A brief look at the Big Twelve in Week Two of the 2016 football season
The Big Twelve conference took a hit this week as the Frogs of Texas Christian were chugged down the throats of the Razorbacks of Arkansas in double overtime; the Cowboys of Oklahoma State were screwed on the last timed play of the game by the incompetence of the MAC game and Big Twelve replay officials; and the Sun Devils of Arizona State showed how Sparky’s pitchfork ran through and over a hapless Texas Red Raider defense. Throw in a bird chewing by another MAC team, the Ohio Bobcats, as the Kansas Jayhawks were lunch to these felines and you have four Big Twelve teams floundering in mederocarcy.
The fact of the matter is that TCU is not what some thought they might be, good enough to win the conference (Include moi in that group); Oklahoma State can come up a very flat performance in a game that they got hosed and should have won with ease; and Texas Tech has no chance of stopping anybody with the worse defense in the country. Getting to the bottom feeders of the conference, Kansas is a loser again this year and are not any good while Iowa State is not much better, showing little in a loss to in-state rival Iowa. In total, we had a disaster in the Big Twelve in Week Two.
The Games
Oklahoma State 27 home loss to Central Michigan 30 at Stillwater: OSU won the game in regulation by three but game officials gave the Chips an untimed down on an officials error and the Pokes get beat. Central Michigan is an average MAC team and gave the home team all they wanted. Blame the loss on the MAC officials and the Big 12 replay men as they missed the last timed down of the game. We all know what happened. I do not blame Coach Mike Gundy as others do. OSU won the game within the rules of the game, no matter how Gundy seemed to allow that final play to happen. OSU didn’t play well but that happens. The NCAA is a bogus organization anyway so what’s new? There will be a reading class in most coaching staffs across the nation this week. Know the fricken rules of the game Coaches….you get paid too much to get beat and not throw a stinking fit.
West Virginia 38 home win over Youngstown State 21 in Morgantown: Late scores make the score look better than it really was in a Mountaineer win. Not impressed with the home team here.
Kansas 21 home loss to Ohio in Lawrence: Kansas could not put two wins together in a row. There is hope in Lawrence as the weakness of the league might allow the Jayhawks to some up and peck a win away from, say, an Iowa State or Texas Tech. Yes, Tech’s defense can’t stop Lubbock High School.
Baylor 40 home win over SMU 13 in Waco: Baylor did not look good for most of this one and that is bad news for the Bears. Not impressed with Baylor. They are not winning a championship playing the Ponies like this.
Texas 41 home win over UTEP 7 in Austin: Texas put the Miners away in the second half. Another win for Charley Strong’s Horns and that is always good. Texas was not impressive but that is all right, for now. They are young and will continue to improve. But OU won’t be like the OU last year. Beware Horns.
TCU 38 and Arkansas 41 in a home loss in Fort Worth: I was not high on the Razorbacks and now I am not high on the Frogs. This team has to find a defense or OU will get 60 on them in a couple of weeks. Right now, TCU is not playing like a championship team.
Oklahoma 59 in a home win over UL Monroe 17 in Norman: A sharp 42-0 half-time performance tells us that if OU is to beat Ohio State this Saturday the Sooners will have to get Joe Mixon in the mix more than Coach Bob Stoops has in the first two games. Monroe is bad while OU did what they were suppose to do in the rout.
Iowa State 3 road loss at Iowa 42 in Iowa City: Iowa State is bad. Expected.
Texas Tech 55 in a road loss to Arizona State 68 at Tempe: Tech can score, yes. Tech cannot stop anyone, yes. Coach Kliff Kingsbury is going to get fired sooner than later, yes, most definitely.
Big 12 Rankings after week one:
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Baylor
- Oklahoma State
- TCU
- West Virginia
- Kansas State
- Texas Tech
- Iowa State
- Kansas
Big12 Offensive Player of the Week: Baker Mayfield, OU
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week: Orion Stewart, Baylor
Big 12 Coach of the Week: Bill Snyder, Kansas State
