Week 11 of the college football season is officially in the books, and it was another monumental weekend for the Big 12. The action started in Cincinnati and ended late Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Here is the good, bad, and ugly from Week 11 in the Big 12.
The Good
The Holy War
I normally don’t do this, but I had to because this game was absolutely incredible. I knew about the Holy War before BYU and Utah joined the conference and I just want to say that the Big 12 is lucky to have a rivalry game like this in the conference. It lived up to the hype, and our own Matthew Postins was there covering the game. He said it was one of the craziest atmospheres he had ever seen. The game went down to the wire, and BYU escaped with a wild 22-21 win as they remained undefeated. Again, I am so happy to have this rivalry in the Big 12 and I can’t wait until season to see these two go at it again.
Kansas’ Bowl Chances
With the big upset win over Iowa State, the Kansas Jayhawks kept their bowl hopes alive for at least one more week as they moved to 3-6. Jalon Daniels looked good with some big throws to Luke Grimm and Quentin Skinner, but the Jayhawks controlled this game thanks to their rushing attack led by Devin Neal who is now the all-time leading rusher at Kansas.
Going Bowling
TCU’s win over Oklahoma State on Saturday bumped up the Horned Frogs record to 6-4. Thanks to their defense, they were able to hold Oklahoma State to just 13 points, and their offense went off for nearly 40 points. Between the run game and the defense, TCU controlled the game from start to finish. Plus, this win helped cool off Sonny Dykes’ seat a little bit after missing a bowl game last season.
No Skattebo, No Problem
I must give credit to Arizona State. Without their best player, they went out and put up 35 points in a big win over UCF. The Sun Devils were down by three in the fourth quarter and quarterback Sam Leavitt led an impressive nine play 71-yard touchdown drive. With less than five minutes left in the game, Leavitt found Jordyn Tyson for a 13-yard score, and it gave Arizona State a 35-31 lead. Then, from there, the defense took over to secure the victory. Sam Leavitt finished the game with three touchdown passes and, most importantly, zero turnovers. With the win, Arizona State is now 7-2 on the season and still in the hunt for a Big 12 title.
Colorado’s Big 12 Title Hopes
It’s one thing to win on the road in the Big 12, but it’s another thing to go to Lubbock when they are hosting Big Noon Kickoff and walk out with a win. That’s exactly what Colorado did on Saturday afternoon. Shedeur Sanders played lights out, throwing for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. When the offense couldn’t get the run game going, Sanders was able to extend plays with his legs and find his weapons like Travis Hunter, LaJohntay Wester, and Will Sheppard downfield.
And how about Colorado’s defense? After giving up 13 points in the first quarter, they gave up just 14 in the final 45 minutes of the game. What really impressed me was their defensive front because they sacked Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton seven times. And due to all the chaos in the Big 12, Colorado now controls their own destiny.
West Virginia’s Defense
West Virginia’s offense didn’t have to do much because their defense scored two touchdowns in the game against Cincinnati. The first score came off a pick six and then the second one game late in the game with a scoop and score. In the end, West Virginia’s defense came away with three turnovers and they were able to turn it into 17 points.
The Bad
Iowa State’s Defense
It’s not often you see me criticizing the Iowa State defense but after their game against Kansas it’s only fair. The Cyclones gave up over 230 yards on the ground and gave up a ton of big plays through the air. Whether it was blown coverage or simply confusion, the secondary got absolutely cooked on Saturday. I know the offense made a couple of mistakes as well, but they had to do whatever they could to stay in this game because the defense couldn’t stop Kansas at all. This team is playing their worst football in the most important month of the season. With the loss, Iowa State no longer controls its own destiny.
Texas Tech Blew It
There’s no other way to say it because Texas Tech blew the game against Colorado. After taking a commanding 13-0 lead in the first quarter, the Red Raiders were outscored 41-14 in the final 45 minutes of the game. Defensively, Tech had no answer for Colorado’s receivers as their secondary got torched and offensively, they couldn’t protect Behren Morton because he got sacked seven times. Also, with a minute left in the game, Texas Tech was down by seven with less than a minute left backed up near their own end zone. Morton fumbled the ball forward and nobody in a Tech uniform was even remotely interested in picking the ball up. Instead, Colorado’s Shilo Sanders picked it up for six. Between the turnovers, penalties, and mistakes, it was just too much for Texas Tech to overcome. It was extremely disappointing because of what was at stake for this football team.
UCF’s Mistakes
I didn’t think UCF played poorly in Tempe on Saturday night, but there were a few things that I need to point out. First off, nine penalties on the road is unacceptable. It seemed like every time I looked up or in certain key situations, the Knights shot themselves in the foot. Also, UCF had the football on their own one-yard line with less than a minute left in the first half. The Knights were up by three and Arizona State had no timeouts left. Instead of trying to sneak the ball and run the clock out, UCF decided to throw the football with their young quarterback, and it cost them six points. That was a game changing mistake by the coaching staff.
Cincinnati’s Mistakes
I could break down the game in different ways, but the reason Cincinnati lost against West Virginia was simple. They turned the ball over three times, and it cost them 17 points. Brendan Sorsby threw an ugly pick six, fumbled the ball deep in their own territory and then fumbled late in the game that went for six the other way. If not for those mistakes, Cincinnati may have won the game.
The Ugly
The Bowl Streak is Over
For the first time since 2005, the Oklahoma State Cowboys will not be going to a bowl game. After losing to TCU on Saturday, the Cowboys fell to 3-7 on the season. This team has now lost seven straight games which is the longest losing streak since 2000, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see them lose out at this point. Also, it’s time to give Maeliuaki Smith the starting job.
Utah’s Reaction
As many of you know, there was a holding call on fourth down that extended BYU’s drive in the Holy War. It was a crucial call in the game that did change the outcome. While I was skeptical of the call, the more I saw the replays that zoomed in, the more I agreed with the call.
But the issue I had with Utah was after the game. You could see Utah AD Mark Harlan yelling at the refs after the game along with head coach Kyle Whittingham.
Then during the post-game presser, Mark Harlan said “This game was absolutely stolen from us,” Harlan said. “We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed.”
“I will talk to the commissioner. This was not fair to our team. I’m disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight.” Then after Kyle Whittingham left the stage, he shoved a chair. All I have to say is get in line and welcome the Big 12. At some point, every school in the conference is going to get a call that doesn’t go their way and changes the game. You have been here for five minutes and are acting crazy. I think the focus should be on the team not scoring a single point in the second half instead of the call.
Related: Utah AD Crushes Big 12, But Needs to Look in the Mirror After Embarrassing Post-Game Remarks
