Big 12: 2012-midseason-reports
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Big 12: 5 things we learned -- Week 7
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http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/college-football-rapidreports/20569051/big-12-5-things-we-learned-week-7
Big 12 Conference News and Notes
BAYLOR: The Bears (3-2) were dealt a 49-21 loss by TCU over the weekend, their second straight loss after starting the year 3-0. It was a 28-21 game entering the fourth quarter, and that's when TCU put three unanswered touchdowns on the board to put the game away. The Baylor offense struggled all game, committing six turnovers, while the Horned Frogs did not turn the ball over once. Quarterback Nick Florence completed 12-of-19 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns, but had four interceptions. Receiver Terrance Williams caught three passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Baylor scored on the second play from scrimmage when Florence connected with Williams for a 74-yard touchdown pass to give the Bears the early lead, 7-0. However, the Frogs answered with three straight scores to take a 21-7 lead. The schedule takes another tough turn this week as the Bears travel to Austin to face a Texas squad that will be desperate to rebound from consecutive losses.
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IOWA STATE: The Cyclones were on the wrong end of a 27-21 final against No. 4 Kansas State this weekend. Despite two losses in their last three outings, the Cyclones are No. 24 in this week's BCS standings. Like most of the Wildcats' opponents, Iowa State struggled to contain dual-threat quarterback Collin Klein, who ran for 105 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing for another 187 yards. His counterpart, Jared Barnett, threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-36 passing, and he also led the Cyclones' rushing attack with 35 yards on eight carries. Down by six with five minutes to play in regulation, ISU had a couple of chances but turned the ball over on downs both times. The team finished with just 19:06 of possession time, compared to 40:54 for K-State. Even in the loss, the Cyclones (4-2, 1-2) are still off to their best start since 2002 when they began the season 6-1. Iowa State will hit the road to face Oklahoma State this weekend.
KANSAS: The Jayhawks hung tough against Oklahoma State on Saturday, but they ultimately fell in a 20-14 final to drop to 1-5. KU has not tasted victory since a season-opening win over FCS foe South Dakota State on Sept. 1. Several of the team's losses have been tight contests, and Saturday was one of them. Kansas (1-5, 0-3) got another poor performance from quarterback Dayne Crist, who entered the game completing just 50 percent of his throws. Crist completed 10-of-22 for 136 yards before Charlie Weis removed him from the game in favor of Michael Cummings. Cummings was a little better, going 5-of-10 for 75 yards and a touchdown. James Sims was the most consistent offensive player for the Jayhawks, rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on 27 tries. OSU was up 20-0 entering the final quarter when Cummings entered the game and rallied the Jayhawks to within six points with nine minutes on the clock. Next up, KU travels to Oklahoma.
KANSAS STATE: The fourth-ranked Wildcats moved to 6-0 with Saturday's 27-21 win at Iowa State. Collin Klein was once again effective on the ground and through the air, rushing for 105 yards and three touchdowns, while also completing 16-of-24 passes for 187 yards. John Hubert added 79 yards on 22 carries for the Wildcats (6-0, 3-0 Big 12), who will take on West Virginia this week. It won't be a matchup of unbeatens, however, as the Mountaineers were beaten by Texas Tech this past Saturday. With Klein moving the chains early and often, K-State won the time of possession battle by more than 20 minutes. Cyclones' quarterback Jared Barnett managed just 166 yards on 16- of-36 passing, and he was also ISU's leading rusher with 35 yards. Still, following the game head coach Bill Snyder said that he'd like for his team to have played better across the board. With WVU's high-octane offense next on the docket, the defense will need to be on its toes.
OKLAHOMA: The Sooners routed 15th-ranked Texas, 63-21, to claim the latest installment of the Red River Rivalry and move to No. 10 in this week's AP poll. Blake Bell ran for four touchdowns in the first half, and Landry Jones threw for 321 yards with two scores in the victory. Jones completed 21-of-37 passes with an interception for the Sooners (4-1, 2-1 Big 12), who have won two in a row since a loss to Kansas State on Sept. 22. Damien Williams carried the ball 22 times for 167 yards and a touchdown for Oklahoma, which racked up 343 yards on the ground. Trey Millard caught five passes for 119 yards and a score. Oklahoma jumped out to a 27-2 lead before Texas recorded a first down. Bell's fourth touchdown of the first half made it 36-2 at the break, and the rout was on. The Longhorns finally scored a touchdown early in the second half on an interception return. Oklahoma has now won the last three meetings in the series, including a 55-17 triumph last season. This was the seventh straight year and the 36th time overall that both teams came into the annual clash ranked in the AP Top-25. OU had 677 yards of total offense, compared to 289 for the Longhorns. The Sooners will host Kansas this weekend and wrap up their homestand against Notre Dame the following week.
OKLAHOMA STATE: It wasn't pretty, but the Cowboys moved to 3-2 following Saturday's 20-14 win at Kansas. Leading 20-0 entering the fourth quarter, OSU allowed the Jayhawks to climb to within six with nine minutes to play before closing it out. Freshman J.W. Walsh completed 18-of-29 passes for 255 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Oklahoma State (3-2, 1-1 Big 12). Joseph Randle added 80 yards on 29 carries, while Charlie Moore reeled in five catches for 97 yards and a score. After a scoreless first quarter and a one- hour delay due to a lightning storm, OSU came to life a bit and took a 10-0 lead into intermission. The Cowboys increased their lead to 17-0 when Walsh hit Moore for a 72-yard touchdown, the longest reception of his career. Sharp hit another field goal, this time from 42 yards out, and with a 20-0 lead entering the fourth quarter, it appeared that the Cowboys had the game in hand. However, KU made a quarterback switch and it appeared to catch the Cowboys off guard. Still, they were able to hang on for the win. The Pokes will need to be much sharper for four quarters when Iowa State comes to town this week.
TCU: The Horned Frogs rebounded from their first loss of the season with a solid 49-21 road win at Baylor. Turnovers were the key to the game, as TCU notched six takeaways while not committing a single turnover on the offensive end. Trevone Boykin completed 22-of-30 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Boykin also rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries to help the TCU (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) offense explode for 508 total yards. Boykin's favorite target Josh Boyce, who caught eight passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. After allowing Baylor to score on the second play from scrimmage, the Horned Frogs defense settled down as they fought back to take a 21-7 lead. Clinging to a 28-21 lead entering the final frame, TCU scored three unanswered touchdowns in the final 15 minutes to seal the victory. Up next, the Horned Frogs host Texas Tech this weekend before traveling to Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
TEXAS: After starting the year 4-0, the Longhorns have now dropped two in a row. On Saturday, they simply could not keep pace with Oklahoma, as the Sooners ran away with a 63-21 victory in the annual Red River Rivalry game. In fact, Oklahoma led 27-2 before Texas even recorded a first down. It was a 36-2 game in the third quarter when the Longhorns finally got into the end zone thanks to their defense, as Carrington Byndom intercepted a pass and went 28 yards the other way for a score. By then, however, the damage had already been done. UT, which entered the game ranked No. 15, has now tumbled out of the national rankings. David Ash connected on 13-of-29 passes for 113 yards and two interceptions for the Longhorns. Case McCoy also got some action, completing 5-of-8 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Texas has dropped three straight to OU in the head-to-head series, including a 55-17 rout last year. This was the seventh straight year both teams entered the annual matchup ranked in the AP Top-25. Texas entertains Baylor this Saturday.
TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders jumped all over No. 5 West Virginia this past Saturday, whipping the previously unbeaten Mountaineers in a 49-14 final. With the victory, Texas Tech moved to No. 18 in this week's AP poll. Seth Doege operated effectively despite strong winds, as he threw for a career-best 504 yards and six touchdowns. It marked the program's largest margin of victory over a top-five team in school history, and after the clock expired fans stormed the field to celebrate. Battling 20-30 mile-per-hour winds throughout the afternoon, Doege nearly doubled counterpart Geno Smith's passing yardage and completed 32-of-42 passes with an interception for the Red Raiders (5-1, 2-1 Big 12), who had won their first four games of the season before losing to Oklahoma last Saturday. Darrin Moore hauled in nine passes for 92 yards and three touchdowns, while Jace Amaro caught five passes for 156 yards and a score in the win. For the game, TTU outgained West Virginia, 686-428. The Red Raiders will look to stay hot this week when they travel to TCU.
WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers entered Saturday's showdown with Texas Tech ranked No. 5 in the country, while quarterback Geno Smith had established himself as an early Heisman Trophy frontrunner. However, the team, and Smith's Heisman candidacy, were left reeling after Saturday's ugly 49-14 loss. TTU quarterback Seth Doege overcame wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour to throw for a career-high 504 yards and six TDs, but Smith did not enjoy the same type of success. Coming into the contest with just 38 incompletions on the season, Smith misfired 26 times on Saturday. He had an .814 completion percentage coming into the contest. He still hasn't thrown an interception on the year, but threw for 295 yards on just 29-of-55 efficiency for West Virginia (5-1, 2-1), which had its eight-game win streak dating back to last season snapped. Stedman Bailey, West Virginia's all-time touchdown receptions leader, had six receptions for 61 yards and a score, but suffered an ankle injury in the first half and did not return. Tavon Austin had nine grabs for 114 yards in the setback. The Mountaineers were 1-of-6 on fourth down after converting on all five of their fourth-down tries in a 48-45 victory over Texas a week earlier. Now ranked 17th in the nation, WVU plays host to No. 4 Kansas State this Saturday.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/sns-tsn-afn-big12-release-20121015,0,1849948.story
BAYLOR: The Bears (3-2) were dealt a 49-21 loss by TCU over the weekend, their second straight loss after starting the year 3-0. It was a 28-21 game entering the fourth quarter, and that's when TCU put three unanswered touchdowns on the board to put the game away. The Baylor offense struggled all game, committing six turnovers, while the Horned Frogs did not turn the ball over once. Quarterback Nick Florence completed 12-of-19 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns, but had four interceptions. Receiver Terrance Williams caught three passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Baylor scored on the second play from scrimmage when Florence connected with Williams for a 74-yard touchdown pass to give the Bears the early lead, 7-0. However, the Frogs answered with three straight scores to take a 21-7 lead. The schedule takes another tough turn this week as the Bears travel to Austin to face a Texas squad that will be desperate to rebound from consecutive losses.
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IOWA STATE: The Cyclones were on the wrong end of a 27-21 final against No. 4 Kansas State this weekend. Despite two losses in their last three outings, the Cyclones are No. 24 in this week's BCS standings. Like most of the Wildcats' opponents, Iowa State struggled to contain dual-threat quarterback Collin Klein, who ran for 105 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing for another 187 yards. His counterpart, Jared Barnett, threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-36 passing, and he also led the Cyclones' rushing attack with 35 yards on eight carries. Down by six with five minutes to play in regulation, ISU had a couple of chances but turned the ball over on downs both times. The team finished with just 19:06 of possession time, compared to 40:54 for K-State. Even in the loss, the Cyclones (4-2, 1-2) are still off to their best start since 2002 when they began the season 6-1. Iowa State will hit the road to face Oklahoma State this weekend.
KANSAS: The Jayhawks hung tough against Oklahoma State on Saturday, but they ultimately fell in a 20-14 final to drop to 1-5. KU has not tasted victory since a season-opening win over FCS foe South Dakota State on Sept. 1. Several of the team's losses have been tight contests, and Saturday was one of them. Kansas (1-5, 0-3) got another poor performance from quarterback Dayne Crist, who entered the game completing just 50 percent of his throws. Crist completed 10-of-22 for 136 yards before Charlie Weis removed him from the game in favor of Michael Cummings. Cummings was a little better, going 5-of-10 for 75 yards and a touchdown. James Sims was the most consistent offensive player for the Jayhawks, rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on 27 tries. OSU was up 20-0 entering the final quarter when Cummings entered the game and rallied the Jayhawks to within six points with nine minutes on the clock. Next up, KU travels to Oklahoma.
KANSAS STATE: The fourth-ranked Wildcats moved to 6-0 with Saturday's 27-21 win at Iowa State. Collin Klein was once again effective on the ground and through the air, rushing for 105 yards and three touchdowns, while also completing 16-of-24 passes for 187 yards. John Hubert added 79 yards on 22 carries for the Wildcats (6-0, 3-0 Big 12), who will take on West Virginia this week. It won't be a matchup of unbeatens, however, as the Mountaineers were beaten by Texas Tech this past Saturday. With Klein moving the chains early and often, K-State won the time of possession battle by more than 20 minutes. Cyclones' quarterback Jared Barnett managed just 166 yards on 16- of-36 passing, and he was also ISU's leading rusher with 35 yards. Still, following the game head coach Bill Snyder said that he'd like for his team to have played better across the board. With WVU's high-octane offense next on the docket, the defense will need to be on its toes.
OKLAHOMA: The Sooners routed 15th-ranked Texas, 63-21, to claim the latest installment of the Red River Rivalry and move to No. 10 in this week's AP poll. Blake Bell ran for four touchdowns in the first half, and Landry Jones threw for 321 yards with two scores in the victory. Jones completed 21-of-37 passes with an interception for the Sooners (4-1, 2-1 Big 12), who have won two in a row since a loss to Kansas State on Sept. 22. Damien Williams carried the ball 22 times for 167 yards and a touchdown for Oklahoma, which racked up 343 yards on the ground. Trey Millard caught five passes for 119 yards and a score. Oklahoma jumped out to a 27-2 lead before Texas recorded a first down. Bell's fourth touchdown of the first half made it 36-2 at the break, and the rout was on. The Longhorns finally scored a touchdown early in the second half on an interception return. Oklahoma has now won the last three meetings in the series, including a 55-17 triumph last season. This was the seventh straight year and the 36th time overall that both teams came into the annual clash ranked in the AP Top-25. OU had 677 yards of total offense, compared to 289 for the Longhorns. The Sooners will host Kansas this weekend and wrap up their homestand against Notre Dame the following week.
OKLAHOMA STATE: It wasn't pretty, but the Cowboys moved to 3-2 following Saturday's 20-14 win at Kansas. Leading 20-0 entering the fourth quarter, OSU allowed the Jayhawks to climb to within six with nine minutes to play before closing it out. Freshman J.W. Walsh completed 18-of-29 passes for 255 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Oklahoma State (3-2, 1-1 Big 12). Joseph Randle added 80 yards on 29 carries, while Charlie Moore reeled in five catches for 97 yards and a score. After a scoreless first quarter and a one- hour delay due to a lightning storm, OSU came to life a bit and took a 10-0 lead into intermission. The Cowboys increased their lead to 17-0 when Walsh hit Moore for a 72-yard touchdown, the longest reception of his career. Sharp hit another field goal, this time from 42 yards out, and with a 20-0 lead entering the fourth quarter, it appeared that the Cowboys had the game in hand. However, KU made a quarterback switch and it appeared to catch the Cowboys off guard. Still, they were able to hang on for the win. The Pokes will need to be much sharper for four quarters when Iowa State comes to town this week.
TCU: The Horned Frogs rebounded from their first loss of the season with a solid 49-21 road win at Baylor. Turnovers were the key to the game, as TCU notched six takeaways while not committing a single turnover on the offensive end. Trevone Boykin completed 22-of-30 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Boykin also rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries to help the TCU (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) offense explode for 508 total yards. Boykin's favorite target Josh Boyce, who caught eight passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. After allowing Baylor to score on the second play from scrimmage, the Horned Frogs defense settled down as they fought back to take a 21-7 lead. Clinging to a 28-21 lead entering the final frame, TCU scored three unanswered touchdowns in the final 15 minutes to seal the victory. Up next, the Horned Frogs host Texas Tech this weekend before traveling to Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
TEXAS: After starting the year 4-0, the Longhorns have now dropped two in a row. On Saturday, they simply could not keep pace with Oklahoma, as the Sooners ran away with a 63-21 victory in the annual Red River Rivalry game. In fact, Oklahoma led 27-2 before Texas even recorded a first down. It was a 36-2 game in the third quarter when the Longhorns finally got into the end zone thanks to their defense, as Carrington Byndom intercepted a pass and went 28 yards the other way for a score. By then, however, the damage had already been done. UT, which entered the game ranked No. 15, has now tumbled out of the national rankings. David Ash connected on 13-of-29 passes for 113 yards and two interceptions for the Longhorns. Case McCoy also got some action, completing 5-of-8 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Texas has dropped three straight to OU in the head-to-head series, including a 55-17 rout last year. This was the seventh straight year both teams entered the annual matchup ranked in the AP Top-25. Texas entertains Baylor this Saturday.
TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders jumped all over No. 5 West Virginia this past Saturday, whipping the previously unbeaten Mountaineers in a 49-14 final. With the victory, Texas Tech moved to No. 18 in this week's AP poll. Seth Doege operated effectively despite strong winds, as he threw for a career-best 504 yards and six touchdowns. It marked the program's largest margin of victory over a top-five team in school history, and after the clock expired fans stormed the field to celebrate. Battling 20-30 mile-per-hour winds throughout the afternoon, Doege nearly doubled counterpart Geno Smith's passing yardage and completed 32-of-42 passes with an interception for the Red Raiders (5-1, 2-1 Big 12), who had won their first four games of the season before losing to Oklahoma last Saturday. Darrin Moore hauled in nine passes for 92 yards and three touchdowns, while Jace Amaro caught five passes for 156 yards and a score in the win. For the game, TTU outgained West Virginia, 686-428. The Red Raiders will look to stay hot this week when they travel to TCU.
WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers entered Saturday's showdown with Texas Tech ranked No. 5 in the country, while quarterback Geno Smith had established himself as an early Heisman Trophy frontrunner. However, the team, and Smith's Heisman candidacy, were left reeling after Saturday's ugly 49-14 loss. TTU quarterback Seth Doege overcame wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour to throw for a career-high 504 yards and six TDs, but Smith did not enjoy the same type of success. Coming into the contest with just 38 incompletions on the season, Smith misfired 26 times on Saturday. He had an .814 completion percentage coming into the contest. He still hasn't thrown an interception on the year, but threw for 295 yards on just 29-of-55 efficiency for West Virginia (5-1, 2-1), which had its eight-game win streak dating back to last season snapped. Stedman Bailey, West Virginia's all-time touchdown receptions leader, had six receptions for 61 yards and a score, but suffered an ankle injury in the first half and did not return. Tavon Austin had nine grabs for 114 yards in the setback. The Mountaineers were 1-of-6 on fourth down after converting on all five of their fourth-down tries in a 48-45 victory over Texas a week earlier. Now ranked 17th in the nation, WVU plays host to No. 4 Kansas State this Saturday.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/sns-tsn-afn-big12-release-20121015,0,1849948.story
Big 12 is college football's wildest ride
ENID, Okla. ? Right this way. Buy your ticket and take your chances on the wildest ride in college football, the scariest roller-coaster in the land, the Big 12 Conference.
With Landry Jones back, Oklahoma looked to be a virtual lock to return to the conference throne room, if not the BCS Championship game. Until the bottom dropped out against Kansas State, and the Sooners stumbled to a 24-19 loss.
OU looked to be in for a long day at Lubbock, against a Texas Tech team that beat them in Norman a year ago. The Sooners never play well in Lubbock, the experts said, and crazy things happen on the plains of West Texas. But the Sooners outscored Tech 34-6 in the second and third quarters and swamped the Red Raiders 41-20.
Then West Virginia, a conference newcomer, vaulted to national prominence, riding the strong arm of quarterback Geno Smith. The Heisman Trophy was Geno's to lose, said the experts. The Mountaineers went into Lubbock looking for a huge day from their vaunted quarterback against the reeling Red Raiders.
Well, a quarterback had a big day on the windy Tech field, but it wasn't Geno, it was T-Tech QB Seth Doege, who threw for 499 yards and six touchdowns. Smith, meanwhile, fell from the Heisman lead as he threw for a more modest 275 yards and no touchdowns in a 49-14 backside kicking.
Oklahoma State's offense looked to be in trouble when strong-armed freshman quarterback Wes Lunt went down with an injury against Louisiana-Lafayette, but the offense didn't seem to miss a beat with redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh at the helm. The high-flying Pokes were a prohibitive favorite against the struggling Kansas Jayhawks and figured to run up and down like one of Bill Self's KU basketball teams.
Except the ghost of Cowboy offenses past reared its ugly head. The Pokes went back to their traditional "up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt" offense, they forgot to tackle in the fourth quarter (and forgot to play with any fire or passion the entire game) and they escaped with a 20-14 win only on the strength of a roughing the kicker penalty that kept the Jayhawks from mounting what would have almost certainly been a game-winning drive.
TCU, another league newcomer, appeared to be in trouble when its quarterback, Casey Pachall, withdrew from school to enter alcohol rehab after being picked up on a DUI. Pachall's replacement, Trevone Boykin, threw three picks as the Horned Frogs lost to Iowa State. A trip to Baylor looked to be another loss for TCU. But Boykin threw four TD passes and had no interceptions as the Frogs tripped Baylor 49-21 on the Bears' home field.
Texas escaped Stillwater with a 41-36 win (fumble, what fumble?) over OSU, then went home to face West Virginia. The Longhorns figured to give the Mountaineers all they wanted, and then some, but lost a shootout 48-45. So Texas was undoubtedly going into the annual Red River Rivalry with a chip on its shoulder. But OU knocked the chip off, picked it up and stuck it in the Longhorns' eye en route to a 63-21 thrashing that nearly cleared the Cotton Bowl of burnt orange by halftime.
So who's in the Big 12 driver's seat? K-State has a leg up on OU, but must go to Morgantown this week, and also faces a trip to TCU. OU's playing great, but has trips to West Virginia and Iowa State, where the Cyclones have proven a tough foe. Can one of the league newcomers regroup and make a run at the title? Will David Ash come back this week for Texas? Will Wes Lunt return for OSU? How long will the Texas fans put up with Mack Brown? Will last weekend's defensive resurgence continue or will we return to basketball scores like the 70-63 shootout between West Virginia and Baylor, will KU win a conference game?
Stay tuned, strap in and hang on.
http://enidnews.com/sportslocal/x688427107/Big-12-is-college-footballs-wildest-ride
ENID, Okla. ? Right this way. Buy your ticket and take your chances on the wildest ride in college football, the scariest roller-coaster in the land, the Big 12 Conference.
With Landry Jones back, Oklahoma looked to be a virtual lock to return to the conference throne room, if not the BCS Championship game. Until the bottom dropped out against Kansas State, and the Sooners stumbled to a 24-19 loss.
OU looked to be in for a long day at Lubbock, against a Texas Tech team that beat them in Norman a year ago. The Sooners never play well in Lubbock, the experts said, and crazy things happen on the plains of West Texas. But the Sooners outscored Tech 34-6 in the second and third quarters and swamped the Red Raiders 41-20.
Then West Virginia, a conference newcomer, vaulted to national prominence, riding the strong arm of quarterback Geno Smith. The Heisman Trophy was Geno's to lose, said the experts. The Mountaineers went into Lubbock looking for a huge day from their vaunted quarterback against the reeling Red Raiders.
Well, a quarterback had a big day on the windy Tech field, but it wasn't Geno, it was T-Tech QB Seth Doege, who threw for 499 yards and six touchdowns. Smith, meanwhile, fell from the Heisman lead as he threw for a more modest 275 yards and no touchdowns in a 49-14 backside kicking.
Oklahoma State's offense looked to be in trouble when strong-armed freshman quarterback Wes Lunt went down with an injury against Louisiana-Lafayette, but the offense didn't seem to miss a beat with redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh at the helm. The high-flying Pokes were a prohibitive favorite against the struggling Kansas Jayhawks and figured to run up and down like one of Bill Self's KU basketball teams.
Except the ghost of Cowboy offenses past reared its ugly head. The Pokes went back to their traditional "up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt" offense, they forgot to tackle in the fourth quarter (and forgot to play with any fire or passion the entire game) and they escaped with a 20-14 win only on the strength of a roughing the kicker penalty that kept the Jayhawks from mounting what would have almost certainly been a game-winning drive.
TCU, another league newcomer, appeared to be in trouble when its quarterback, Casey Pachall, withdrew from school to enter alcohol rehab after being picked up on a DUI. Pachall's replacement, Trevone Boykin, threw three picks as the Horned Frogs lost to Iowa State. A trip to Baylor looked to be another loss for TCU. But Boykin threw four TD passes and had no interceptions as the Frogs tripped Baylor 49-21 on the Bears' home field.
Texas escaped Stillwater with a 41-36 win (fumble, what fumble?) over OSU, then went home to face West Virginia. The Longhorns figured to give the Mountaineers all they wanted, and then some, but lost a shootout 48-45. So Texas was undoubtedly going into the annual Red River Rivalry with a chip on its shoulder. But OU knocked the chip off, picked it up and stuck it in the Longhorns' eye en route to a 63-21 thrashing that nearly cleared the Cotton Bowl of burnt orange by halftime.
So who's in the Big 12 driver's seat? K-State has a leg up on OU, but must go to Morgantown this week, and also faces a trip to TCU. OU's playing great, but has trips to West Virginia and Iowa State, where the Cyclones have proven a tough foe. Can one of the league newcomers regroup and make a run at the title? Will David Ash come back this week for Texas? Will Wes Lunt return for OSU? How long will the Texas fans put up with Mack Brown? Will last weekend's defensive resurgence continue or will we return to basketball scores like the 70-63 shootout between West Virginia and Baylor, will KU win a conference game?
Stay tuned, strap in and hang on.
http://enidnews.com/sportslocal/x688427107/Big-12-is-college-footballs-wildest-ride
Kansas State gives Big 12 best BCS shot
The first BCS standings of the season have been released, and Kansas State is listed the highest of the Big 12 teams. It sits at No. 4 behind Alabama, Florida and Oregon.
If you didn't realize it by the Big 12 standings (and West Virginia's rough outing on Saturday), K-State holds the key to the Big 12 cracking the BCS title game for the first time since Texas' loss to Alabama at the end of the 2009 season.
All three teams ahead of K-State are undefeated, but Oregon still has to face USC and play in the Pac-12 championship, and Alabama and Florida would meet in the SEC title game if neither team loses before then.
Odds are in K-State's favor that winning out would equal a trip to the title game, even if Oregon doesn't lose. It'd be close by then, but the strength of the Big 12 schedule could very well push the Wildcats ahead of the Ducks.
Either way, there's a lot of football to be played, and fans ought to fret a whole lot more about their teams making it through the rest of the schedule undefeated than what the polls will look like six weeks from now.
Oklahoma isn't out of it, and really, neither is West Virginia with the Sooners and K-State still on the Mountaineers' schedule. Odds are against WVU, but as I said, there's a lot of football left to be played, and this game is unpredictable.
Kansas State is at fourth in the Harris poll and is No. 1 in the Wolfe rating but all the way down at No. 5 in the Colley Matrix. The computers aren't quite as fond of the Big 12 as they were in the past, but the league is still in decent shape.
Oklahoma is No. 6 in the Wolfe computer rating but all the way down to No. 15 in the Anderson and Hester rating.
Here's where each Big 12 team sits in the first BCS:
4. Kansas State
9. Oklahoma
13. West Virginia
17. Texas Tech
23. TCU
24. Iowa State
25. Texas
Heck of a haul for the Big 12, which puts more teams in the BCS ranking than any human poll. The Big 12 has seven teams ranked in the BCS but just five in the coaches' poll and four in the media poll.
http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/tag/_/name/bcs-reaction-101412
The first BCS standings of the season have been released, and Kansas State is listed the highest of the Big 12 teams. It sits at No. 4 behind Alabama, Florida and Oregon.
If you didn't realize it by the Big 12 standings (and West Virginia's rough outing on Saturday), K-State holds the key to the Big 12 cracking the BCS title game for the first time since Texas' loss to Alabama at the end of the 2009 season.
All three teams ahead of K-State are undefeated, but Oregon still has to face USC and play in the Pac-12 championship, and Alabama and Florida would meet in the SEC title game if neither team loses before then.
Odds are in K-State's favor that winning out would equal a trip to the title game, even if Oregon doesn't lose. It'd be close by then, but the strength of the Big 12 schedule could very well push the Wildcats ahead of the Ducks.
Either way, there's a lot of football to be played, and fans ought to fret a whole lot more about their teams making it through the rest of the schedule undefeated than what the polls will look like six weeks from now.
Oklahoma isn't out of it, and really, neither is West Virginia with the Sooners and K-State still on the Mountaineers' schedule. Odds are against WVU, but as I said, there's a lot of football left to be played, and this game is unpredictable.
Kansas State is at fourth in the Harris poll and is No. 1 in the Wolfe rating but all the way down at No. 5 in the Colley Matrix. The computers aren't quite as fond of the Big 12 as they were in the past, but the league is still in decent shape.
Oklahoma is No. 6 in the Wolfe computer rating but all the way down to No. 15 in the Anderson and Hester rating.
Here's where each Big 12 team sits in the first BCS:
4. Kansas State
9. Oklahoma
13. West Virginia
17. Texas Tech
23. TCU
24. Iowa State
25. Texas
Heck of a haul for the Big 12, which puts more teams in the BCS ranking than any human poll. The Big 12 has seven teams ranked in the BCS but just five in the coaches' poll and four in the media poll.
http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/tag/_/name/bcs-reaction-101412
Big 12, SEC players of the week and upcoming TV times
Players of the week
BIG 12
? Offense: Seth Doege, Texas Tech QB
? Defense: David Cody, Texas Tech S
? Special teams: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State P/K
SEC
? Offense: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M QB
? Defense: C.J. Mosley, Alabama LB
? Tri-special teams: Zach Hocher, Arkansas K,
Bryson Rose, Mississippi K,
Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee KR
? Co-offensive linemen: Jon Halapio, Florida G,
Tobias Smith, Mississippi State G,
? Defensive lineman: Sam Montgomery, LSU E
? Co-freshmen: Jeremy Hill, LSU RB,
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M QB
TV games
BIG 12
Saturday
? Iowa State at Oklahoma State, 11 a.m. FX
? Texas Tech at TCU, 2:30 p.m., ABC (Ch. 9)
? Kansas State at West Virginia, 6 p.m., Fox (Ch. 4)
? Kansas at Oklahoma, 6 p.m., Fox Sports KC
? Baylor at Texas, 7 p.m., ABC (Ch. 9)
Oct. 27
? Texas at Kansas, 11 a.m., Fox Sports KC
? TCU at Oklahoma State, 2:30 p.m., Fox Sports KC
? Texas Tech at Kansas State, 2:30 p.m., Fox (Ch. 4)
? Baylor at Iowa State, 6 p.m., Fox Sports KC
? Notre Dame at Oklahoma, 7 p.m., ABC (Ch. 9)
SEC
Saturday
? LSU at Texas A&M, 11 a.m., ESPN
? South Carolina at Florida, 11:21 a.m., KSMO (Ch. 62)
? Alabama at Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPN
? Georgia at Kentucky, 6 p.m., Fox Sports Net
? Middle Tennessee State at Mississippi State, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Oct. 27
? Kentucky at Missouri, 11 a.m., ESPNU
? Tennessee at South Carolina, 11 a.m., ESPN
? Mississippi vs. Arkansas in Little Rock, Ark., 11:21 a.m., KSMO (Ch. 62)
? Florida vs. Georgia, 2:30 p.m., CBS (Ch. 5)
? Texas A&M at Auburn, 6 p.m., ESPNU
? Massachusetts at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m., Fox Sports Net
? Mississippi State at Alabama, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Copyright 2012 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted on Mon, Oct. 15, 2012 04:48 PM
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/15/3868532/big-12-sec-players-of-the-week.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/15/3868532/big-12-sec-players-of-the-week.html
Players of the week
BIG 12
? Offense: Seth Doege, Texas Tech QB
? Defense: David Cody, Texas Tech S
? Special teams: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State P/K
SEC
? Offense: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M QB
? Defense: C.J. Mosley, Alabama LB
? Tri-special teams: Zach Hocher, Arkansas K,
Bryson Rose, Mississippi K,
Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee KR
? Co-offensive linemen: Jon Halapio, Florida G,
Tobias Smith, Mississippi State G,
? Defensive lineman: Sam Montgomery, LSU E
? Co-freshmen: Jeremy Hill, LSU RB,
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M QB
TV games
BIG 12
Saturday
? Iowa State at Oklahoma State, 11 a.m. FX
? Texas Tech at TCU, 2:30 p.m., ABC (Ch. 9)
? Kansas State at West Virginia, 6 p.m., Fox (Ch. 4)
? Kansas at Oklahoma, 6 p.m., Fox Sports KC
? Baylor at Texas, 7 p.m., ABC (Ch. 9)
Oct. 27
? Texas at Kansas, 11 a.m., Fox Sports KC
? TCU at Oklahoma State, 2:30 p.m., Fox Sports KC
? Texas Tech at Kansas State, 2:30 p.m., Fox (Ch. 4)
? Baylor at Iowa State, 6 p.m., Fox Sports KC
? Notre Dame at Oklahoma, 7 p.m., ABC (Ch. 9)
SEC
Saturday
? LSU at Texas A&M, 11 a.m., ESPN
? South Carolina at Florida, 11:21 a.m., KSMO (Ch. 62)
? Alabama at Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPN
? Georgia at Kentucky, 6 p.m., Fox Sports Net
? Middle Tennessee State at Mississippi State, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Oct. 27
? Kentucky at Missouri, 11 a.m., ESPNU
? Tennessee at South Carolina, 11 a.m., ESPN
? Mississippi vs. Arkansas in Little Rock, Ark., 11:21 a.m., KSMO (Ch. 62)
? Florida vs. Georgia, 2:30 p.m., CBS (Ch. 5)
? Texas A&M at Auburn, 6 p.m., ESPNU
? Massachusetts at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m., Fox Sports Net
? Mississippi State at Alabama, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Copyright 2012 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted on Mon, Oct. 15, 2012 04:48 PM
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/15/3868532/big-12-sec-players-of-the-week.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/15/3868532/big-12-sec-players-of-the-week.html
Big 12 football: Longhorns coach says he has no plans to retire
AUSTIN, Texas - Two days after another whipping at the hands of rival Oklahoma, Texas Coach Mack Brown dismissed any suggestions he may be ready to retire, saying he's still got energy and the backing of the school and its big boosters.
Brown said Monday that several prominent boosters told him keep his head up and keep fighting after the 63-21 blowout, the third time in Brown's tenure the Sooners have hung more than 60 points on the Longhorns.
Texas' second consecutive loss dropped the Longhorns (4-2, 0-2 Big 12) to 17-14 overall under Brown since 2010, and raised new speculation that the 61-year-old who led Texas to the 2005 national championship may consider retiring.
Brown is under contract under 2020. At more than $5 million per year, he is one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.
"I have my energy. I'm moving forward," Brown said. "I know I've got time to fix it and I know I can."
Brown would not say which boosters reached out to him, but added that he heard the same positive message from many former Texas players.
"I'm way too competitive and (have) way too much pride to leave something bad," Brown said, adding he still thinks Texas can win 10 games this season
Brown has heard rumblings about his job before but nothing truly serious. From 2000-2004, his teams lost five in a row to Oklahoma, but those teams still won at least nine games every year. Texas ended the losing streak the season the Longhorns won the national title and the dissension melted away.
The strongest speculation about his possible retirement came in 2009-2010.
Texas had a coach-in-waiting in defensive coordinator Will Muschamp in 2009, the season Texas lost in the BCS title game. Some thought had Texas won that game, Brown would retire with his second championship.
Texas fell hard to 5-7 the following season and Muschamp bolted for the head coaching job at Florida. Brown said he met with school President Bill Powers and athletic director DeLoss Dodds after that season.
"When I decided to come back, I told them it was going to take some time," Brown said. "We sat down and had hard discussions. They were 100 percent in their support. They said, 'We want you to stay and we'll
http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/201210150189
AUSTIN, Texas - Two days after another whipping at the hands of rival Oklahoma, Texas Coach Mack Brown dismissed any suggestions he may be ready to retire, saying he's still got energy and the backing of the school and its big boosters.
Brown said Monday that several prominent boosters told him keep his head up and keep fighting after the 63-21 blowout, the third time in Brown's tenure the Sooners have hung more than 60 points on the Longhorns.
Texas' second consecutive loss dropped the Longhorns (4-2, 0-2 Big 12) to 17-14 overall under Brown since 2010, and raised new speculation that the 61-year-old who led Texas to the 2005 national championship may consider retiring.
Brown is under contract under 2020. At more than $5 million per year, he is one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.
"I have my energy. I'm moving forward," Brown said. "I know I've got time to fix it and I know I can."
Brown would not say which boosters reached out to him, but added that he heard the same positive message from many former Texas players.
"I'm way too competitive and (have) way too much pride to leave something bad," Brown said, adding he still thinks Texas can win 10 games this season
Brown has heard rumblings about his job before but nothing truly serious. From 2000-2004, his teams lost five in a row to Oklahoma, but those teams still won at least nine games every year. Texas ended the losing streak the season the Longhorns won the national title and the dissension melted away.
The strongest speculation about his possible retirement came in 2009-2010.
Texas had a coach-in-waiting in defensive coordinator Will Muschamp in 2009, the season Texas lost in the BCS title game. Some thought had Texas won that game, Brown would retire with his second championship.
Texas fell hard to 5-7 the following season and Muschamp bolted for the head coaching job at Florida. Brown said he met with school President Bill Powers and athletic director DeLoss Dodds after that season.
"When I decided to come back, I told them it was going to take some time," Brown said. "We sat down and had hard discussions. They were 100 percent in their support. They said, 'We want you to stay and we'll
http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/201210150189
Defense making a comeback in the Big 12
B12
http://www.news-journal.com/sports/defense-making-a-comeback-in-the-big/article_033e35e7-d681-51be-8886-b510c69d8d33.html
B12
http://www.news-journal.com/sports/defense-making-a-comeback-in-the-big/article_033e35e7-d681-51be-8886-b510c69d8d33.html
Big 12 football: Kansas State-West Virginia
Kansas State travels to West Virginia on Saturday for a pivotal Big 12 showdown.
Did Texas Tech's stunning 49-14 win over the Mountaineers provide a blueprint?
Multimedia
Photoview all photos
Article Gallery: Big 12 football: Kansas State-West Virginia game highlights this week's league schedule
NewsOK Related Articles
Big 12 football power poll: Kansas State can take control of league with win at West Virginia
10/15/2012 Oklahoma's rout of Texas puts the Sooners back in the national title talk, but they will need somebody to knock off K-State.
"I don't know about a blueprint," said K-State coach Bill Snyder. "It may be for teams that have the same type of schematic capabilities and the same kind of personnel. Every team is different. Not only did they play well defensively, they played very well up front. Their offense was productive as well."
One key will be whether the Wildcats can control the clock to keep West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith on the sidelines.
"They're the same as they've always been," said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. "They're very tough. This will be our biggest challenge of the year, without question. They're a physical group that's mentally tough, physically tough and extremely disciplined."
Read more: http://newsok.com/big-12-football-kansas-state-west-virginia-game-highlights-this-weeks-league-schedule/article/3719278#ixzz29SvZZlaD
http://newsok.com/big-12-football-kansas-state-west-virginia-game-highlights-this-weeks-league-schedule/article/3719278
Kansas State travels to West Virginia on Saturday for a pivotal Big 12 showdown.
Did Texas Tech's stunning 49-14 win over the Mountaineers provide a blueprint?
Multimedia
Photoview all photos
Article Gallery: Big 12 football: Kansas State-West Virginia game highlights this week's league schedule
NewsOK Related Articles
Big 12 football power poll: Kansas State can take control of league with win at West Virginia
10/15/2012 Oklahoma's rout of Texas puts the Sooners back in the national title talk, but they will need somebody to knock off K-State.
"I don't know about a blueprint," said K-State coach Bill Snyder. "It may be for teams that have the same type of schematic capabilities and the same kind of personnel. Every team is different. Not only did they play well defensively, they played very well up front. Their offense was productive as well."
One key will be whether the Wildcats can control the clock to keep West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith on the sidelines.
"They're the same as they've always been," said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. "They're very tough. This will be our biggest challenge of the year, without question. They're a physical group that's mentally tough, physically tough and extremely disciplined."
Read more: http://newsok.com/big-12-football-kansas-state-west-virginia-game-highlights-this-weeks-league-schedule/article/3719278#ixzz29SvZZlaD
http://newsok.com/big-12-football-kansas-state-west-virginia-game-highlights-this-weeks-league-schedule/article/3719278
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