South:
Texas:
In their most compelling win of the season, the Longhorns are finally looking like a team that deserves its No. 3 ranking. McCoy was electric from the beginning, completing his first 11 passes and finishing with 269 yards and three touchdowns. On the defensive side, the Horns knocked out another quarterback for their third straight week and didn’t let the Tigers score in the second half.
Oklahoma State:
Even without offensive leaders Dez Bryant or Kendall Hunter, the Cowboys are finding ways to score points. Zac Robinson completed 23 of 27 passes for 250 yards, leading OSU to a 34-7 victory over Baylor. The Cowboys have the third-ranked Longhorns coming to town Saturday in what many believe to be the Big 12 game of the season.
Oklahoma:
With news of Sam Bradford’s surgery and the end of his career at Oklahoma, the Sooners needed a big game against Kansas, a contender for the Big 12 North crown. And they got it thanks to Chris Brown and Landry Jones. Brown scored three touchdowns and Jones was 26 of 38 for 252 yards in their 35-13 victory in Lawrence.
Texas A&M:
After getting obliterated by Kansas State 62-14 two weeks ago, the Aggies beat No. 21 Texas Tech in Lubbock for the first time since 1993. The Aggies had an explosive offensive attack with 334 yards in the first half as compared to only 301 for the entire game against the Wildcats. Quarterback Jerrod Johnson completed 68 percent of his passes for 238 yards and a touchdown.
Texas Tech:
After the Red Raiders’ loss to Texas A&M on Saturday, Mike Leach had some interesting words for the media. Among other things, he told reporters that they need to stop listening to their fat girlfriends and that it would be easier to coach the Swedish bikini team.
Whatever you make of that, the Red Raiders folded under the pressure of the Aggies’ running game, while Jones AT&T Stadium booed Taylor Potts off the field.
Baylor:
The Baylor Bears are hoping to rebound from their 34-7 loss last Saturday with a home game against the 1-2 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Too bad it won’t happen. The Bears (3-4, 0-3) still don’t have the answer offensively after Robert Griffin’s injury. Baylor has only scored 24 points in its last three games while surrendering 91 points.
North
Kansas State:
The Wildcats are off to their best start in the Big 12 since 2000 after a 20-6 homecoming victory Saturday to remain at the top of the Big 12 North. The defense held the Buffaloes to only 244 total yards and just 60 rushing yards while also forcing four Colorado turnovers. Daniel Thomas rushed for a career-best 145 yards, but the Wildcats have a true test this Saturday against Oklahoma in Norman.
Iowa State:
At the end of Iowa State’s game in Lincoln last Saturday, the score looked more like a game from the National League Championship series. Leading the Cornhuskers 9-7 at halftime, Iowa State held that lead until the end, earning its first win at Nebraska since 1977. It was an unbelievable performance for the Cyclones considering they were without quarterback Austen Arnaud and leading rusher Alexander Robinson. They travel to College Station on Saturday and need only one more win to become bowl-eligible.
Kansas:
With back-to-back conference losses, the Jayhawks have fallen from Big 12 North favorites to bowl-game hopefuls. Despite holding the Sooners to only 337 yards and cutting the lead to a single-possession at halftime, Kansas couldn’t contain Landry Jones and the Sooner offense. Todd Reesing threw for 224 yards, but his two interceptions in the first half put the Jayhawks behind early.
Missouri:
The Tigers learned a few valuable lessons Saturday against the Longhorns. Don’t schedule homecoming against Texas and don’t run a trick play against the Longhorn defense when your quarterback can barely walk off the field. In order to remain a contender in the north, the Tigers have to get their offense going after being outscored 101-36 in their first three conference games. This week against Colorado is a good place to start.
Colorado:
After scoring on their first drive against Kansas State, the Wildcats silenced the Buffaloes the rest of the game. In fact, Colorado didn’t cross midfield until there were less than 6 minutes left in the game. With Cody Hawkins back as quarterback, the Buffaloes just couldn’t get anything going.
