Yep, this shapes up as one wild ride in Big 12 football this year. Just look at the first two conference matchups, which kick off Saturday.
Texas Tech is only a 7½-point underdog to a visiting TCU team that hung 82 points on the Red Raiders last year and won by 45. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, is a three-point favorite to win on the road against a Texas team that pummeled the Cowboys by 21 points in Stillwater last year.
At this point, nobody would be totally shocked if either Tech or Oklahoma State, or both, contend for the Big 12 title. The Raiders were picked eighth in the preseason media poll, the Cowboys fourth.
West Virginia, selected sixth in the preseason poll, looks like a good dark horse candidate, too.
Sure, preseason favorites TCU and Baylor are still the teams to beat, but each looks vulnerable because of defensive flaws. In fact, the Horned Frogs already have lost a half-dozen top defenders for various reasons.
Oklahoma is off to a strong start behind quarterback Baker Mayfield. Yet the Sooners defense was abused for 603 yards, 38 points and 31 first downs by Tulsa.
As Big 12 play begins, here’s a look at the good, the bad and those in between:
RISING STOCK
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are showing the grit they lacked in a dismal 2014. They rushed for 171 yards and a 6.3-yard average at Arkansas and are rolling up 191.3 yards per game on the ground. DeAndre Washington already has run for 287 yards while averaging 8.1 per carry. Tech hasn’t allowed a sack in 130 pass attempts and is No. 3 nationally in scoring (54.3 PPG).
West Virginia: The Mountaineers came in with the most experienced defense, but would it matter, considering their atrocious past performances? Yes, it matters. Safety Karl Joseph, cornerback Daryl Worley and linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski are playing like first-team all-conference performers. New quarterback Skyler Howard leads the country in passing efficiency.
Oklahoma State: A maturing defense is creating turnovers. QB Mason Rudolph has picked up where he left off, completing 69 percent of his passes for 315.7 yards a game. Junior college transfer Chris Carson has improved the ground game. The Cowboys gained more than 500 yards in each of the past two weeks after not surpassing 400 in back-to-back games last year.
FALLING STOCK
TCU: It sounds crazy to call out the fourth-ranked team in the nation. Certainly, the offense is there, averaging about 50 points and 600 yards per game, but the defense keeps losing impact performers on an almost daily basis and is now just too thin to carry on at a high level. DE Josh Carraway and FS Derrick Kindred are the only remaining 2014 starters on the field.
Kansas State: Again, it might seem odd to nitpick a 3-0 team, but the Wildcats showed their warts in a 39-33 triple-OT victory over Louisiana Tech. There is no Tyler Lockett home run threat. Running back remains a by-committee spot (i.e., there’s not a good one), and the defense that performed well the first two weeks was mediocre vs. La. Tech.
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/spo...cape-changing-as-conference-play-begin/nnkz6/
Texas Tech is only a 7½-point underdog to a visiting TCU team that hung 82 points on the Red Raiders last year and won by 45. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, is a three-point favorite to win on the road against a Texas team that pummeled the Cowboys by 21 points in Stillwater last year.
At this point, nobody would be totally shocked if either Tech or Oklahoma State, or both, contend for the Big 12 title. The Raiders were picked eighth in the preseason media poll, the Cowboys fourth.
West Virginia, selected sixth in the preseason poll, looks like a good dark horse candidate, too.
Sure, preseason favorites TCU and Baylor are still the teams to beat, but each looks vulnerable because of defensive flaws. In fact, the Horned Frogs already have lost a half-dozen top defenders for various reasons.
Oklahoma is off to a strong start behind quarterback Baker Mayfield. Yet the Sooners defense was abused for 603 yards, 38 points and 31 first downs by Tulsa.
As Big 12 play begins, here’s a look at the good, the bad and those in between:
RISING STOCK
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are showing the grit they lacked in a dismal 2014. They rushed for 171 yards and a 6.3-yard average at Arkansas and are rolling up 191.3 yards per game on the ground. DeAndre Washington already has run for 287 yards while averaging 8.1 per carry. Tech hasn’t allowed a sack in 130 pass attempts and is No. 3 nationally in scoring (54.3 PPG).
West Virginia: The Mountaineers came in with the most experienced defense, but would it matter, considering their atrocious past performances? Yes, it matters. Safety Karl Joseph, cornerback Daryl Worley and linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski are playing like first-team all-conference performers. New quarterback Skyler Howard leads the country in passing efficiency.
Oklahoma State: A maturing defense is creating turnovers. QB Mason Rudolph has picked up where he left off, completing 69 percent of his passes for 315.7 yards a game. Junior college transfer Chris Carson has improved the ground game. The Cowboys gained more than 500 yards in each of the past two weeks after not surpassing 400 in back-to-back games last year.
FALLING STOCK
TCU: It sounds crazy to call out the fourth-ranked team in the nation. Certainly, the offense is there, averaging about 50 points and 600 yards per game, but the defense keeps losing impact performers on an almost daily basis and is now just too thin to carry on at a high level. DE Josh Carraway and FS Derrick Kindred are the only remaining 2014 starters on the field.
Kansas State: Again, it might seem odd to nitpick a 3-0 team, but the Wildcats showed their warts in a 39-33 triple-OT victory over Louisiana Tech. There is no Tyler Lockett home run threat. Running back remains a by-committee spot (i.e., there’s not a good one), and the defense that performed well the first two weeks was mediocre vs. La. Tech.
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/spo...cape-changing-as-conference-play-begin/nnkz6/
