The weekend of College Football is in the books as we're now through 6 weeks which has the season taking shape. In the Big 12, this was a massive weekend as 14 teams were in action playing league games which is further shaping this league. As each team has played a handful of conference games, it's becoming clear who are the contenders and pretenders in this conference.
Texas Tech bought a loaded roster this offseason which makes the Red Raiders the team everyone is chasing. The more interesting race is the teams chasing Texas Tech as several contenders continue to impress on a weekly basis.
Power Ranking the Big 12: The chase of Texas Tech is taking shape
Firing Mike Gundy hasn't given this team much of a spark as they're now 0-2 since making the move with a pair of losses in league play. This weekend's game was a 41-13 beatdown via Arizona where the Wildcats did whatever they wanted on offense. The injury to Hauss Hejny eliminated any chance of this team fielding a competent offense and they may not win a game the rest of the season.
Rich Rodriguez has an uphill battle with this West Virginia team especially after they lost starting quarterback Nicco Marchiol to injury. This weekend, the Mountaineers defense allowed BYU to move the ball at will in the 1st half which put them in a massive hole they couldn't get out of. The offense is going to need to find a way to create big plays in the passing attack otherwise they may not win a game in league play.
Big 12 play hasn't been great for the Colorado Buffaloes as they've fallen to 0-3 in league play after their loss to TCU. This team doesn't have the top end talent to make up for some of their mistakes like they did last year especially at quarterback as Kaidon Salter's 3 interceptions cost the Buffaloes. It'll be an uphill climb for this team to reach bowl eligibility but, this was always going to be a down year for this group.
Conference play hasn't been kind to the UCF Knights as they've dropped two games in a row. The offense struggles to create big plays as injuries in the quarterback room have affected the passing attack. The bright spot for this team remains running back Myles Montgomery who went above the 100 yard mark for the second game in a row.
The Kansas State Wildcats lost again this weekend continuing a disappointing season but, this team is playing much better football and a blown call by the officials ended up costing the Wildcats as it set Baylor up for a game winning field goal. This team has been a massive disappointment but, they have the talent to shift the Big 12 in any week.
The Baylor Bears needed help on a terrible call by the officials and a last second field goal to escape with a win over Kansas State. Sawyer Robertson may be the best quarterback in the league but, this defense isn't good enough for Baylor to do any serious damage in the Big 12. Baylor won't face a ranked team the rest of the way which still gives them a chance to go on a run to the Conference Championship game but, they're prone to an upset.
The Houston Cougars dropped their first game of the season as they ran into the buzzsaw that is the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The offense struggled early but, Conner Weigman leaving the game added insult to injury. The defense did a fine job against the run but, Texas Tech's explosive passing attack was dominant in this game.
The Arizona Wildcats got the best gift any Big 12 team could get facing off against a reeling Oklahoma State team. Noah Fifita was stellar in the 3 quarters he played passing for 376 yards and 5 touchdowns with just one interception. Next week brings a big test against BYU which could vault Arizona into Big 12 contention.
The Kansas Jayhawks were able to take advantage of an injury riddled UCF team picking up another win in league play. Jalon Daniels took care of the football but, Leshon Williams punched in 3 touchdowns in the win. This team has the talent to go out and compete every week in this league and this weekend's matchup against Texas Tech will be a big test.
TCU was able to get back in the win column this weekend as they beat Colorado for their first Big 12 win of the season. The defense stepped up in a big way with three interceptions and a forced fumble helping TCU hang around in this game when the offense wasn't clicking. Josh Hoover ended the game with 4 touchdowns passing and another score rushing while elite receiver Eric McAlister found the endzone twice.
The Iowa State Cyclones had a terrible start to the game falling behind 31-7 and it cost them as they lost their first game of the season. The defense struggled mightily allowing 8.0 yards per carry as Cincinnati was able to run at will in this game. This game was certainly a setback but, Iowa State still has games against BYU and Arizona State which will help decided the outcome of the league.
The Cincinnati Bearcats got one of the biggest wins of the weekend as they knocked off the Top 25 Iowa State Cyclones. The Bearcats offense exploded in the first half scoring 31 points and it was good enough to hold on to the lead for the win. Brendan Sorsby has been playing great football as of late and it makes the Bearcats a dangerous team to watch in the Big 12.
The Utah Utes spent the weekend on the bye after getting back on track with a dominant win over West Virginia last weekend. The loss to Texas Tech dealt a blow to the hopes to win the Big 12 but, with games against Arizona State and BYU coming up Utah can get right back in the race for the conference.
The Arizona State Sun Devils still have a great chance to repeat as Big 12 Champions after their thrilling win over TCU. This weekend the Sun Devils spent the weekend on the bye but, the next two weeks could decide the race for the conference with games against Utah and Texas Tech.
On Friday Night, the BYU Cougars picked up another Big 12 win moving to 5-0 on the season. Coming into the year, everyone expected that losing Jake Retzlaff would derail this team but, Bear Bachmeier has been better than anyone could've expected as a true freshman. As teams around the Country continue to pile up losses, this team remains unbeaten as they continue to creep into the Playoff race.
There isn't a more talented team in the Big 12 than the Texas Tech Red Raiders and they proved that with a dominant win over Houston. Behren Morton came back from injury and passed for 345 yards and a touchdown while the duo of Cameron Dickey and J'Koby Williams scored twice with 205 yards on the ground. The defense is able to rush the passer like some of the best teams in the Country as the star power on this unit shines each week.
More Big 12 News: