoma, and now a TCU team that’s struggling to establish an identity this season, Iowa State might be in trouble.

You could make the argument that Iowa State almost had TCU if it hadn’t been for the late Horned Frogs’ field goal to seal the victory, and sure, defenses do win championships, however, quarterback Zeb Noland only threw for 79 total yards, with a single touchdown for the day. Most Big 12 teams are bolstering their defenses, but their offenses are averaging in the triple digits, too. Iowa State had just 198 total yards of offense, which would be acceptable in other leagues, but head coach Matt Campbell has to find a rhythm before heading to Stillwater this weekend.

9. Kansas

Kansas, Kansas, Kansas… we’re all rooting for them, but like Iowa State, the Jayhawks can’t seem to click. After Kansas fired athletics director Sheahon Zenger back in May, that made David Beaty’s hot seat scalding.

Quarterback Carter Stanley threw for an impressive 249 yards and three touchdowns last weekend, while Jayhawks’ running back Pooka Williams Jr. put up a rushing touchdown, and receiver Steven Sims put up a touchdown in the air, contributing to an overall balanced offensive approach. Unfortunately, the Jayhawks are suffering from the same defensive deficiencies as Iowa State, as they were routed in a 48-24 loss to Oklahoma State.

The Jayhawks will face a massive test against a West Virginia team that is looking to send a message after being shut out by Texas Tech in the second-half last weekend.

8. Kansas State

Bill Snyder signed a contract extension back in the Summer that will keep him on the sidelines through 2022–if things play out the way they should. Unfortunately, the Wildcats are 2-3 overall, 8th in the Big 12, and haven’t won a single in-conference game.

With the Longhorns rising in rankings every week, they already make for a tough opponent, and while it was a relatively low scoring game (by Big 12 standards), it does spell concern for the Wildcats, offensively.

K-State had just 217 total yards of offense in its 14-19 loss in Manhattan, but what’s more concerning is the pass average. The Wildcats are averaging just 4.4 yards-per-pass, and rank No. 117 in the nation in total offense, averaging just 4.97 yards-per-play and just nine offensive touchdowns. With a Baylor team that’s shown more confidence this season than in the two seasons prior, it could be a very long afternoon for Bill Snyder.

7. Baylor

Baylor is at 3-2 on the season following a major 33-66 loss at Oklahoma last weekend. While the Bears’ defense presented some issues to the Sooners, the offense is still showing concerns, particularly in the run game. So far, the Bears rank No. 88 nationally in the run game, averaging just 155.8 yards-per-game and 4.45 yards-per-carry. While that’s not a terrible statistic, it does help in clock management, controlling the tempo, and wearing defenses out faster.

While most of the Big 12 is working to master the balanced approach, it could be an interesting season for Baylor if they can’t focus on that and soon, especially with Baylor facingKansas State this weekend, and No. 19 ranked Texas in Austin next weekend.

6. TCU

TCU barely beat Iowa State on a field goal to win it last weekend to end a two game losing slump. The Horned Frogs were supposed to be one of the top teams in the country headed into the season, but with the way they’ve been playing as of late, it might be difficult to get out of the middle of the conference, and even more difficult to prevent the downward trend.

TCU’s defense stepped up in a major way in their 17-14 victory, so the momentum is nice as TCU will have a bye before facing Texas Tech in Week 7.

5. Texas Tech

Texas Tech’s defense has managed consecutive back-to-back shutouts against ranked opponents, which proves that at least in one phase of the game, Tech is a second-half team. Unfortunately, against a West Virginia team at home, the Red Raiders just couldn’t get it going on defense in the first half, and capitalize on knowing Heisman hopeful Will Grier was prone to turnovers. Even more unfortunate was the violent hit to true freshman quarterback Alan Bowman which resulted in a partially compassed lung.

Thankfully for Tech, they have a much needed bye this week before facing TCU next weekend, and while Bowman likely won’t return for some time, look for Coach Kingsbury and offensive coordinator Kevin Johns to draw up packages for McLane Carter and Jett Duffey; both of which are very talented quarterbacks, as long as turnovers are limited.

4. Texas

Is Texas back, or are the Longhorns just playing decent football against overrated teams? Whenever throwing that debate into the ring, it’s only fair to assess every variable, but with a field goal victory over a struggling K-State team, it’s certainly the motivation for Texas as it heads into Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma on Saturday. The biggest issue here is whether the offense and defense will be in sync, and with each game so far presenting major issues in all three phases, it’s truly any guess which Texas football team will show up.

3. Oklahoma State

Overall, the Cowboys looked good last weekend, but a win over Kansas is a win over Kansas. It’s hard to tell just who this Oklahoma State team is, until they play teams that rival Texas Tech in terms of balance, or even a semblance of a defense, such as Oklahoma, or even more challenging, West Virginia.

Much like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State has yet to defeat a Top 25 opponent this season, but with the No.6 ranked offense in the nation, games down the stretch should be pretty fun to watch,

2. West Virginia

West Virginia dominated Texas Tech, both offensively and defensively through the first half of play against Texas Tech, but that half-production performance won’t cut it as the season continues. The Mountaineers are certainly a Top 10 team, but they make Tech look every bit a Top 25 team in the second-half, by scoring just a single touchdown.

Will Grier stepped up and eliminated turnovers, thus finishing the day at 27-41 for 370 yards and three touchdowns. Moreover, the Mountaineers put up 119 yards on the ground, and finished the day at 50 percent on third-down conversions. One area of concern for West Virginia moving forward is in penalty yards. WVU had 12 for 115 yards, compared to 7 for 60 for Texas Tech. The Mountaineers will have to clean that up, especially in the back 1/4 of the season.

1. Oklahoma

Oklahoma still remains king in the Big 12, and while Kyler Murray was benched to start the game against Baylor, he came back and threw six touchdowns for 432 yards in the Sooners’ 66-33 route over the Bears.

With Oklahoma undefeated through the first five games of the season, it’s truly OU vs. the Big 12 at this point. Just what team will the Sooners face in Dallas in November is anyone’s guess, but it’s certainly going to be fun to watch.

 

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The Big 12 has been a wild ride so far. And with a couple of major upsets over the weekend that led to the removal of potential Big 12 title contenders from the AP Top 25, it’s anyone’s guess how things will pan out the rest of the season.

From overtime to upsets, Big 12 fans questioned whether Texas was back, if Texas Tech was the real deal, and if TCU’s offense was just riding off a decent defense. Perhaps the real question after 25 percent of the season is over should be what team will be playing Oklahoma for the Big 12 Championship?

In any event, here’s how the teams stack up through Week 5:

10. IOWA STATE

The Cyclones remain at the bottom of the conference after a 1-2 start, and an uninspiring first win of the season over Akron. Quarterback Zeb Noland threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, and the Cyclones had 132 rushing yards for a touchdown. Interestingly enough, the Cyclones defense was its weakest link, allowing 244 total yards, and lacking in the turnover department, which is becoming an increasingly necessary objective for teams in the conference.

Iowa State opens its conference schedule this weekend against a TCU team that is licking its wounds following a Week 4 loss in Austin. And unless Matt Campbell wants to reverse the Cyclones’ progress throughout the years, they have to find a way to win.

9. TCU

Over the weekend, I read a Tweet that questioned whether TCU offensive coordinator was just an average play-caller, and if the offense relies too heavily on a defense that was struggling. Those are valid points to consider, especially following back-to-back losses for TCU against Ohio State and Texas. The Longhorns ended a four-year streak of losses to TCU, and that should have TCU head coach Gary Patterson worried.

While 372 total yards of offense is acceptable in the Big 12, TCU also had four turnovers against Texas, and struggled to control the clock. If the Horned Frogs want to get the season back on track, this is the perfect weekend to to so, as they face an Iowa State team that’s struggling to find serious momentum, or identity.

8. KANSAS

The only reason Kansas is ranked higher than TCU and Iowa State is because it’s likely downhill from here, unless David Beaty’s team can pull out another epic upset this season. While the Jayhawks’ 7-26 loss against Baylor looks bad, there are some things they should be proud of. Kansas allowed just 7 of 14 third down conversions, and 4.9 yards-per-carry. Kansas was also more disciplined, which is surprising considering this was an away game, as they finished the day 7-55 yards, compared to Baylor, which finished 13-141.

Those types of stats are important down the stretch, and if anything, Kansas highlighted some areas to fix for Baylor. With Kansas facing an angry Oklahoma State team at home on Saturday, ESPN matchup predictors only give the Jayhawks a 16 percent win probability, but just as Tech was the underdog last weekend, anything is possible.

7. KANSAS STATE

Kansas State was handed an embarrassing 6-35 loss at the hands of the Mountaineers last weekend to open Big 12 play, and it’s a game that has a lot of people wondering if things will turn around for the Wildcats this season. Quarterback Skylar Thompson threw for just 145 yards against a tough West Virginia team, but managed zero touchdowns and averaged just 1.5 yards-per-carry. Comparing his rushing stats to more mobile quarterbacks in the conference, it’s an area of major concern, considering that’s how many of these offenses are able to stay on the field.

What’s more, Kansas State’s defense allowed 464 total yards of offense by the Mountaineers, which includes 8-12 third down conversions. And despite four turnovers including two interceptions by Will Grier, the Wildcats just couldn’t cash out and tilt the needle.

With K-State hosting Texas this weekend, there’s time to get back on track, but it’s going to be an uphill battle.

6. OKLAHOMA STATE

Oklahoma State not only had an 80.1 win percentage at kickoff, Texas Tech hadn’t won in Stillwater since Kliff Kingsbury was playing at Tech. To say this loss was a shocker to the Cowboys would be an understatement. After a hot 3-0 start which included a 44-21 win against then, No. 17 ranked Boise State, every possible variable was in Oklahoma State’s favor headed into Saturday night. Unfortunately, the Red Raiders’ defense held OSU to just 386 total yards of offense, 18 first downs, just 18:43 in total possession, and a complete second-half shutout.

While it’s too early to hit the “panic button” in Stillwater, Kansas is this week’s unlucky rebound opponent, but it might take a few weeks of solid wins for the Cowboys to work their way back into the polls.

5. BAYLOR

Baylor has started the season with a 3-1 start, which is considerable progress for a team that has spent the past few years in a complete rebuilding phase. Over Kansas last weekend, quarterback Charlie Brewer finished the day with 221 passing yards, and three touchdowns. Baylor improved in rushing, with six players –including Brewer–rushing for double-digit yardage to finish the day with 190 total yards on the ground. This type of balanced approach is becoming increasingly important, as teams are looking to control the time and tempo. As Baylor looks to continue the upward momentum of a balanced approach, opponents are also retooling to defend them, so if you’re a Big 12 fan, that’s a big point of emphasis for defenses.

Baylor takes on Oklahoma this weekend, and with the Sooners controlling the tables right now, this will be the Bears’ biggest test to-date.

4. TEXAS

Is Texas actually back? Nobody knows. It’s a question we ask ourselves every single week, but after toppling the formerly 17th ranked TCU Horned Frogs last weekend, Texas is back into the AP Top 25 poll at No. 18.

Momentarily, at least, Texas is back, but the most impressive area during the game was at the half, where Texas defense held TCU to just a field goal to start the second-half. Statistically, both teams were about the same in the major categories, but a place that helped catapult Texas to the stunning win was in turnovers. TCU gave the football up four times, including a fumble, and three interceptions. And in this league, ball control is a crucial difference-maker.

The Longhorns look to keep the streak going on the road against a struggling Kansas State team on Saturday on FS1.

3. WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia has emerged as one of the top programs in the country through three games, however, with its toughest opponent (NC State) cancelled due to Hurricane Florence, the sample size in terms of comparable competition is relatively low. Kansas State has been struggling this season, so it was a little disconcerting to see quarterback Will Grier struggle with ball control in the Mountaineers’ 35-6 win on Saturday. The Heisman hopeful threw for 356 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions, yet the West Virginia offense was shut out the last quarter of play.

The Mountaineers, however, spent 33:23 of the game on defense and only gave up a total of six points, but keeping your defense on the field for that long adds up over the course of the season, especially if substitutions are limited, as tends to be the case in they league. From a durability perspective, the offense will need to balance it out a bit, but against a Texas Tech team coming off a monster upset in Stillwater, it could be a challenge.

2. TEXAS TECH

DOWN GOES OKLAHOMA STATE!

As mentioned previously, the last time Texas Tech won in Stillwater was when Kliff Kingsbury was the quarterback, and it had been nine years since Tech beat Oklahoma State in any other venue. To say knocking off the 14th ranked team and entering the polls at No. 25 is an accomplishment for a team with plenty of red flags headed into the season, would be grossly understated.

True freshman quarterback Alan Bowman threw for 397 yards, and two touchdowns, but with two interceptions thrown into tight windows, he needs to focus on locating the DBs to avoid those mistakes in the future. The Red Raiders dominated in almost every statistical category, but the critical areas were in time of possession, play-calling, and on defense. With Tech able to keep a high powered offense off the field, it wore their defense down, giving Tech the ability to put together its most complete game in the Kingsbury era. The 806D also managed a complete second-half shut out, which is the momentum they need as they prepare this week to face Will Grier at home on Saturday.

1. OKLAHOMA

What a week for the Sooners.

Former quarterback and reigning Heisman winner Baker Mayfield was named the Browns’ starter after its historic win last week, and Oklahoma is off to a 4-0 start, but not without an upset watch.

In their 28-21 OT victory over Army, Heisman hopeful Kyler Murray was limited to just 165 passing yards, but that didn’t stop the gunslinger from racking up three touchdowns, including a 10 yard pass to CeeDee Lamb in the end zone to seal the victory. The Sooners’ offense was held to a second-half shutout, just 19 first downs, and only controlled the clock for 15:19. Those are certainly areas of concern Oklahoma will have to correct this week against Baylor, and especially before the gritty portion of the Big 12 schedule.

Side Note: Very classy, Sooners. Thank you to Army Football for your continued service.

#Sooners fans give Army standing ovation when they leave the field. Former Army assistant Tim Kish shook plenty of hands with Army players. pic.twitter.com/SblKSlMzzh

— Eric Bailey (@EricBaileyTW) September 23, 2018

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