Big 12 Football: Week 13 Power Rankings

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Nov 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kingsbury before the game against the Baylor Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

6. Texas Tech Red Raiders (Record: 5-7)

Dare I say, but Texas Tech’s defense came alive in its 54-33 route over Baylor last weekend. A notable stat to mention is linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who recorded eight defensive stops, and was hugely instrumental in the redzone for Texas Tech.

Its win over Baylor marked the first time Texas Tech beat Baylor since 2010, when the Tommy Tuberville experiment was underway. Sure, Baylor had a down year, but it doesn’t take away from the enormous day the Red Raiders had. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 586 yards and six touchdowns, putting him in a rare fraternity of passers. According to ESPN Stats, Mahomes’ performance against Baylor was his fourth game with 500-plus passing yards this season–something no other FBS quarterback has been able to accomplish. Mahomes also became the third FBS player behind former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell and Houston’s Case Keenam to have multiple seasons with 5,000-plus total yards.

We all knew going into this game it would be an offensive slugfest, but few projected “The Shootout” to be so one-sided, especially with Baylor as the favorite to win.

Knowing just how much was riding on Texas Tech, its players showed up in a dominating way, and as a result, Texas Tech athletics director Kirby Hocutt announced at a media availability two days later that Kliff Kingsbury had his full support headed into 2017. If all the stars align as they should, next season should be pretty special.

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