As the dust settled on Big 12 play, it become abundantly clear. College Gameday was going to finally venture to Lawrence, Kansas when the Jayhawks host TCU. The fact that those two Big 12 teams have positioned themselves here after five games is pretty remarkable. It also highlights the absolute zaniness of college football. October 8th was supposed to be the Jerry Springer episode/football game to end all football games. But since Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher hasn’t held up his end of the arrangement, it clears the way to celebrate one of college football’s best stories this season. But there were more noteworthy results across the Big 12 landscape. Here are the noteworthy Big 12 week five takeaways.
Big 12 Week Five Takeaways
Oklahoma Has Problems
Last week was supposed to be the anomaly. The Sooners have struggled recently with Kansas State, so taking on a TCU team with a new head coach was going to show a Brent Venables defense flying all around the field. His fingerprints are all over the greatest defenses of the Bob Stoops era as well as engineering all of the recent dominant Clemson defenses. And the Sooners’ defense did just that, they were flying all over the field…because they were haplessly chasing Horned Frog players. They surrendered plays of 73, 69, 67, and 62 yards. When it comes to the ugliest of the Big 12 takeaways, the Sooners’ defense was able to tackle that much better than TCU ball carriers.
This game was over by the end of the first quarter. By the time the game mercilessly officially ended, Oklahoma had surrendered 668 total yards of offense and 55 points to TCU. Oklahoma had not given up 50 points in a Big 12 loss since the beginning of the Bob Stoops in 1999. The Sooners have now allowed 1177 yards of offense in the last two games. With Red River upcoming, and a potent Texas offense traveling up to Dallas, the 2022 season could get away from Oklahoma. Texas, coming off a 38-20 victory over West Virginia, could also get back quarterback Quinn Ewers. This potential addition to a dynamic offense only adds to the difficulty facing the turnaround the Sooners’ defense must perform. They are looking to avoid their first 0-3 start in the Big 12 since 1998.
Sunflower State Shines On
Kanas will continue to get all the well-deserved roses from the college football media. One quick note on the Jayhawks, they were able to defeat Iowa State in a different way. So far, it’s been the heroic efforts of quarterback Jalon Daniels and a high-powered offense. But Lance Leipold’s squad had to grind out a 14-11 win over Iowa State. Kansas did not score a single point in the 2nd half of that game and yet made enough plays to remain undefeated.
Just 85 miles down the road, another great comeback story continues to unfold for quarterback Adrian Martinez. The former Nebraska quarterback had another explosive game as Kansas State outlasted Texas Tech 37-28. Martinez gashed the Red Raider defense for 171 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. For a conference that is still trying to break the stereotype of high-flying air attacks and no defense, Kansas State is pushing teams on the ground and playing very physical defense.
It’s The Cowboys Conference…For Now
When it comes to the Big 12 week five takeaways, no one made a more compelling one than Oklahoma State. The Cowboys’ 36-25 victory in Waco showed the growth in quarterback Spencer Sanders’ 15th (ok really his 4th) season. Last year, Sanders threw 12 interceptions in 13 games played. Seven of those came in their two games against Baylor. And while he still had an interception against Baylor, it didn’t derail his entire play. In fact, Sanders’ biggest plays of the game came in the 2nd half. The Bears, who were down 23-3 early in the 3rd quarter, clawed back to make it a 23-17 game. But the Cowboys never blinked, and Sanders orchestrated responses on back-to-back drives.
The defense may not be a top-five nationally ranked defense like they were last year, but it’s clear defensive coordinator Dereck Mason has kept that side of the ball humming. They kept a potent Baylor offense shut out for half of the game. A balanced Oklahoma State team with potential playoff aspirations is beginning to invoke memories of a 2011 Oklahoma State team. Luckily for Pokes fans, they don’t have to go to Iowa State on a Friday night this year. Next up for the current Big 12 favorites is a visit by Texas Tech.
