We've reached the midway point of the College Football season as we head into Week 8. In the Big 12, this past weekend was another pivotal weekend as 12 teams were in action playing Big 12 conference games which is further shaping the race for the Conference Championship 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 continues to set the pace as was the expectation when they bought a loaded roster this offseason. There only seems like a handful of teams the could realistically knock off Texas Tech and we'll see two of them face off in Week 8.
Power Ranking the Big 12: Can anyone catch Texas Tech?
This weekend, the Oklahoma State Cowboys turned to wide receiver Sam Jackson to play quarterback, and it went how everyone would expect. Jackson and 3 other players combined to go 9-20 passing for 180 yards and 2 scores which wasn't enough with the rushing attack picking up just 1.5 yards per carry.
The West Virginia Mountaineers spent the weekend on the bye as they'll look to bounce back from an 0-3 start to league play. This weekend brings a winnable game for Rich Rodriguez's team as they head on the road to face the UCF Knights.
The UCF Knights dropped their 3rd game in a row and the third game in Big 12 play as they couldn't get anything going against Cincinnati. The offense couldn't get anything going until the final minutes of the game which has to be a concern for Scott Frost. The good news for this team is they have a great chance to get on the board this weekend when they face West Virginia.
Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes got a much needed upset win this weekend as they got their first league win over Iowa State. Kaidon Salter had arguably his best game of the season passing for 255 yards and 2 scores while rushing for 57 yards powering the offense. The defense needs to be better against the run but, the offense slowed Rocco Becht and the passing attack enough to pick up a much needed league win.
Kansas State deserves a ton of credit as they could've quit on the season at 1-3 yet, they've rallied to 3-4 and should've won their game against Baylor if not for a mistake by the officials. This weekend, Avery Johnson passed for 3 touchdowns to power the offense while the defense scored twice in an upset win over TCU. The Wildcats may not win the league like they may have hoped but, this team has all the talent to upset any team they face.
Just like every other team that's faced Texas Tech this season, the Kansas Jayhawks were dominated from start to finish. The Jayhawks fought back from down 21-0 to make it 21-17, but that was more like a last gasp effort. The defense got gashed by Texas Tech's ground game allowing 372 yards and 9.3 yards per carry. This next stretch of conference games is lighter for Kansas which should allow the Jayhawks to get back to winning games.
It's hard to fault any team for losing in double overtime especially when it's to a team as good as BYU. The Wildcats were in total control taking a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter but, BYU then went on a 7 minute drive to kick a field goal before Bear Bachmeier sent it to overtime with a touchdown with just 19 seconds on the clock. This Arizona team has the playmakers to win any game in league play but, losing late to BYU may have cost them a chance at contention.
The TCU Horned Frogs had a chance to pick up a big win in Big 12 play this weekend against a struggling Kansas State team yet, they handed the Wildcats the game. Josh Hoover threw a pair of interceptions and Ed Small fumbled once which killed the offensive momentum while allowing K-State to score two defensive touchdowns. Sonny Dykes needs to get this team back on track after losing 2 of their last 3 and this weekend against Baylor would be a great place to start.
The Baylor Bears spent the weekend on the bye after escaping their game against Kansas State with a win. The Bears have one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 in Sawyer Robertson but, unless Dave Aranda can get the defense clicking, it could all be wasted in the final stretch of the season.
The Iowa State Cyclones have gone from one of the favorites to win the Big 12 to nearly out of the race after losing back to back games. After taking a 17-14 lead in the 3rd quarter, the Cyclones couldn't get anything going and a late interception by Rocco Becht in the redzone proved to be the deciding play. Matt Campbell's team is still one of the best in the Big 12 but, they need to get back on track while hoping for help the rest of the way.
After running into the buzzsaw that is the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Cougars got to face the weakest team in the conference, beating up on an Oklahoma State team that started a wide receiver at quarterback. Conner Weigman bounced back nicely, passing for 306 yards and 2 scores, while the team picked up 166 yards on the ground. The defense made a few mistakes but, all in all it was a solid bounce back game for the Cougars.
It wasn't the prettiest game from the Cincinnati Bearcats but, they picked up a 20-11 win over UCF to move to 3-0 in league play. The defense was dominant as UCF couldn't find the endzone until there was 2 minutes left in the game. The passing attack only completed 12 passes but, when Brendan Sorsby did find his receivers they averaged a stellar 15.9 yards per catch. The Bearcats remain unbeaten in league play and could find themselves as one of two unbeatens left this weekend if Utah knocks off BYU.
Kenny Dillingham's team suffered their second loss of the season and first in league play this weekend and there are two ways you can look at the loss. It's hard to judge Arizona State for losing the game when arguably the best quarterback in the conference was out with an injury. On the other hand, the defense has to play better as Utah ran the ball at will winning this game 42-10. Sam Leavitt is going to have to return this weekend to face Texas Tech otherwise, the chances of repeating as league championmay go out the window.
The Utah Utes were dominant on Sunday Night as they dominated Arizona State winning 42-10. Granted, the Sun Devils were without quarterback Sam Leavitt but, the defense was dominant as Jeff Sims and the Sun Devils couldn't get anything going. The offense was the most encouraging as they moved the ball at will in this game controlling it from start to finish. Beating Arizona State puts this team right back in the race for the Big 12 Championship and winning the Holy War this weekend would put them in a great place.
It took 2 overtimes but, the BYU Cougars survived against the Arizona Wildcats to improve to 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in league play. The more playing time freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier gets, the better he's going to be and being unbeaten while he's still developing is massive for BYU. This weekend brings a massive game against Utah which could decide the race for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Until anyone can seriously push this team, it's Texas Tech and then everyone else is far behind in the race for the Big 12. Even this weekend when Behren Morton left with injury, Texas Tech decided to win with it's ground game as Cameron Dickey rushed for 263 yards. The defense has an SEC level pass rush making this group one of the most feared in the Country.
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