The Big 12 RedZone: Week 12 had a shocker and a major comeback
Find out who had big performances, who slumped, and what teams made a big move in the power rankings as Grayson Grundhoefer wraps up all the Big 12 action.
TCU snuck by Tech 33-31
What went wrong?
TCU - They made Texas Tech one dimensional by shutting down the run game but the Frogs could not stop Jett Duffey and the passing attack. They gave up 333 yards on over 10 yards per pass and four touchdown passes.
Tech - The defense got ran over. They gave up 549 yards of offense mainly because they were on the field for over 43 minutes. Tech also lost the turnover battle 2 to 0.
What went right?
TCU - The offensive game plan was sensational for the Frogs and really the offense just in general. They converted 15-of-24 3rd downs, had the ball for over 43 minutes (yes that’s not a typo), and ran 95 plays.
Tech - Surprisingly, QB Jett Duffey. He finished 19-for-33 for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing with 42 yards.
Key Stats
*TCU kicker Jonathan Song was 4-for-4 on field goals and made all three of his extra points.
*Tech missed an extra point plus didn’t convert twice on two-point conversions in the 3rd quarter. That is 5 points they left on the table, let’s think. If they kicked the two extra points the game is tied….hmmm.
*Some relatively unknown receivers for both teams showed up in a big way. TCU’s Taye Barber had eight catches for 137 yards. Tech’s RJ Turner had three catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
Oklahoma State ran by Kansas 31-13
What went wrong?
OSU - The pass game still isn’t great. Spencer Sanders and Dru Brown completed a combined 15-of-25 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. It was decent but not amazing and the injury to Sanders will be something to watch.
KU - Horrible day for the offense. The quarterbacks combined for three interceptions and 20 incompletions while the rushing attack managed only 39 yards.
What went right?
OSU - I heard this stat this week, for the first time in the Mike Gundy era his team held a Big 12 opponent under 300 total yards of offense. Great performance by the defense and they also forced three turnovers.
KU - The run defense was slightly better this week. They gave up 209 yards on 45 carries to the best run offense in the conference, not terrible.
Key Stats
*OSU wide receiver Dillon Stoner caught five passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
*The nations leading rusher Chubba Hubbard had 23 carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns. This guy is having an amazing season.
*KU wide receiver Stephon Robinson Jr. continues to have a very solid season. He had six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.
West Virginia stunned Kansas State 24-20
What went wrong?
WVU - The defense gave up 421 yards of offense to the Wildcats and once again the Mountaineers offense ran for under 100 yards (85).
KSU - The vaunted Wildcats secondary gave up an extremely efficient game to the West Virginia quarterback and it cost them. This was something the Mountaineers have not gotten all season.
What went right?
WVU - Welcome to the season Jarret Doege. The backup quarterback and Bowling Green grad transfer finally got his shot. He will also be able to keep his redshirt which I think is the main reason he hadn’t been playing (they know next years team will be better so don’t waste him). He was 20-of-30 for 234 yards and three touchdowns.
KSU - The run defense was really good as they held West Virginia to only 85 yards rushing on 28 carries.
Key Stats
*KSU ran for only 122 yards on 38 rushing attempts.
*Quarterback Skylar Thompson threw two interceptions including one on 2nd down with 43 seconds left int he game as the Wildcats were driving for the win.
*The two teams combined for 15 penalties.
Iowa State stopped the close game fails against Texas 23-21
What went wrong?
ISU - The cyclones were pretty good on offense all night outside of a couple key categories that kept Texas in this game. They were just 3-for-14 on 3rd down, 0-for-1on 4th down, and lost the turnover battle 1 to 0.
UT - The Longhorns rushing offense has been dreadful all year and it happened again. They ran for 54 yards on 26 carries.
What went right?
ISU - Quarterback Brock Purday was amazing again, he finished 30-of-48 for 354 yards and two touchdowns. He led the offense to a game winning drive as well.
UT - Quarterback Sam Ehlingher was really solid as he finished with 300 total yards of offense and three passing touchdowns.
Key Stats
*The Longhorn defense only had one sack but had six quarterback hurries.
*ISU wide receivers Deshaunte Jones and La’Michael Pettway combined for 15 catches, 244 yards, and a touchdown.
*ISU true freshman running back now has at least 100 yards in four of his last five games.
Oklahoma rallied over Baylor 34-31
What went wrong?
OU - A horrible start to the game and three turnovers by quarterback Jalen Hurts including two in the red zone. He fumbled another time in the red zone as well.
BU - The Bears defense was left on the field for over 41 minutes which led to them giving up 525 yards of total offense. They also gave up 24 of the Sooners 34 points in the second half.
What went right?
OU - I mentioned Jalen Hurts turnovers but he was also the primary reason the Sooners made a massive comeback without their star receiver CeeDee Lamb. He finished with 411 yards of total offense and four touchdowns.
BU - The first half. Baylor was up 31-10 at the end of the half and had been moving the ball up and down the field while getting stops and forcing turnovers on defense. Dominant for the first 30 minutes of the game.
Key Stats
*OU linebacker Kenneth Murray and defensive end Ronnie Perkins made all the negative plays for the defense. They combined for all three sacks and all six tackles for loss.
*BU’s running backs combined for five carries for the game.
*The Bears finished with four sacks and six quarterback hurries as the3y got after Jalen Hurts for large chunks of this game.
Power Rankings
1. Oklahoma - The Sooners jump back to the top spot after a massive comeback win. They still have the CFP in sight but need to win out to have a shot at it.
2. Baylor - The Bears slide down this week for obvious reasons, they took an L after being up by 25 points. First CFP-ranked team, in 163 tries, to blow a 25 point lead. The good news is that they are one win away from setting up a rematch in the Big 12 Championship game.
3. Oklahoma State - The Cowboys beat Iowa State and seem to have gotten some things figured out on the defensive side of the ball. The run game is extremely potent and they should be able to add another victory over West Virginia this weekend. The Big 12’s CFP hopes are counting on them to get that win.
4. Iowa State - The Cyclones are here because they haven’t been able to win close games all season but they do have an opportunity to move up as they get Kansas and Kansas State to finish out the season. Brock Purdy has been absolutely sensational and been one of the best quarterbacks in the conference if not the best.
5. Texas - The Longhorns dropped a heartbreaker in Ames over the weekend and have now lost four times this season. The year has not quite gone the way many including myself expected and the defense is the reason. This Longhorn team has not been able to stop anyone. They get a chance to try to salvage a lost season against Baylor in Waco this weekend.
6. Kansas State - Yikes. Big loss for this Wildcats team and one that takes some of the shine off of what has been a really good season. This team is the same as it was in the last few years under Bill Snyder, they play hard but are not overwhelming in any way. It cost them this past weekend and they are going to look to rebound against Texas Tech. They need this win to try to get themselves in position for one of the better bowl games.
7. TCU - The Horned Frogs stay here this week even with the win since they lost to the team ahead of them. QB Max Duggan continues to improve week by week but this just hasn’t been there year once again. They now get to travel to Norman to take on Oklahoma. They need one more win to become bowl eligible.
8. Texas Tech - The Red Raiders had a chance to sneak back up the rankings but of course they still could not overcome the loss to Baylor. It has drastically impacted their season and these losses should be adding to Baylor’s record. In all seriousness though, Tech is going to be a tough out the rest of the way especially this week against Kansas State as they need a win to keep bowl hopes alive.
9. West Virginia - The Mountaineers got a huge win over Kansas State yet don’t move anywhere because they lost to the team directly above them by a lot and because they are still clearly the 9th best team in the conference.
10. Kansas - The Jayhawks are getting blown up weekly now and they travel to Ames this weekend. Yeah things are about to get much worse for Kansas and they are still far and away the bottom team of the conference.