Baylor continues to fly under the radar

Big 12 Report: Red River center stage

Cody Stoots
Oct 9, 2019, 12:33 pm
Getty Images

Results that matter

Texas Tech 45 Oklahoma State 35

It was the first home win over a ranked team for the Red Raiders since 2013. That's an incredible stretch for a place that in the early 2000's was a hard place to play. Jett Duffey didn't start the year as the starter but injuries led to him taking over and against Oklahoma it was a rough go. He got it going against Oklahoma State to the tune of 424 yards and four touchdowns. This was a huge win for first year Red Raiders head coach Matt Wells.

Baylor 31 Kansas State 12

This was a close one that saw the Bears struggle to get going but eventually finish off Kansas State. It wasn't the prettiest game at all, but it moved the Bears to 5-0 and led to them being ranked yet again. Head coach Matt Rhule got a contract extension before this game and now the Bears have a shot to factor into the Big 12 race. They face a Texas Tech team riding high after a big win. The Bears are in the conversation, until they aren't. Fun stuff for a team that struggled to be relevant for a few years.

Studs of the week

Texas Tech DB Douglas Coleman

Two interceptions but when they happened were key. The Red Raiders were up 13-0 and had just missed a field goal when Coleman came up with his first interception. Momentum was on the Cowboys side but Coleman took it back. His second one ended the Cowboys chances at a comeback in the fourth quarter. He's the nation's leader in interceptions.

Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks

19 tackles. 3 sacks. 4 tackles for loss. What a line for the linebacker. My goodness. What a freaking day for Brooks. He was all over the field and a big key in the Red Raiders keeping the Cowboys at bay throughout the contest.

Texas RB Roschon Johnson

What a great performance from the former quarterback turned running back. With injuries devastating the depth at running back the Longhorns have had Johnson playing for a few weeks now. With Keaontay Ingram banged up, he helped the Horns move the ball to the tune of 21 carries for 121 yards in their win over West Virginia.

Must-watch game: 

6 Oklahoma 11 Texas

Red. River. Shootout. NOT rivalry. Come on now. Loved the name but love the game even more. No matter what the records this is always must-watch TV for the rest of the Big 12 conference. For the Sooners, beat Texas and keep rolling and hope you have their number should they show up in the Big 12 Championship game. For Texas, you have no more room for error if you have desires on making the college football playoff. A loss here likely eliminates you from contention for one of the four playoff spots.

Who better ball?

Texas QB Sam Ehlinger

Can Ehlinger make it 3 for 3 in outplaying Heisman Trophy contending Oklahoma quarterbacks? He has done it the past two years no reason to think he can't do it again. He will have to, honestly. The Longhorns will need Super Sam against the Sooners if they want to win this one.

Big 12 Rankings

1. Oklahoma

2. Texas

3. Baylor

4. Iowa State

5. Texas Tech

6. Oklahoma State

7. West Virginia

8. TCU

9. Kansas State

10. Kansas

Related Articles Around the Web
oklahomacollege footballtexas

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM

FLIP THE SCRIPT

Here’s why Houston Texans team strategy is becoming increasingly divisive

The Houston Texans approach to the offseason has caused quite a bit of controversy among Texans fans and media. Some really like what the team is doing in free agency, while others are underwhelmed.

But the argument that keeps getting thrown around is whether the Texans are ready to win this season, or if the team will have to suffer through another disappointing season. Most would agree the Texans roster has a number of holes, but how will that roster look after the NFL Draft and hopefully a new franchise QB is taking snaps for the team?

The great thing about the NFL is how fast teams can turn things around and start winning. When we looked at the teams coming off a bad season and drafting around the Texans in 2021, many of them showed a huge improvement the following season.

The Lions were 3-13-1 in 2021, last year? 9-8. The Jaguars went 3-14 in 2021. Last year they won the AFC South and notched a playoff win over the Chargers. Look at the New York Giants, they went 4-13 in 2021. They improved to 9-7-1 and also won a playoff game just one year later. And don't get us started on the Jets. They went 4-13 in 2021, improved to 7-10 with bad QB play, and now Aaron Rodgers wants to play there.

The point being, most of these teams hired new coaches in the last couple of years, added some talent through the draft and free agency and started winning. Why are Texans fans and media so convinced they're in for another season of losing? Why can't the Texans be the team that turns things around and competes for a division title? Especially if they land a franchise QB as expected.

The AFC South isn't a very tough division. In fact, the Texans beat the Jags, Colts, and Titans just this year. Shouldn't we expect them to take a step forward with better players and DeMeco Ryans leading the way?

Be sure to check out the video above as we break it all down!

If you enjoy the videos, subscribe on YouTube for our latest content!

Listen to The Bench with John and Lance weekdays from 7-10AM on ESPN 97.5 and 92.5.


texanshouston texansnfl

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome