Predicting the Big 12 Season: Full slate of Big 12 play in week five
Week five features a bunch of close matchups, as this is the first week that solely feature conference games.
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Week 5
Baylor 27 at Oklahoma 41 (Norman)
Battle of the undefeateds in Norman this week as the Bears travel to a tough road environment. Spencer Rattler gets the Sooners out to a 10-0 lead early in the game and they are able to hold the lead throughout. Charlie Brewer throws for 300 yards on the road in the losing effort as the offense is playing catch up all day. The Sooners rush for over 200 yards and Rattler throws for 250 yards as the offense steadily moves the ball up and down the field. The Sooners veteran offensive line paves the way. The game is back and forth until late in the game when Oklahoma forces a fumble inside the Baylor 20. The Sooners score two plays later to put the game away.
Iowa State 41 at Kansas 24 (Lawrence)
The Cyclones continue to roll during the early part of the season as they travel to Kansas and take care of business. The defense forces three turnovers, Brock Purdy totals 300 yards of offense, and Breece Hall scores three touchdowns. Pooka Williams scores a couple of times for Kansas to at least give the Jayhawks a decent amount of points but this game is not as close as the scoreboard indicates.
Texas 31 at Kansas State 24 (Manhattan)
The Longhorns have had all kinds of struggles when they go to Manhattan. They have lost five of their last six matchups there since 2006 so this game is going to be a struggle. Both teams match each other in the first half, as both Sam Ehlingher and Skylar Thompson throw a pair of touchdowns which leads to a 14-14 score at intermission. In the second half both defenses force a turnover and both offenses get the run game going. Keaontay Ingram and Roschon Johnson each score on the ground for Texas. Harry Trotter scores one for Kansas State to keep the game close. Then in the fourth quarter Skylar Thompson hits Malik Knowles for a 40-yard touchdown to tie the game back up. The teams punt back and forth for a couple of drives until the five-minute mark, when Ehlingher finds Jake Smith for a 15-yard touchdown. The Longhorns get a stop on the next drive and are able to run out the clock and get a hard-fought win.
Oklahoma State 37 at TCU 28 (Fort Worth)
Both teams are undefeated at this point in the season so something has to give. The offenses play well in spurts as Spencer Sanders throws for 300 yards and three touchdowns to go along with two interceptions. Chuba Hubbard rushes for 150 yards and two scores. On the other side, Max Duggan totals 250 total yards of offense with two touchdowns but also throws an interception and loses a fumble. Zach Evans and Daimarqua Foster combine for a 130 yards and a score on the ground. Unfortunately for the Horned Frogs, Duggan’s interception is a pick six in the third quarter, which allows OSU to jump out to a 30-14 lead. TCU is never able to really get back in the game after that as the Pokes get a huge road win to start conference play.
West Virginia 27 at Texas Tech 24 (Lubbock)
Both of these teams come in with just one loss on the season, and this game feels like one that could set the stage for a good season for the winner. This is a back and forth game with the defenses controlling it for the most part outside of the big plays. Alan Bowman hits on two 50+ yard touchdowns while Jarrett Doege connects on one as well. The big plays keep the score up but don’t tell the whole story, as both teams turn the ball over twice. West Virginia piles up six sacks on Bowman including a forced fumble returned for a touchdown by Darius Stills. The game is tied at 21 going into the fourth quarter. The teams trade field goals then Doege hits Sam James for a 40-yard completion to get the Mountaineers back in field goal range to take the lead. It’s good. WVU takes the lead 27-24 with eight minutes left and the defense holds up the rest of the way to seal the deal on the road.
Big 12 Standings
1. Iowa State — 5-0 (2-0)
1. West Virginia — 4-1 (2-0)
3. Oklahoma State — 4-0 (1-0)
3. Oklahoma — 4-0 (1-0)
3. Texas — 3-1 (1-0)
6. Baylor — 4-1 (1-1)
7. TCU — 3-1 (0-1)
8. Texas Tech — 3-2 (0-2)
8. Kansas State — 3-2 (0-2)
10. Kansas — 2-3 (0-2