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PAGE 12
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS
TCU iumps to No.1 spot after Baylor's loss to West Virginia
STELLA LIANG
@stelly_liang
Three or four weeks ago, if the Big 12 only had one team ranked in the AP Top 10, one would have thought it would be Oklahoma or Baylor. But a lot has changed since then and at the start of Week 9 in the NCAA football season; TCU is the only team ranked in the Top 10 from this conference.
TCU's Josh Doctson (left) celebrates his touchdown with Halapoulivaati Vaitai during the first half of Saturday's win against Oklahoma State in Fort Worth, Texas.
After another wild weekend, the lines between the top and middle of the league are still blurry. Baylor fell from the ranks of the undefeated. Oklahoma suffered its second loss, this time at the hands of Kansas State, which allows the Wildcats to sit by themselves at the top of the conference standings at 3-0 in the league. TCU followed up a near upset of Baylor with a resounding victory againstOklahoma State on Saturday. Overall, there are five Big 12 teams ranked in the Top 25.
These last few weeks have shown that the league is pretty much up for grabs, and the conference race will surely be a fun one. However, the chances of a Big 12 team earning a spot in the four-team playoff are looking slimmer.
1. NO. 10 TCU 5-1 (2-1 BIG 12)
Last time out: Won vs. Oklahoma
State 42-9
The Horned Frogs were rolling early and, by the end of the first quarter, were leading 21-3. Quarterback Trevone Boykin had a career-high
TCU finished its stretch of three brutal matchups against Oklahoma, Baylor and Oklahoma State in consecutive weeks, and came out looking like a contender. After nearly taking down offensive powerhouse Baylor before falling short late on Oct. 11, TCU unleashed an offensive onslaught on Oklahoma State.
410 passing yards. His three passing touchdowns were complemented by TCU's running back duo of B.J. Catalon and Trevorris Johnson, who combined for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
Trending: up
Next up: vs. Texas Tech
2. NO. 11 KANSAS STATE 5-1 (3-0)
Last time out: Won at Oklahoma
31-10
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By now, it should be no surprise when a Bill Snyder-led team finds ways to win. The Wildcats were not overlooked at the start of the season, but they definitely weren't expected to vie for the conference title. Yet here they are atop the leaderboard, fresh off a victory against the perennial powerhouse Oklahoma.
The difference in the game, which K-State led or tied for much of, was mistakes. Actually for K-State, it was the lack of mistakes. Quarterback Jake Waters was an efficient 15 of 23 for 225 yards and a touchdown. The running back corps combined for 160 yards and a touchdown. Maybe most importantly, K-State didn't turn the ball over and capitalized when Oklahoma did. Trending up
Next up: vs. Texas
3. NO. 12 BAYLOR 6-1 (3-1)
Last time out: lost at West Virginia 27-41
Next up: Bye week
Every mistake thus far by the Baylor Bears has been covered up by their offense. When that unit struggled Saturday, the result was Baylor's first loss.
The Bears committed 18 penalties for 215 yards, a Big 12 record. Quarterback Bryce Petty was sacked four times and had no touchdowns after halftime. Petty finished with 16 completions out of 36 attempts for 233 yards and two touchdowns. The offense gained 318 yards, which is well below the 623 yards it came in averaging.
4. NO. 17 OKLAHOMA 5-2 (2-2)
Last time out: lost vs. K-State
30, 31
Trending: down
The Sooners have no one to blame for the loss but themselves. Kicker Michael Hunnicutt missed a 19-yard field goal with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter, which would have put the Sooners ahead.
Hunnicutt also missed a 32-yard field-goal attempt right before halftime. His point-after attempt was also blocked in the fourth quarter, which led to the final margin. Even though the kicking game struggled, the Sooners also made plenty of other mistakes. They had two turnovers, including a pick-6, and the defense could not stop the Wildcats from scoring at crucial moments.
Trending: down
Next up: Bye week
5. NO. 22 WEST VIRGINIA 5-2
(3-1)
Last time out: won vs. Baylor
41-27
Everyone now knows about the Big 12's dark horse — West Virginia. For the second week in a row, the Mountaineers pushed out a strong effort in the fourth quarter for the victory. This week, West Virginia was tied with previously undefeated Baylor heading into the last period. From there, the Mountaineers scored two touchdowns and stopped the Bears on a fourth-and-one late.
Quarterback Clint Trickett is third in the FBS in passing yards with 2,525, and wide receiver Kevin White leads the nation with 1020 receiving yards. He is the only player with more than 1,000.
Trending: up
Next up: at Oklahoma State
5. OKLAHOMA STATE 5-2 (3-1)
Last time out: lost at TCU 9-42
The Cowboys were just outplayed by the Horned Frogs. Quarterback Daxx Garman did not complete a
single pass after halftime. He completed 10 of 25 passes in the game for no touchdowns and two interceptions.
If they want to stay in the mix after showing early-season potential, they have to do it against the league's best. They have yet to face a team that is currently ranked in the Big 12.
Next up: vs. West Virginia
Trending: down
7. TEXAS 3-4 (2-2)
Last time out: won vs. Iowa State 48-45
The shootout of the weekend happened in Austin, Texas. Iowa State scored the tying touchdown with 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but that was enough time for Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. He had two long completions to receivers Jaxon Shipley and John Harris to set up Nick Rose's game-winning 21-ward goal.
For a team that isn't used to being toward the bottom of the conference standings, the victory keeps Texas
alive in a sense. A loss would have been crushing.
been crushing.
Trending.com
Trending: same
Next up: at K-State
8. TEXAS TECH 3-4 (1-3)
8. TEXAS TECH 3-4 (1-3)
Last time out: won vs. Kansas
34-21
9. IOWA STATE 2-5 (0-4)
Texas Tech earned its first Big 12 victory on Saturday. The offense overmatched the Kansas defense. Quarterback Davis Webb threw for 288 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Coming into the game as the most penalized team in the country, the Red Raiders cleaned up their act and only committed four penalties.
Last time out: lost at Texas 48-45
If an award existed for the team with the most moral victories or games it played well enough to win but didn't, Iowa State would run away with the trophy.
Trending: same Next up: at TCU
In the latest edition of their
heartbreaking losses, the Cyclones mounted what looked like a tying drive to send the game into overtime against Texas, only to see the Longhorns come back with a drive that took 25 seconds to win.
One of these days, the Cyclones will win a conference game, and no one should be surprised.
Trending: same
Next up: Bye week
Trending: same
10. KANSAS 2-5 (0-4)
Last time out: lost at Texas Tech
21-34
The Jayhawks played hard again for interim coach Clint Bowen, but still lost. The road losing streak is almost too long to mention.
Quarterback Michael Cummings continued to lead the offense. Linebacker Ben Heeney had a career day with 21 tackles, but the team hasn't put together an overall winning performance.
Trending: same
Next up: Bye week
Edited by Alex Lamb
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