Big 12 Football Power Rankings, Week 5: Oklahoma loss creates chaos
By Phil Poling
1-1 (0-1). Texas Tech Red Raiders. player. 874. Scouting Report. Last Week: No. 7. 6. Pick Analysis
The Red Raiders gave everything they had to the Longhorns, but it wasn’t quite enough to knock out their guest in overtime. It was an absolute shootout, with the two teams combining for 119 total points — one might even say it was your typical Big 12 game.
You might be asking yourself how they could move up in our rankings following a loss, but they played extremely well. They also got jumped by a couple teams in each direction, too.
For the Red Raiders, though, this was a lost opportunity. They totaled 441 yards in addition to their 56 points. They only committed four penalties for 15 yards. They converted on half of their 16 third-down attempts. But they threw three interceptions – one on the last play of overtime — and missed a field goal early in the third quarter. They were still in a position to win late, but there are undoubtedly a handful of plays they’ll look back on that they wish they’ll had made.
Scouting Report. 1-0 (1-0). Last Week: No. 6. player. 5. 860. Pick Analysis. Baylor Bears
The Baylor Bears kicked off the 2020 season with a conference win versus lowly Kansas. They typically start with a non-conference game, but beating Kansas has become routine, especially for the Bears; Baylor’s on an 11-game winning streak versus the Jayhawks.
And their opening game was a solid showing, as they posted 47 points, allowed just 14, and played a turnover-free game. The Dave Aranda era began with a home victory, but we’ll see how they fare in Morgantown versus West Virginia for their first road test.
Pick Analysis. Last Week: No. 10. Kansas State Wildcats. Scouting Report. 1-1 (1-0). 4. player. 823
The upset of the college football weekend was Kansas State defeating Oklahoma, 38-35. It happened for the second time in as many seasons, making it not the biggest surprise, but still an unexpected outcome.
The Sooners had a 14-point lead at the half, but the Wildcats matched Oklahoma’s 14 points in the third quarter and kept chipping away in the fourth, ultimately ripping off 17 in the final stanza.
Wildcat quarterback Skyler Thompson scored three rushing touchdowns to go along with his 334 passing yards; he threw for a score, too. And freshman running Deuce Vaughn added 45 yards and a score on the ground to pace the Wildcats’ offense.
Their season-opener versus Arkansas State was a bit of a stinker, but beating Oklahoma? That’s a win second-year head coach Chris Klieman can hang his hat on. We’ve seen what he’s capable of building. Now it’s time to wonder how quickly he’ll turn things around in Manhattan.