No. 9 Oklahoma State: 36 at No. 16 Baylor: 25
The rematch of the Big 12 Championship game did not come down to the wire as it did when these two teams met last year. In the first half, Baylor’s defense played well, only allowing two touchdowns. But Oklahoma State’s defense made the plays when it mattered. The Cowboys stopped Baylor on 4th down well within field goal range and tackled Richard Reese in the endzone for a safety. Oklahoma State’s special teams unit wasted no time scoring in the third quarter either, returning the second-half kickoff for a score. Although the Cowboys jumped to a 20-point lead, Baylor scored 14 unanswered. The Bears added another touchdown and a successful 2-point conversion to make the contest a one-score game but came up just short in the end. As a result, Oklahoma State moves up two spots in the rankings while Baylor drops out of the top 25 after a disheartening loss.
Up Next for No. 7 Oklahoma State: vs. Texas Tech
Up Next for Baylor: BYE
Iowa State: 11 at Kansas: 14
Kansas continues its winning ways in the game of the week in the Big 12. Both defenses thrived as neither team scored in the first or the fourth quarter. However, the difference in this contest was Kansas’ rushing attack. Daniel Hishaw Jr. and elusive quarterback Jalon Daniels both scored for Kansas in the second quarter, giving them a touchdown lead heading into the half. While Iowa State did add on a field goal in the second half, both teams struggled to move the ball consistently. Ultimately, the game came down to a missed Iowa State field goal with 30 seconds to play. The Jayhawks continue their undefeated season as they move into the top 25 poll and look forward to hosting College Gameday for the first time in school history.
Up next for No. 19 Kansas: vs. No. 17 TCU
Up Next for Iowa State: vs. No. 20 Kansas State
Texas Tech: 28 at No. 25 Kansas State: 37
Another surprise team that is finding success early in the season is Kansas State. While a loss to Tulane hurt the program nationally, blowing out a competitive Oklahoma team turned some heads. Now in the top 25 poll, Adrian Martinez looked just as impressive as he did a week ago in Norman. On the first play from scrimmage, Martinez ran the ball 57 yards for a touchdown. Both teams traded scores throughout the first three-quarters of the game, but Kansas State pulled away in the fourth. In total, Martinez had 171 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. Deuce Vaughn also had 170 rushing yards. The Wildcats remain undefeated in conference play and move up five spots in the AP poll as they head to Ames next Saturday.
Up Next for No. 20 Kansas State: at Iowa State
Up next for Texas Tech: at No. 7 Oklahoma State
West Virginia: 20 at Texas: 38
With so much at stake for West Virginia and Texas early in the season, this was a must-win matchup for both teams. Although Quinn Ewers remained sidelined, Hudson Card rose to the occasion, leading his team to a 28-point lead in the first half. Xavier Worthy also was a significant factor in the game, catching and throwing a touchdown in the first quarter. The Mountaineers did begin their comeback effort just with JT Daniels throwing a touchdown to Kaden Prather as the half ended. However, a scoreless third quarter sealed West Virginia’s fate Saturday night. Card had a stellar night throwing for three touchdowns and 303 yards. Bijan Robinson continued his dominant season, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown as Texas travels to Oklahoma for the Red River rivalry next weekend. West Virginia now drops to 2-3 on the season as they look to get back on track after a bye. West Virginia also had a major injury concern with star true freshman running back CJ Donaldson exited on a stretcher with a head and neck injury. He traveled back with the team, but will probably not be playing football anytime soon.
Up Next for Texas: at Oklahoma
Up Next for West Virginia: BYE
No. 18 Oklahoma: 24 at TCU: 55
In hindsight, the fact that TCU was an underdog entering this matchup seems ridiculous. The Horned Frogs not only dominated the Sooner from the start of the game but also changed the hierarchy of the Big 12 this season. TCU’s offense started extremely fast, scoring 27 points in the first quarter. After taking on another touchdown, Oklahoma’s quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, exited the game after a late hit to the head. Currently, the quarterback remains in concussion protocol. After the injury, the TCU offense continued to score on big plays, putting up another 14 in the third quarter, now with the game well in hand.
Unfortunately, the storyline coming out of this game had little to do with football but with the health of Damond Harmon, a defensive back for the Sooners who suffered a head and neck injury in garbage time. Harmon was transported to the Fort Worth hospital. On Sunday, Harmon’s tests returned negative, and he traveled back to Norman to receive more care. Although the injuries of the Oklahoma players overshadow the impressive upset for TCU, this situation forces media members, coaches, and fans to have a more critical conversation, discussing the safety of players.
Up Next for No. 17 TCU: at No. 19 Kansas
Up Next for Oklahoma: vs. Texas
