As great a time as the Big 12 Conference had in Week 7, well, Week 8 was a bit of a buzzkill.
The BYU Cougars and the Texas Tech Red Raiders both lost. Utah won but was pushed right to the end by Houston. The league’s push for multiple playoff teams lost its luster just a bit. And then there was Pat McAfee.
We all know things can change quickly in this conference. So, it’s on to Week 9 and the three teams that have the most to prove.
Texas Tech
So, I guess I was wrong. Texas Tech hasn’t solved its offensive problems. Not at all. Cincinnati exposed those in the worst possible ways as the Red Raiders lost their first game of the season.
This team needs running back Cameron Dickey back and it’s possible he could return for this weekend’s game with Arizona. The timing couldn’t be better. Arizona might be playing the best football of any team in the Big 12.
This is simple — Texas Tech must prove it’s still that team we thought they would be in the preseason. That won’t be easy. The Wildcats are red-hot right now and quarterback Noah Fifita is playing some of the best football in the conference at the position. The Red Raiders offense is going to have to get back on track. It would help if Dickey played and scored. When he scores a touchdown, the Red Raiders don’t lose.
This is the season for the Red Raiders. If they lose this game their odds of getting into the Big 12 Championship game are remote unless there’s just complete chaos. The Red Raiders must rise to the occasion.
Cincinnati
This might seem like an odd choice until you see who the Bearcats are playing this weekend — Utah. The Utes are the highest ranked team in the conference and the only remaining undefeated team. Plus, Cincinnati is getting Utah at home.
Do I expect the Bearcats to win? No. But then again, I didn’t expect the Bearcats to win last weekend either and look what they did to Texas Tech?
So, what is there for Cincinnati to prove? Prove to me that you can avoid the letdown of playing a second Top 25 team after beating one Top 25 team. We talk about letdown games often in these situations. This should be a game the Bearcats can get up for. But the circumstances are a bit different.
UC felt disrespected in the offseason by Tech booster Cody Campbell. You can’t tell me that wasn’t a factor. Well, no one in Utah is disrespecting Cincinnati. The folks in Utah are too nice for that. No bulletin board material this week. Cincy has to show up and show they can have that kind of a game in back-to-back weeks.
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys have lost two of their three road games this season. If the Cowboys are going to truly remain in the Big 12 Championship game race, there can be no more of that. They have a margin of zero the rest of the season, the way this race is developing.
The Cowboys must prove they can win a close game on the road. Their three-point loss to Houston two weeks ago was admirable, but it still cost the Cowboys their undefeated record in league play. A second loss would basically be it for their title chances. Head coach Eric Morris knows from his days at Texas Tech just how hard it is to win Ames, especially at night.
Oklahoma State’s turnaround from 1-11 is one of the best stories in the conference and Morris deserves a great deal of credit for flipping the program so fast. But now OSU is a contender. They have a shot at the title game in Arlington. Now the Cowboys have to prove they can win games that, on paper, they’re supposed to win.
