In a new feature this season, here is the best quote of the week from every Big 12 coach from the weekly Monday morning teleconference that the media participates in. The order will be based on the order that the coaches speak in, no other rhyme or reason. I’ll give a little reaction to those comments below each quote.
David Beaty, Kansas Jayhawks
“I look back on this that put us in a hole and how we respond to adversity. You just need to extend the game, always believe you have a chance, we always have hope. We need to get a little better each game. I don’t believe in moral victories, I believe in winning and losing.”
At this rate, if Kansas keeps getting just “a little better each game”, they will be a bowl team by 2024, just in time for the Big 12 to implode. In all seriousness, I really am rooting for David Beaty, but I admittedly sometimes question if it’s going to happen for him in Lawrence. 2018 has to result in some improvement in the win column.
Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma Sooners
“Our eyes got in the wrong place or we came off our man trying to make a big play… We have to grow from that. We want to make plays, but in the context of what we’re doing schematically defensively.”
Riley is right to be a bit concerned about this secondary. Maybe it was just a bad game, but maybe it was something more. Regardless, the Sooners don’t want to wait to find out against the Mountaineers, Cowboys or Red Raiders. Clean it up now before the teeth of Big 12 play begins.
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State Cowboys
“On every Saturday half the teams in the country lose. We can’t get too high or too low. I think this group will be fine. They practiced well last night. There is a lot of parity in this conference. For most the games, we’re going to be in a lot of battles.”
“Being in a lot of battles” is not what Oklahoma State fans signed up for in 2017! The good news for the Pokes is I don’t expect any Big 12 team to go undefeated this season. Hopefully two teams have one loss entering the Big 12 championship game and the winner will have a great chance to make the College Football Playoff.
Bill Snyder, Kansas State Wildcats
“I don’t want to go there.”
Snyder interrupted the first question he received about the National Anthem protests prevalent across the NFL yesterday. Thank goodness. That’s the last thing any of us need right now.
Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia Mountaineers
“He [Will Grier] needs to scramble more sideline-to-sideline and do more with his arm. He isn’t a good slider. I think he thinks he’s got a lot of moves, but he doesn’t and he’s going to get hit.”
If that’s the biggest gripe with the offense, then things are going pretty well in Morgantown. Also note, Holgorsen is quickly running away with the “funniest comments of the year in Big 12 teleconferences” award and we aren’t even to October yet.
Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech Red Raiders
“We played poorly offensively and we created five turnovers, but scored three points off them. That won’t do it moving forward… I couldn’t be more pleased at how the defense is taking the ball away and that’s the key to our conference.”
The most important part of this is that we are talking about the Texas Tech defense in a positive manner and how they need to just improve on the things they are already doing well. Tech is #2 in the country in turnover margin so far this season. In 2014, TCU and Baylor led the Big 12 in turnover margin, in 2015 it was Oklahoma State and last season it was Kansas State. All good company to keep.
Matt Rhule, Baylor Bears
“They’re my kind of football team… they’re exactly to me exactly what I’d want one of my teams to look like.”
Matt Rhule was speaking about Bill Snyder’s Kansas State Wildcats, who the Bears play this weekend. You could hear it in Rhule’s voice that he clearly has an immense amount of respect for Snyder. Baylor is quickly getting healthy and improving, so this could be a surprisingly fun game this weekend.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State Cyclones
“The environment that’s created here every game, whether it’s a night game or it’s a mid-week game. The thing that makes this place really special and that sets Iowa State into a really special confine is our fan base.”
I’ve always been impressed at the Iowa State fans. They obviously love their hoops, but they seem to love football just as much, despite its struggles in recent years. Think about some of the power schools in the Big 12. Kansas fills up hoops, but doesn’t come close for football. Oklahoma fills up Memorial Stadium, but even in good years Lloyd Noble is oddly empty. Same with Oklahoma State. Iowa State fans love both programs, regardless of success. Gotta respect that.
Gary Patterson, TCU Horned Frogs
“We understood what the first four ball games were going to be about. What we wanted to do was be 3-1 coming out of it, we’re fortunate we’re 4-0 and now we’re back to 0-0.”
After the bye week, a whole new season begins for the Frogs at home against West Virginia. They go from being the hunter to the hunted. Let’s see how Kenny Hill and company handle it. Considering it’s a senior-laden group, I think they’ll be just fine.
Tom Herman, Texas Longhorns
“Theres a lot of guys here who were there for 24-0… there will be zero thinking of taking this football team [Iowa State] lightly.”
Herman is referring to the game two years ago when Iowa State beat up Texas on Halloween in Ames 24-0. He’s right. Texas’ best game this year was a loss. They shouldn’t be taking anyone lightly. As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t much difference between these programs at the moment.
