The Big 12 elite dominated again in Week Seven, as still-undefeated Baylor and West Virginia cruised to victory. Meanwhile, blue-bloods Oklahoma and Texas also pulled off wins during the week’s shortened conference schedule. The key games and major off-field news is analyzed in the Big 12 Week Seven review.
Game of the Week, Statement of the Week: West Virginia 48, Texas Tech 17
Due to the short schedule and number of blowouts this week (no game was decided by less than 21 points), West Virginia takes home two honors with their 48-17 win over Texas Tech. Under the radar despite their undefeated record, Dana Holgorsen’s Mountaineers continue to prove they can dominate opponents at home and on the road. Skyler Howard and the WVU offense had no trouble with the sieve that is Texas Tech’s defense this week. The Mountaineers’ 48 points surpassed the average points per game allowed by the Red Raiders (38.6) entering the contest. Howard passed for 318 yards, while Rushel Shell dominated on the ground with 104 yards and a touchdown.
More impressive than the offensive output, however, was West Virginia’s defensive performance. Texas Tech, which averaged over 55 points per game entering the week, scored just 17 at home. Even against one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes, West Virginia stood up to the test. In a league with high-powered offenses and meager defenses, WVU clearly stands out in 2016. The meat of West Virginia’s schedule still remains, however: it still has games against Baylor, Oklahoma and TCU upcoming.
Loss of the Week: Big 12 decides against expansion
The most devastating loss in the Big 12 came off the field this week. The conference voted against expanding beyond 10 teams, a potential early death knell for the league. This doesn’t only mean countless months of speculation wasted away for naught, but the league’s long-term viability is in question now more than ever. Adding a football title game isn’t enough to save the Big 12, considering it will be a guaranteed rematch. Without enough teams for fully-fledged divisions, the Big 12 will be perennially caught in a state of nationwide scrutiny.
There are benefits to a smaller conference, of course. The round-robin schedule lends itself to teams always proving their superiority (or inferiority) on the field. It also makes for a compelling basketball season, but aside from Kansas, schools know football is the cash cow. As the candidates for expansion accept their fate, some more gracefully than others, one must wonder why all this time was spent to eventually change nothing of consequence. It’s hard imagining the likes of Texas and OU lingering in weakest P5 conference if offered the chance to leave.
Player of the Week: Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma
Dede Westbrook continued his insane hot streak this week, dominating the Kansas State secondary in a 38-17 Sooners win. He caught nine balls for 184 yards with three touchdowns on the afternoon. In the last three games, Westbrook has at least seven catches, 150 yards and two touchdowns per contest. Quarterback Baker Mayfield nearly won Player of the Week with his 346 passing yards and four touchdowns against K-State. It was Westbrook’s performance, however, that transcended any other in Week Seven.
Other Games Around the Conference
Baylor continued their undefeated season and their recent dominance over Kansas with a 49-7 home victory this week. The Bears scored 42 of their points in a dominant first half performance. Most Baylor starters were replaced by second- and third-stringers after halftime, including quarterback Seth Russell. The Jayhawks couldn’t accomplish anything successfully, averaging just 2.89 yards per play on the afternoon. Baylor now has seven straight wins over KU, which hasn’t won a conference road game in 33 tries.
In the lowest-scoring game of the week, Texas handled Iowa State 27-6 in Austin. Shane Buechele passed for nearly 300 yards in the Longhorns’ first conference win of the season. D’Onta Foreman ran roughshod on the Cyclones’ defense, rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown. The win couldn’t come soon enough for Charlie Strong, as he is likely fighting for his job this season. While Texas hopes to claw back to relevancy, Iowa State continues to wallow in misery this season. The ISU offense gained just 3.64 yards per play against a much-maligned Texas defense. Now 0-4 in the Big 12, Iowa State gets a minor respite with a bye next week before hosting Kansas State on Oct. 29.
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