While Oklahoma and Texas remain the only Big 12 schools included in the AP Top 25 rankings, several others showed they may be able to contend in higher levels of competition.
For some, that means proving themselves worthy of a bowl game selection, and for others, it could mean fighting for a spot in the college football playoffs or Big 12 Championship. Regardless of what is on the horizon for its teams, the Big 12 conference continued to present exciting football in the eighth week of the college football season.
Oklahoma vs. UCF: Knights nearly expose seventh ranked powerhouse
A 31-29 home win kept the Sooners undefeated on Saturday, but this did not come without a scare from the UCF Knights, who remain winless in conference play.
After starting the season 3-0, UCF finds themselves on a four game losing streak after the loss. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, who has been experiencing an ongoing knee injury, started once again this weekend and performed well. The senior outplayed Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel, completing 16 of his 30 throws for 248 yards and two touchdowns compared to Gabriel’s 25/38 completions for 253 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. This passing production for UCF can also be attributed to the play of receiver Javon Baker, who scored both touchdowns and caught five receptions for a total of 134 yards. This included an 86-yard touchdown where Baker blew a kiss to the Sooners’ crowd.
After tying the game at 17 points at halftime and scoring the only six points of the third quarter, Oklahoma managed two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put themselves in the lead. The Knights failed the two-point conversion attempt on their only touchdown of the quarter, resulting in the two-point victory for Oklahoma. The Knights must feel accomplished to a degree, nevertheless, as the team showed it has what it takes to end the losing streak and push for a bowl game appearance. The game had the smallest margin of victory for the Sooners this season, and it could serve as a wake-up call that they still have to fight to retain their top status in the conference.
BYU vs. Texas Tech: Cougars even Big 12 record en route to bowl eligibility
Brigham Young bounced back after a significant week 7 loss to TCU with a win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 27-14. The win puts the Cougars at a 5-2 overall record with an even 2-2 conference record. The team scored the only touchdowns of the first quarter and kept the second quarter even to lead 24-7 at halftime. The score became mostly stagnant for the remainder of the game, as BYU scored the only points of the third quarter and Texas Tech scored their second touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The win proved that BYU’s defense was still in good shape after last week’s 44-11 loss. The team forced two lost fumbles and three interceptions from Texas Tech and their freshman quarterback Jake Strong. The Cougars needed this, as they lacked offensive production across the board. BYU with 23 less plays in the game and 112 less yards than their Texas Tech opponents but scored efficiently to enlarge the impact of the Red Raiders’ errors.
Texas Tech showed a strong offensive foundation in the loss, even under Strong, who got the start after replacing the injured Behren Morton halfway through last week’s contest against Kansas State. The freshman finished with 236 passing yards and a touchdown on a 19/37 completion rate, but, without many other options showing themselves for the Red Raiders, BYU was able to push the young quarterback into a corner to force his three interceptions. Tahj Brooks, the senior running back, carried the football 31 times in the loss for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Now 3-5, the Red Raiders will rest next week before playing TCU at home in week 10. The Cougars will follow the Red Raiders home to Texas next week to play the eighth ranked Texas Longhorns- a game in which they are not favored to win. This marks a tough schedule to end the season for the Cougars, who are one game away from bowl eligibility.
Baylor vs. Cincinnati: Bears survive fourth quarter comeback
After a close call in the fourth quarter, the Baylor Bears defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 32-29 on Saturday to bring their Big 12 record to 2-2 and their overall record to 3-4. The win left a lot to be desired offensively, as the Bears finished with 396 yards and just 80 rushing yards. Junior quarterback Blake Shapen finished 25/42 with 316 passing yards, 12 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, and a passing touchdown, and Ketron Jackson Jr. caught five receptions for a total of 130 yards in the win. The Bears have a mixed bag of opponents to close their regular season schedule, but if things go according to plan, they could gain bowl game eligibility. Much of this is dependent on whether or not their offense can make up for their defensive struggles, which remained throughout the season. The team will test their strengths at home against Iowa State next week after the Cyclones’ bye this weekend.
Cincinnati remains one of two Big 12 teams who are winless in conference play. The team scored in just two quarters against the Bears, posting 14 points in the second quarter and 15 in the fourth. Their two touchdowns in the fourth quarter were nearly enough for the win, but a Baylor field goal in between the two scores made it necessary for the Bearcats to score again in the last five minutes, which they did not do. For the team to continue playing after their final regular season game at home against Kansas, they would need to win at least four of their last five games, which seems doubtful considering their opponents include Oklahoma State, West Virginia, and the Kansas Jayhawks. They will look to build off their fierce run game of Corey Kiner and Myles Montgomery next week against Oklahoma State. The duo combined for 232 rushing yards with two touchdowns from Montgomery in the loss.
Oklahoma State vs. WVU: Cowboys continue campaign for a spot in the Big 12 Championship
In a game that started and ended messy for the Mountaineers, Oklahoma State came out on top for the 3-1 conference record that was at stake. The 48-34 victory is the Cowboys’ third straight win after losing to South Alabama and Iowa State in weeks three and four respectively. Ollie Gordon outdid his excellent performance last week against Kansas and took on a majority of OSU’s offensive duties. The sophomore finished with 29 carries for 282 yards and four touchdowns to singlehandedly outshine West Virginia’s run game, which was heavily led by quarterback Garrett Greene, who had 117 yards on 16 carries. Defensively Oklahoma State made stops when it counted most, stopping the Mountaineers from taking the lead late in the fourth quarter. The team’s 28-10 advantage in the final quarter alongside an early interception in the first quarter kept the Cowboys ahead in the matchup. They will look to continue their hunt for a Big 12 Championship spot with a win against Cincinnati next week before taking on Oklahoma in week 10. The Mountaineers will travel to the University of Central Florida in Orlando as they fight for bowl eligibility and a resurgence after two conference losses.
Texas vs. Houston: Championship aspirations at risk for Longhorns despite victory
Texas scored the final touchdown of the game with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter to break a tie and defeat the Cougars 31-24 on Saturday. The matchup was the teams’ first as Big 12 rivals.
Houston finished with a 390-362 advantage in yardage despite just 14 yards coming from their run game. Junior Donovan Smith completed 32 of his 46 pass attempts for 378 yards and three touchdowns. He threw one interception in the close loss. Smith’s leadership will remain a huge factor in how Houston ends their season, as they look for bowl eligibility with a current 3-4 record.
For Texas, the win was their first game since losing their only game to Oklahoma in week 6. Quarterback Quinn Ewers continued his consistency and reliability, throwing 23/29 for 211 yards and two touchdowns before injuring his shoulder. With details still unclear on how this will impact their star quarterback’s availability to end the season, Texas has a tough slate to finish the season. BYU, Kansas State, and Iowa State could all take the Longhorns out of the running for a Big 12 Championship appearance if Texas’s offense begins to struggle. Regardless of Ewers’ health, the Longhorns will surely continue to trust their defensive efforts that have kept many teams at low scores throughout the season, but Houston’s performance here showed there is still work to do on that side as well.
Kansas State vs. TCU: Wildcats embarrass Horned Frogs in pivotal win
After TCU defeated BYU 44-11 last week, the Kansas State Wildcats got revenge on the Cougars’ behalf with a 41-3 victory over the Horned Frogs. The win is Kansas State’s fifth of the season as they boast a 3-1 conference record and continue to fight for a place in the Big 12 Championship game. TCU fell to 4-4 after the loss, with a 2-3 Big 12 record.
Kansas State made things happen much more frequently than TCU throughout, as the team finished with 287 more yards, 10 more first downs, and a 10/13 third down efficiency compared to the Horned Frogs’ 2/13. The team scored three touchdowns in the first quarter to outdo TCU’s only points of the game. Will Howard and Avery Johnson once again split the quarterback duties in the game, as the senior, Howard, completed 10 of his 16 attempts for 154 yards and three touchdowns while the freshman finished 5/10 for 90 yards and one touchdown.
Johnson came back down to earth after his four-touchdown performance last week, as he rushed for 73 yards on 16 carries while Howard gained 62 yards in four carries. Despite neither necessarily leading the charge on that front, the running game of Kansas State was a huge factor in the blowout, as, including the quarterbacks, four Wildcats rushed for 60 yards or more, as Treshaun Ward carried the ball 17 times for 89 yards and DJ Giddens gained 85 yards and the team’s only rushing touchdown in nine carries. Giddens also caught the ball twice for 75 yards and a touchdown.
The win served as a display of just how many offensive weapons the Wildcats have at their disposal. This versatility and sheer dominance puts Kansas State as a real threat late in the college football season. TCU, meanwhile, remains a wildcard and beacon of inconsistency in the Big 12. Emani Bailey, who has the fourth most rushing yards in the Big 12 so far this season, finished with 100 yards on 12 carries, and Savion Williams caught four receptions for 60 yards, but this was basically the only production coming from the Horned Frogs throughout. TCU will take the week off before returning for a Thursday night game against Texas Tech in week 10.
