CMan's Big 12 Power rankings - Week 4

POWER RANKINGS

#1. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0, 0-0)

The Cowboys bye week couldn't have come at a better time. The Sports Illustrated article posted its final installment on Monday (a day early) and gave OSU a almost two weeks to absorb any fallout. Now it's back to football and the SI article will fade like the first three Cowboy opponents did. The 'Pokes Take on the Mountaineers in Morgantown Saturday. Look for OSU to wake up next Sunday with a 4-0 record.

#2. Baylor Bears (3-0, 0-0)

Baylor beat Louisiana-Monroe 70-7 in Waco Saturday to become the first team since LSU in 1930 to score at least 60 points in 3 consecutive games. Baylor has only surrendered 23 points in its first three games, albeit against lesser competition and all in Waco. The trend should continue though, after a bye week the Bears host a West Virginia team that will likely be licking its wounds from the contest with OSU.

#3. Oklahoma Sooners (3-0, 1-0)

With the Mountaineers stunning shutout loss to Maryland and Louisiana-Monroe getting bombed at Baylor, the Sooners victories against the two do not look as impressive. However, no one knows what the outcome of either would have been had Blake Bell been the starting QB. At any rate, the Sooner defense played well in both. OU takes on Notre Dame in South Bend this week and the Fighting Irish have not looked good in a loss to Michigan two weeks ago and a weak home victories against Purdue and  Michigan State the last two weeks. If the Sooners can put it all together next Saturday, a victory on the road looks  very possible.

#4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-0, 1-0)

The Red Raiders were not nearly as impressive in a 33-7 victory over Texas State this week only leading 13-0 at the half. Tech did pull away in the second half after Texas State pulled close at 13-7 to start the second half. The Red Raiders are 4-0 to start the season and they finally get a bye week. The face Kansas in Lawrence in week 5 and should pick up where they left off. The Red Raiders could easily be 7-0 when they roll in to Norman to face OU in week 7.

#5. TCU Horned Frogs (1-2, 0-1)

TCU enjoyed a much needed bye week and hopefully made some adjustments. Gary Patterson may be rethinking the decision to join the Big 12. But, they are here and must play the schedule. The Horned Frogs are not used to being a sub .500 team and despite playing a weak SMU team next Saturday, they roll in to back to back road games at OU and OSU. The odds don't favor a winning record for TCU anytime soon. TCU will likely be 2-4 when Texas comes to visit in late October.

#6. Texas Longhorns (2-2, 1-0)

Texas moves up two spots this week based on their win over KSU and, despite my earlier prediction, I don't think West Virginia can beat them. The real question is are the Longhorns good or are the Wildcats really bad. I'm going with the latter at this point. I am not sold on Texas or new (old) defensive coordinator Greg Robinson. The "Mildcats" looked horrible in this game and Texas did not look much better. Texas gets a bye week this week and then travel to Iowa State next week. They have lost in Ames but should win this one.

#7. Kansas State Wildcats (2-2, 0-1)

The loss to Texas was bad enough, how they lost was worse. The Wildcats could not tackle to save their lives. They looked as bad as they did during the Ron Prince years. KSU could not stop the Texas offense whether it was led by Ash or Case McCoy. Not the kind of defense the Wildcats are used to. KSU gets a bye week breather this week but they probably wish it was longer than a week. They face OSU in Stillwater in two weeks followed by a home date with Baylor.

#8. Kansas Jayhawks (2-1, 0-0)

The Jayhawks are only #8 because they won last week and West Virginia lost. They won ugly though beating Louisiana Tech 13-10, in Lawrence,  on a last second field goal. The game winning drive only happened because La Tech, who led most of the game, fumbled deep in Kansas territory late in the game. Kansas looks like Kansas. Bad. However, It's fall in Lawrence and that can only mean one thing. Bill Self is dusting off his whistle.

#9. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-2, 0-1)

The Mountaineers loss Saturday to Maryland is no shock. The game was played in Baltimore and the Terp's came in to the game 3-0. The shocker was that West Virginia could only muster 175 yards on offense and were shutout for the first time since 2001. It gets worse, the Mountaineers have to travel to Stillwater and Waco in the next two weeks. I said last week that it could be a long winter for Dana Holgerson, if this keeps up it could be his last winter in Morgantown.

#10. Iowa State Cyclones (0-2, 0-0)

Despite the poor performances of the rest of the bottom four, Iowa State will remain #10 until they win. the Cyclones have enjoyed two bye weeks in the first four weeks of the season which is good for them otherwise, they might be 0-4. The Cyclones face Tulsa on the road next week and then host Texas the following week. They will likely be 0-4 anyway.

CMan's Big 12 Power rankings - Week 2

POWER RANKINGS

 

 



#1. Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-0)

The Cowboys have played two good games on both sides of the football. Both games have been on the road in the state of Texas. It has been difficult to find a real weakness in the team thus far despite the early quarterback controversy. The offense looks like Oklahoma State and the defense, at least the starters, look like an SEC defense. After two games, it looks like only Sports Illustrated has the best chance to slow the Pokes.

#2. Baylor Bears (2-0)

The Bears have score 139 points in two game and given up only 16. Having said that, the opponents were Wofford and Buffalo. The difference? Baylor would have struggled against competition this kind of competition in the past, now they are humiliating them. OU and Texas used to do the same to similar competition and they also beat strong teams. Baylor looks real but we'll have to wait for week 6 when they take on WVU to start the conference season.

#3. Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0)

Like Baylor, Texas Tech has been lighting up the scoreboard scoring 101 in their first two games. Unlike the Bears they started their season on the road at SMU. New head man Kliff Kingsbury looks to lead  the team as coach in much the same way he did as QB. The Red Raiders defense looks stout to start the season giving up only 36 points in their first two games. Reality might hit Lubbock next week though as they open the conference season at home against #24 TCU.

#4. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)

Ok, before the Sooner faithful storm my bunker, let me explain. I would have ranked the Sooners higher based on the defensive improvement alone. But, the days of outscoring opponents will cease once they get deep in conference play. Unless Stoops and company get the offense on track the defense will only wear. The key to the renewed defensive pressure displayed by the Sooners is rest between series. The OU offense can not afford to go 3 and out or end drives without putting points on the board. The bright spot on offense is the renewed running attack. However, without an effective passing game opposing defenses will stack the line making the run game far less effective.

#5. TCU Horned Frogs (1-1)

A season opening loss to #12 LSU is nothing to be ashamed of. A home win against Southeastern Louisiana is nothing to write home about, especially when you were only up 17-14 at the half. The Horned Frogs offense caught speed in the second half but the vaunted TCU defense is not what it has been in recent years. The loss of Sr. QB Casey Pachall to injury might be a bright spot as Sophomore QB Trevone Boykin has clearly outplayed Pachall and gives the Horned Frogs their best chance to win.

#6. Kansas State Wildcats (1-1)

Kansas State rebounded from a humiliating home loss last week to 2 time FCS National Champion North Dakota State by defeating Louisiana Lafayette 48-27 in Manhattan. The Wildcats always start slow at the start of the season but they don't normally lose. The Wildcats defense is a concern giving up 51 points in two games to lesser quality opponents at home. The offense looks like a typical Bill Snyder offense. The Wildcats play Oklahoma State in week 6, in Stillwater. we'll know a lot more about the Wildcats after that game.

#7. West Virgina Mountaineers (1-1)

The Mountaineers lost to OU yesterday but they showed a lot of promise during the game. Either WVU started the second team against William and Mary in week 1 or they just didn't care. The Mountaineers that played in Norman Saturday were a far better team. While they couldn't do much against the Sooner defense the West Virginia defense gave the Sooners fits all night. WVU played a sloppy game but their defense looks vastly improved and the offense will catch up.

#8. Texas Longhorns (1-1)
 A loss to un-ranked BYU in Provo is not horrible unless you're ranked in the top 15. Texas was. The loss itself wasn't as bad as how they lost. BYU rushed a Texas record 550 yards against the Longhorns. BYU quarterback Taysom Hill, on a surgically repaired knee, ran for 259 by himself. The Texas offense was so woeful that Mack Brown took QB David Ash out in the second half in favor of Case McCoy. New quarterback, same anemic offense. I thought the Longhorns were overrated to start the season, they certainly weren't the #15 team in the country. I'm not sure they belong in the top 25. I picked Un-ranked KSU and WVU ahead of Texas in the rankings because I believe they can both beat the Longhorns. We'll find out in two weeks when the Wildcats visit Austin.

#9. Kansas Jayhawks (1-0)

Jayhawk fans have a lot to be excited about in the first two weeks of school this year. The Jayhawks had a bye week in week 1, the football team won it's home opener and Jayhawk basketball is just around the corner. Kansas defeated South Dakota (Not to be confused with North Dakota State) in Lawrence Saturday 31-14. The Jayhawks travel to Rice next week and finish the non-conference schedule with a home game against Louisiana Tech in week 4. They should emerge 2-1 which is the last time they will be over .500 for the rest of the season. That's ok though, by mid-season most Jayhawk fans will be watching basketball.

#10. Iowa State Cyclones (0-1)

The good news for the Cyclones is that they didn't lose Saturday. The bad news, they have to play again this week against Iowa to determine who will be second in the state to Northern Iowa. After Iowa the Cyclones visit Tulsa, not a lock either. If  Iowa State plays at this level in the big 12 conference it will be a long season in Ames. unlike Kansas, the Cyclones aren't dominant in basketball anymore. It looks to be a long, cold winter in Iowa.

 

CMan's OU vs WVU - Pregame

Sooners

Mountaineers

Very few Sooner and Mountaineer fans will forget the "defense optional" football game played in West Virginia in 2012. Most would like to forget the game. The Sooners needed a late touchdown drive by Landry Jones to escape Morgantown with a 50-49 win. Jones threw for 554 yards that game but was overshadowed by WVU's Tavon Austin and his Big 12 record 572 all purpose yards. In all, the Sooners gave up 778 yards. No OU team had ever surrendered more.

 

Sooner defensive coordinator Mike Stoops would love to get the taste of that game out of his mouth today. OU brings a new defensive scheme to the match up today and based on the performance last week, Stoops might just have found the right mouthwash.

 

The good news? Tavon Austin and wide out Stedman Bailey, who caught 13 passes for 205 yards and 4 touchdowns in the game, are playing for the St. Louis Rams now. WVU quarterback Geno Smith will start for the New York Jets on Sunday.

 

The Mountaineer offense looked awful weak against William and Mary last week needing a score with 3 minutes left to defeat the Tribe 24-17 in Morgantown. West Virginia appears to be a shell of last years offensive powerhouse. However, its only one game and WVU Head Coach Dana Holgerson has a history of getting the most out of his offensive players. His offensive system will always provide multiple scoring opportunities.

 

Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight will start his second game as a Sooner. After a slow start last week Knight played well in last weeks opener. The Sooner offense should be sharper and more fluid this week. With the first start under the belt Knight should be far more comfortable today as he leads the Sooner offense. If the coaching staff corrected the passing miscues and the missed screen assignments from last week, the Sooners should have multiple scoring opportunities today. The Mountaineers defense gave up an average of 38.1 points per game in 2012, the Sooners should have no trouble reaching that total today.

 

On the defensive side of the ball OU should continue what it started last week. The key to the game today is pressure. If the Sooner line and linebackers can get consistent defensive pressure on the quarterback it should disrupt the Mountaineers passing attack. Our linebackers spent a great deal of time in the offensive backfield last week against ULM and should be able to do the same today. The defensive speed the Sooners displayed last week will serve them well in stopping any sideline options the Mountaineers attempt. I don't expect another shutout but I don't expect a repeat of last years game either. After all, this game is at Owen Field where the Sooners are 81-5 under Bob Stoops.

 

Predictions this early in the season are never easy. This game is particularly hard because it is a conference game. Having said that, the Sooners should win this game by a comfortable margin. I'm going with OU to win 38-17.

 

On a side note, Buster's DCS Wildcats improved to 2-0 with a 46-28 win on the road over Southwest Covenant last night. Buster threw 3 touchdown passes including a long of 42 yards. For his career, Buster has surpassed the 3000 yard mark and has 41 touchdowns. Not bad for a guy with less than two years under center.

CMan's Big 12 roundup - Week 1

Week 1 of the college football season is always interesting. Expectations are high for everyone, the results are not often as expected. This week 1 in the Big 12 was no exception.

The Winners -

Louisiana Monroe - 0
(#16) Oklahoma  - 34

This game was the coming out party for new OU QB Trevor Knight. knight beat out junior Blake Bell for the starting job and despite a slow start, proved why. The second unanswered question was the OU defense. Question answered. The defense was quicker, applied pressure and gave up little ground, 166 total yards to be exact. (See OU post tomorrow for a complete game analysis)

Mississippi State - 3
(#13) Oklahoma State - 21

The surprise in this opener was the pokes defense. Oklahoma State could not generate any offense in the first half but the Cowboy's defense kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone. The defense allowed the Cowboys to get their offense in gear and it, in the midst of a quarterback battle, J.W. Walsh. Walsh clearly outplayed Clint Chelf, however, both struggled against the Mississippi state defense. A win is a win, especially against the SEC. We'll see how the offense moves against the Big 12. The Pokes defense though, looks vastly improved.

New Mexico State - 7
(#15) Texas - 56

Texas started slow falling behind NMSU 7-0 to start the game but scored 14 in the second quarter to take control. Texas QB David Ash played well connecting on 20 of 28 passes for 343 yds and 4 TD's but also threw 2 int's. Texas gained 715 yds but gave up 346. Not a complete game, but a win none the less. The jury is still out on the Longhorns.

Texas Tech - 41
Southern Methodist - 23

TTU should have won this game, even in Dallas. SMU has not yet recovered from the NCAA imposed death penalty. New head man Cliff Kingsbury and the Red Raiders started slow but looked solid by games end. It was SMU though. Look for Texas Tech to be average this season.

The Players? -

Wofford - 3
Baylor - 69

Wofford?? Who knew they had a football team outside of Spartanburg SC. Their team name is the Terriers for crying out loud, a small pesky dog. Believe it or not they are a D-1 team as well. The Terriers gained a measly 233 yards playing 4 QB's and with 12 players running the ball. I guess they threw every dog in the pound at the Bears....and still stunk the place up. If the Bears can't beat the Terriers they should be playing the Taco Bell dog.

William and Mary - 17
West Virginia - 24

If I was a Mountaineer fan I would be embarrassed. WVU scored with 3 minutes left to beat the William and Mary "Tribe". I would be more embarrassed if Mary actually played. The Tribe actually led this game 17-7 at the half. The Mountaineers high powered offense didn't show until the second half, and apparently only half speed. WVU outscored the tribe 17-0 in the second half but the game performance spells doom once the Mountaineers enter the Big 12 schedule which, by the way, starts at OU next Saturday.

The Losers -

(#12) LSU - 37
(#20) TCU - 27

I'll start with this game because it was competitive. TCU was down 30-17 in the third quarter and I thought the game was over. An LSU fumble led to a TCU touchdown, add a field goal and this was a 3 point game with 10 minutes left. LSU pulled it out in the forth but the Horned Frogs put up a strong fight until the end. No shame here for TCU. A loss sucks but the experience will make them a stronger team going forward.

Northern Iowa - 28
Iowa State - 20

This game would have been far worse had Northern Illinois not beaten Iowa 30-27 ( Its high time Iowa thinks about replacing Kirk Ferentz). Its a shame when Northern Iowa is the only undefeated team among the three in the first week. Northern Iowa led 21-14 at the half and outscored ISU 7-6 in the second half. The pain can only get worse for Iowa State if they actually paid Northern Iowa to come play.

North Dakota State - 24
Kansas State - 21

Kansas State normally plays pretty weak early in the season but they don't lose. North Dakota State is the reigning 2 time FCS National Champion but its still the FCS. The Bison were not intimidated by the Wildcats or playing in the stadium named for the Wildcats historic coach Bill Snyder. NDSU beat KSU consistently on both sides of the ball. It was an impressive game and should help NDSU compete for a third straight National Championship. As for the Wildcats they need to figure out how to compete with the rest of the FBS teams on their schedule. The Wildcats loss affected their checkbook as well as they reportedly paid the Bison six figures to come to the "little apple" to play.

Kansas fortunately had a bye week and did not play.

Overall,  not a bad start save the humiliating losses by KSU and ISU. Many questions were answered. Unfortunately, with some teams, more questions emerged.