Welcome to Tuesday Takes, where I give you five takes from the Big 12. It was a jam-packed week full of action, but here were several things that caught my attention from this past weekend.
Arizona State Isn’t Going Anywhere
After Arizona State’s loss to Mississippi State a few weeks ago, some people were concerned about the Sun Devils. But I wasn’t at all. In fact, I doubled down on Arizona State, and I am glad I did after their big win over TCU.
Despite being down 17-0 last Friday, Arizona State didn’t flinch. Instead, Sam Leavitt led them to back-to-back scoring drives before halftime to make it a three-point game. Then from there, Arizona State took over. Whether it was the defense getting key stops and turnovers or the offense making plays when it mattered most, Arizona State played its best when its back was against the wall. This team is tough, gritty, and not afraid of anyone or anything. And that is why this team is still a Big 12 title contender.
West Virginia is the Worst Team in the Big 12
After watching this team closely since their win over Pitt, West Virginia has been a tough team to watch. Their defense has been awful, and their offense makes you want to poke your own eyes out.
That game against Pitt gave me some hope about this team, but since then, they have been blown out by Kansas and Utah, who outscored them 89 to 24. And when I look at the rest of their schedule, call me crazy, but I don’t see a single game that they will win. I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see this team finish 2-10 with a winless record in Big 12 play.
Colorado Has a Quarterback Problem
When the Buffaloes made a quarterback switch from Ryan Staub to Kaidon Salter, I thought it would give some life to Colorado’s offense. And for at least one game, it seemed to work. However, I don’t feel the same way after the game against BYU this past weekend.
Salter struggled against the Cougars’ defense and made a bunch of poor decisions. Whether it was not finding open receivers or simply throwing the ball in bad spots. Salter didn’t look like the guy we saw against Wyoming the week before. Plus, he threw a really bad interception when the game was on the line. This team has a quarterback problem, and if Ryan Staub and Kaidon Salter aren’t the answer, then maybe they should give the highly touted true freshman Julian Lewis a shot.
TCU Will Be Fine
Even though they blew the game to Arizona State, I would not worry too much if I were a TCU fan. The Horned Frogs started the game off strong, jumping out to an early 17-0 lead before falling apart the rest of the way.
The defense definitely held up their end of the bargain, but it was the offense that couldn’t get much going when it counted. Josh Hoover had his worst game of the season, turning the ball over in key situations. Whether it was at the goal line or late in the game when the Frogs needed a score, Hoover dropped the ball.
That was definitely out of the ordinary for him, and I don’t expect him to do that every single time TCU is in a tight spot. He still is one of the best quarterbacks, not just in the Big 12 but the entire country, and I am not going to let one game put any doubt in my mind. TCU is still a good football team, and I expect them to still compete at the top of the conference.
Iowa State Can Win the Big 12
One team I feel like nobody is talking about in the Big 12 is Iowa State. The Cyclones are coming off a huge win against Arizona, where they made it look easy. Rocco Becht reminds me a lot of Sam Leavitt. While he may not have the best stats all the time, he makes plays in the game’s biggest moments. Rocco is a winner, and he’s proven that repeatedly.
Becht has plenty of weapons around him with the two tight ends (Brahmer and Burkle) and the emerging receiver Chase Sowell. And with an improved run game, this offense was firing on all cylinders against Arizona. Plus, that defense of theirs just may be the best in the Big 12. Don’t be shocked to see this team return to Jerry World this year.
