Final Big XII Power Rankings

1. Nebraska (10-2, 6-2).  The Cornhuskers trounced Colorado 45-17 to wrap up the North Division.  The Blackshirts held Colorado to 262 total yards and forced three turnovers, while the offense did most of its work on the ground, as always, rushing for 265 yards.  Running back tandem Roy Helu, Jr and Rex Burkhead finished the regular season with just over 1900 combined rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.  Will Taylor Martinez be healthy and ready to go next week in the Big XII Championship Game, and can Nebraska beat Oklahoma if he isn’t?

2. Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2).  OU won a tension-packed Bedlam game 47-41.  Landry Jones threw three interceptions but came back to throw two long touchdowns of 86 and 76 yards in the fourth quarter to fend off a furious rally from the Cowboys.  The victory created a three-way tie among OU, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M.  With none of them holding a head-to-head tie-breaker, it came down to the final BCS standings, so the Sooners took the South.  OU will bring a red hot offense to Jerryworld, averaging 37.5 points per game and ranked 4th in the nation in passing yards.  But can the Sooners’ 63rd-ranked rush defense slow down Nebraska’s 8th-ranked rushing attack? 

3. Oklahoma State (10-2, 6-2).  Oklahoma State’s 2nd-ranked offense kept them in it against OU, but its 90th-ranked defense couldn’t do enough to send the Cowboys to their first Big XII Championship Game.  First-year starter Brandon Weeden finished the season with over 4,000 passing yards and 32 touchdowns and senior running back Kendall Hunter rushed for over 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns.  While the Bedlam loss has to sting, the Cowboys still posted their first 10-win season since Barry Sanders’ record-shattering 1988 campaign.

4. Texas A&M (9-3, 6-2).  Texas did not go gently into that losing season, but the Aggies won a pretty evenly-matched game by forcing 4 turnovers, including the game-clinching interception at their own 8-yard line as the Longhorns were driving toward a potential tying touchdown.  Cyrus Gray rushed for 223 yards and a pair of long touchdowns in the 24-17 victory.  Texas A&M will try to cap its dream season with its first bowl victory since 2001 and its first top 25 finish since 1999.

5. Missouri (10-2, 6-2).  The Tigers pounded Kansas 35-7 in their season finale, holding the Jayhawks to just 141 total yards.  It was another strong season for Gary Pinkel’s Tigers: 2010 is the 6th straight winning season for Mizzou and the third season of 10+ wins in the last four.  But it’s also the third time in the last four years that Missouri finished tied for first in the North but missed out on the conference crown.

6. Baylor (7-5, 4-4).  Baylor was idle this past weekend, its season having already ended the previous week.  Robert Griffin III has already set Baylor school records for passing yards in a game (404) and a season (3,195), and he’ll have a chance to break Baylor’s record for career passing yards if he can throw for 229 yards in the Bears’ upcoming bowl game.  Not bad for a sophomore. 

7. Kansas State (7-5, 3-5).  K State’s salty defense managed to hold the 9th place team in the Sun Belt Conference to just 459 yards as KSU edged North Texas 49-41.  Fortunately for the Wildcats, Daniel Thomas ran for a career-high 269 yards and two touchdowns, helping the offense put up enough points to avoid a disastrous defeat.  It’s been an up-and-down season for Kansas State, but Bill Snyder has already clinched the school’s first winning season since 2006 and he’ll have a chance to bring home KSU’s first bowl victory since 2002.

8. Texas Tech (7-5, 3-5).  The Red Raiders defeated the Houston Cougars 35-20 in a wild game that featured over a thousand yards of offense and six turnovers.  Taylor Potts threw for 373 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead his team to a victory in his final home game.  But the Red Raiders will have to win their bowl game to avoid their first season with fewer than 8 wins since 2001.

9. Iowa State (5-7, 3-5).  The Cyclones didn’t lose their fourth straight game last weekend, largely because they didn’t play.  Iowa State will lose starting quarterback Austen Arnaud, leading rusher Alexander Robinson, and leading receiver Collin Franklin to graduation.  Then again, the Cyclones offense ranked 98th in the nation this season, so those losses can’t make things much worse.  But don’t worry, Cyclone fans, most of your 88th-ranked defense will be back next year, so you’ve got that going for you, which is nice.

10. Texas (5-7, 2-6).  The Aggies finally put the Longhorns out of their misery on Thanksgiving night.  Texas finished the season dead last in the South Division for the first time and posted its first losing season since 1997 and only the sixth in the last half a century.  Texas is also the first team since the advent of a true national championship game in 1998 to play for the national championship then fail to reach bowl eligibility the following year.  This season has to go down as one of the most unexpected collapses in college football history.  Vegas should set an over/under on the number of Longhorn assistant coaches about to be fired.  I’d bet the over on 2.5 for sure.

11. Colorado (5-7, 2-6).  The Buffaloes went to Lincoln and got blasted last weekend.  Now Colorado AD Mike Bohn has to decide whether to retain interim head coach Brian Cabral, whose team played hard for him and went 2-1, or to start calling coaches with more experience.  After Dan Hawkins guided the Buffs to a 19-39 record, Bohn could make Charlie Weiss or Bill Callahan the next head coach and things would still be looking up for Colorado.

12. Kansas (3-9, 1-7).  The Jayhawks were held to 10 or fewer points for the sixth time in their season-ending loss to Missouri.  But on the bright side, Kansas has landed a four-star running back in the 2011 class.  If he can rush for 2,000 yards while blocking for himself and win the Thorpe Award as a safety, KU could be a .500 team next season.

That’s it for this season’s Big XII Power Rankings.  Next week I’ll write up a Big XII bowl preview and after signing day I think I’ll grade the Big XII recruiting classes.  Thanks to all who’ve read this series and offered feedback — I hope you enjoyed it.

Big XII Power Rankings After Week 10

1a. Nebraska (8-1, 4-1).  The Cornhuskers never trailed Iowa State, cruising to an easy one-point overtime victory.  After a touchdown brought the Cyclones to within 31-30, ISU went for the win with a fake PAT, but the two-point conversion attempt was picked off in the end zone to end the game.  This win coupled with Missouri’s loss gives the Cornhuskers a full game lead over Mizzou in the standings.  Nebraska also has the tie-breaker from its victory over Missouri, so unless the Huskers lose two of their final three while the Tigers win all three of theirs, it’ll be Big Red representing the North in Jerryworld.

1b. Oklahoma State (8-1, 4-1).  After three school records were set by Big XII players last week, Brandon Weeden decided to get in on the fun, throwing for a new-OSU-record 435 yards, along with three touchdowns.  And the Cowboys’ running game added another 290 yards, for an eye-popping total of 725, the most by any team in the conference all season, en route to a 55-28 win over Baylor.  Oklahoma State now has sole possession of first place in the South and the tiebreakers over Baylor and Texas A&M.  Next week, Oklahoma State gets its turn on the Big XII’s Revenge Against the Longhorns Tour.  Think Mike Gundy might want an authoritative win after all the near-misses against Texas over the years? 

3. Texas A&M (6-3, 3-2).  Fortunately for the Aggies, the dropoff between starting running back Christine Michael (lost for the season last week with a broken tibia) and backup Cyrus Gray is minimal, as Gray ran it 21 times for 122 yards (5.8 ypc) and a score.  And QB Ryan Tannehill, making his second career start, turned in a workmanlike 225 yards passing, two TD’s and two INT’s.  Not as spectacular as he was last week, but he got the job done and led his team to a 33-19 win over an OU team that had handed A&M some embarrassing losses over the past several years.  The Aggies are still alive in the South, but they’ll have to beat Baylor, Nebraska, and Texas and hope that Oklahoma State loses twice.

4. Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2).  Trailing in College Station 19-0 in the third quarter, the OU offense finally decided to make an appearance and reeled off 17 unanswered points by the end of the period.  But the defense was unable to get it done in the 4th, surrendering two more A&M touchdowns.  Even though they’re in a tie for third place, the Sooners are still very much in the race to win the South: if the Sooners win out, they’ll pass Baylor and Oklahoma State by beating them, and all they’ll need is for A&M to lose one game.

5. Missouri (7-2, 3-2).  It looked as if Missouri had things under control in Lubbock, leading 17-3 late in the second quarter, but then the Tiger offense completely fell apart.  Blaine Gabbert was inexplicably held to 40% completions and just 95 yards passing against a Texas Tech pass defense that improved to #118 in the nation after this performance in the 24-17 Red Raider win.  The Tigers had better get the wheels put back on quickly, or they might lose their third straight next weekend to KSU.

6. Baylor (7-3, 4-2).  The Bears hibernated through the first half and didn’t score until they were down 34-0 in the third.  Robert Griffin III’s running has cooled off considerably (he’s rushed for just 40 yards on 31 carries in his last three games) and he’s thrown an interception in four straight games.  He’s still been good, but Baylor needs him to be great.  The Bears had better get over the embarrassing loss quickly, as they host Texas A&M and OU to close the season.  Finishing 7-5 would normally sound great to a Baylor fan, but not after a 7-2 start.

7. Kansas State (6-3, 3-3).  The Wildcats only put up 270 yards of total offense against Texas, but they scored 39 points because they had great starting field position almost all night, courtesy of their return game and Garrett Gilbert’s five interceptions.  Kansas State now holds a three-game winning streak over Texas.  Next week, the Wildcats will head to Columbia to take on Missouri in a critical game for each team’s position in the bowl pecking order. 

8. Iowa State (5-5, 3-3).  The Cyclones came from 14 down in the 4th quarter to tie Nebraska, but came up short in overtime.  Paul Rhoads will surely be criticized by some for the fake extra point that was intercepted to seal the defeat, but I don’t mind going for the win right there against a more talented team.  If the Cyclones can beat Colorado in Boulder next week, they’ll be bowl eligible for the second year in a row.

9. Texas Tech (5-4, 3-4).  The Red Raiders used both Steven Sheffield and Taylor Potts at quarterback and found the running game they’ve been missing all season, racking up 198 yards on the ground against a pretty good Mizzou defense.  Weird season for Tech: they can’t beat a bad Texas team and they can barely beat a terrible Colorado team, but they can take down a good Missouri team.  Next week, Tech will head to Norman to try to break OU’s 35-game home winning streak.  Do you believe in miracles?  Me neither.

10. Texas (4-5, 2-4).  I’ll take “Things That Are Burnt Orange and Suck at Football”, for one thousand, Alex.  Kansas State came into this game with the worst rush defense in the nation.  That’s right, #120 out of 120.  So, of course, the Longhorns threw the ball 59 times and ran it 26 times.  Texas has now lost 5 of 6 games for the first time since 1992.

11. Kansas (3-6, 1-4).  Colorado scored early in the fourth quarter to finish Kansas off, 45-17.  Then the Jayhawks had some sort of seance on the sideline and got possessed by the Bill Walsh 49ers, scoring five unanswered touchdowns (more points in one quarter than they’d scored in their previous three games) to pull off the shocking 52-45 victory.  The 28-point comeback was the biggest in KU history.  Kansas is now halfway to bowl eligibility: all they’ve got to do is beat #8 Nebraska in Lincoln, then #10 Oklahoma State and #17 Missouri at home. 

12. Colorado (3-6, 0-5).  At least you get to live in Colorado.  Forget this football stuff.  You should be outside anyway.

Big XII Power Rankings After Week 9

1. Nebraska (7-1, 3-1).  Roy Helu, Jr got loose for touchdown runs of 66 and 73 yards and Taylor Martinez threw a 40-yard touchdown pass as Nebraska raced out to a 24-0 first quarter lead over #6 Missouri.  And Nebraska’s excellent secondary made sure there would be no comeback, holding Blaine Gabbert under 200 yards passing on 42 attempts to secure a decisive 31-17 victory.  The Huskers are now in the driver’s seat in the North, holding the head-to-head tie-breaker over Missouri.  With four very winnable games remaining (@ Iowa State, Kansas, @ Texas A&M, Colorado), they have an excellent shot at winning out and playing in the final Big XII Championship Game. 

2. Oklahoma (7-1, 3-1).  Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles put up X-Box stats on Colorado last week: Jones threw for a career-high 453 yards, with Broyles racking up 208 receiving yards, a new school record.  Jones also found Broyles on three of his four touchdown strikes.  The 43-10 final could have been worse, as OU outgained CU by close to 400 yards.  Oklahoma will take on Texas A&M in College Station next weekend in a battle of top ten passing attacks.

3. Missouri (7-1, 3-1).  Missouri showed some heart by not rolling over after Nebraska’s big play attack put them in a huge hole; in fact, the Tigers got to within ten points of Nebraska in the third quarter, but they didn’t have enough to come from behind on the road.  Mizzou was able to get some things going on offense, but couldn’t convert enough third downs (7 of 19) and had the game’s only turnover.  It also might have helped if someone had tried to tackle Roy Helu, Jr before he rushed for a school record 307 yards.  The Tigers will try to get back in the win column in Lubbock next Saturday night.

4. Oklahoma State (7-1, 3-1).  The Cowboys took down Kansas State in Manhattan last week, 24-14.  It’s not often that a team gains almost twice as many yards, wins the turnover battle, gets a defensive score, and still only wins by ten points, but it counts the same as a blowout (speaking of blowouts, is Mike Gundy trying to get cast on the next Jersey Shore with that haircut?).  Next week, Okie State and Baylor will find out if they can hold each other under 50 points.

5. Baylor (7-2, 4-1).  Baylor went to Austin and handed Texas its first three-game home losing streak since the Industrial Revolution, 30-22.  The Bears’ #5 offense was held largely in check until late in the third quarter, when Jay Finley broke a 69-yard touchdown run to close the gap to 19-17.  Baylor rode that momentum into the fourth quarter, adding two more unanswered touchdowns to surge ahead for good.  BU sits alone atop the South Division, but the inside track to the Big XII Championship Game still has some high hurdles for track star Robert Griffin III to get his Bears over: @ Oklahoma State, then home games against Texas A&M and Oklahoma.    

6. Iowa State (5-4, 3-2).  Trailed lowly Kansas at halftime, at home no less, but came back to win 28-16.  ISU averaged almost 6 yards per carry and racked up 232 yards on the ground against the helpless Kansas defense.  Can the Cyclones get another home win against #10 Nebraska next week?  In their other two games against top ten opponents, they lost by a combined 87-7, so they’re obviously due for a win and you should consider making a large wager on ISU, preferably with me. 

7. Texas A&M (5-3, 2-2).  It looks as if all those Aggies clamoring for Ryan Tannehill to replace Jerrod Johnson were right: all Tannehill did last Saturday was set a school record for passing yards (449) and throw four touchdowns.  The Aggie defense has predictably come back to earth, now ranking 46th in the nation, but that’s still a big improvement over last year’s D, and with the 10th best offense in the nation and much better play at the quarterback position, this has become a dangerous team again.  The gauntlet of Texas A&M’s schedule is up next: Oklahoma, @ Baylor, and Nebraska.  It seems weird that the season finale in Austin is not listed as part of the gauntlet, but this year, there’s no reason it should be.  The Aggies are just one more win from going bowling for the second time in three years under Mike Sherman.

8. Kansas State (5-3, 2-3).  The Wildcats scored the first touchdown against Oklahoma State, then floundered on both sides of the ball, allowing 24 unanswered points.  Daniel Thomas picked up 101 rushing yards, but it took him 29 carries to do it (3.5 ypc), and he threw an interception to go with the two thrown by Carson Coffman.  After losing three of their last four, the Wildcats will take on Texas next week to see which team can stop the implosion. 

9. Texas (4-4, 2-3).  Once again, dropped passes, missed throws, ineffective running backs, and predictable playcalling kept the Texas offense running in place.  The last time Texas lost to Baylor, a coach got fired.  Mack Brown has certainly done enough to earn the right to try to fix this fiasco, but some of his staff are heading to the unemployment line this December.  Rebuilding year or not, this team has too much talent to be this bad.

10. Texas Tech (4-4, 2-4).  Texas Tech fell to dead last in the South after its loss to Texas A&M.  After allowing 623 yards to the Aggies, the Texas Tech defense now ranks #113 in the nation.  The Red Raiders have allowed more points than they’ve scored, and that doesn’t figure to change next week when they host Missouri, or the following week when they go to Norman.  This team’s bowl chances are in serious jeopardy.  Might Tommy Tuberville already be on the hot seat in year one?

11. Colorado (3-5, 0-4).  Last week’s blowout loss to Oklahoma was Colorado’s fourth in a row.  Next week, the Buffaloes will head to Lawrence to battle the Jayhawks in front of a crowd consisting of parents of KU players and people who are lost.  The loser of that game has a great shot at going winless in conference play this season.

12. Kansas (2-6, 0-4).  Did you know that Kansas has five national debate championships?  And U.S. News and World Report ranks KU’s petroleum engineering program #9 in the country.

Big XII Power Rankings After Week 8

1. Missouri (7-0,  3-0).  Season-defining win for Missouri, as they finally beat Oklahoma for the first time in 7 tries under Gary Pinkel, 36-27.  Both quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards, but Blaine Gabbert avoided interceptions, while Landry Jones threw two, including a crucial one deep in his own territory.  And the Tigers dominated time of possession, giving them the fresher defense in the decisive 4th quarter.  Missouri will have to get another huge win over Nebraska in Lincoln next week to stay in first place in the North.

2. Nebraska (6-1, 2-1).  Nebraska showed no hangover from the upset loss to Texas, as they went to Stillwater and won a shootout over Oklahoma State, 51-41.  Taylor Martinez was incredible, throwing for 323 yards and 5 TD’s and rushing for another 112 yards.  This was the biggest win of the season for the Huskers, keeping them within one game of Missouri heading into their showdown next weekend.

3. Oklahoma (6-1, 2-1) For the third straight week, the #1 team in the nation went down, as OU lost in Columbia.  Losing to a good team on the road isn’t the end of the world, but Oklahoma fans and coaches have to be concerned about the defense: a unit that is normally a strength for OU is currently ranked 80th in the country.  Fortunately for the Sooners, that ranking is somewhat offset by their 7th best ranking in turnover differential.  They get Colorado at home next weekend.

4. Oklahoma State (6-1, 2-1).  It was only a matter of time before the defense cost OSU a game.  Great efforts from Kendall Hunter (26 carries for 201 yards and 2 TD’s) and Brandon Weeden (283 yards passing, 2 TD’s, 1 INT) were wasted as OSU allowed 540 yards and 51 points.  Next week, Okie State will try to get back on track against a Kansas State team that has dropped two of its last three. 

5. Baylor (6-2, 3-1).  In another typical Big XII defensive slugfest, Baylor outlasted Kansas State 47-42.  Robert Griffin III threw for 404 yards and 4 TD’s with 1 INT.  Griffin is on pace to throw for over 3,500 yards, rush for over 500 yards, and put up 36 total touchdowns.  And Baylor has recently made running back Jay Finley a bigger part of the offense: in the last two games, Finley has gotten 40 carries for an impressive 393 yards and 4 TD’s.  With the #5 offense in the nation, these Bears are no fluke.  They’ll head to Austin next week, where Texas has lost two of three this year, to try to beat Mack Brown for the first time in 13 attempts. 

6. Kansas State (5-2, 2-2).  Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas did everything he could to beat Baylor (22 carries for 113 yards and 2 TD’s, plus a 67-yard touchdown pass), but it wasn’t enough.   He’s on pace for over 1,500 rushing yards this season, but he’s KSU’s only weapon — QB Carson Coffman has thrown for over 200 yards just twice in seven games.  It won’t get any easier for K State next weekend when they host Oklahoma State.  The defenses are comparably awful (#100 and #97 respectively), but OSU brings the #3 offense in the nation, while K State’s is #60.  I’m not sure KSU can even keep this one close.

7. Iowa State (4-4, 2-2).  The Cyclones went to Austin and dominated the Longhorns for just over three quarters, building a shocking 28-6 lead, then held off a 4th quarter rally to escape with the 28-21 victory as the Longhorns final drive came up just 95 yards short of tying the game.  With two very winnable games left on the schedule (Kansas and @ Colorado), the Cyclones have a chance of going to a bowl game for the second straight year after going 2-10 in 2008.  Enjoy Paul Rhoads while you’ve got him, ISU.  Heck of a coach.

8. Texas (4-3, 2-2).  Texas outgained the Cyclones by over a hundred yards, but that usually doesn’t matter when you lose the turnover battle 4-1 as the Longhorns did.   This year’s Texas offense is so inept that it only managed 21 points against a defense that had given up 120 in its previous two games.  QB Garrett Gilbert has been inconsistent, which is to be expected from a first-year starter.  It’s also to be expected that by game 7 there would be some improvement, but Gilbert threw three picks against ISU.  Next week, Texas will need its defense (#6 in the nation) to hold Baylor down, because the Longhorns certainly can’t win a shootout. 

9. Texas A&M (4-3, 1-2).  The Aggies won for the first time in over a month, beating Kansas soundly, 45-10.  Aggie fans finally got to see backup QB Ryan Tannehill get some snaps in relief of struggling Jerrod Johnson, and Tannehill didn’t disappoint, hitting 12 of 16 throws for 155 yards and 3 TD’s.  Next week, Texas A&M will host Texas Tech in the next installment of a bad blood rivalry that hasn’t gone the Aggies way: since the inception of the Big XII in 1996, Tech is 10-4 against A&M, including wins in the last two at Kyle Field.

10. Texas Tech (4-3, 2-3).  It looked a little bleak for Texas Tech last weekend, as they headed to the 4th quarter trailing Colorado by 10 points in Boulder.  But a 13-0 final period secured a 27-24 victory for the Red Raiders, in spite of them losing the turnover battle 2-0 on the road.  Not a pretty win, but a gutsy one, and one they had to have.  Next week’s game against A&M will be another pivotal one in each team’s quest for bowl eligibility.

11. Colorado (3-4, 0-3).  Last week was the second straight loss for the Buffaloes at home by less than a touchdown.  Just a play here or there in those games would have been the difference between a 5-2 record and their current 3-4 mark (though it could have gone the other way in their 2-point win over Georgia, too).  Bottom line: 5-2 teams make those needed plays and 3-4 teams don’t.  What 3-4 teams do, however, is get embarrassed in Norman next week.  At least the good people of Colorado still have the Denver Broncos, who got within 45 points of rival Oakland last Sunday. 

12. Kansas (2-5, 0-3).  There is a very real chance that this team has won its last football game until 2011.  Maybe 2012.  The Jayhawks are dead last in the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense.  How they managed to beat Georgia Tech earlier this season is one of the mysteries historians will puzzle over for centuries.  Rumor has it that KU is selling tickets to pre-season basketball practices instead of its next home football game in hopes of increasing revenue.

Big XII Power Rankings After Week 7

1. Oklahoma (6-0, 2-0).  OU smashed Iowa State, 52-0, to take over the #1 spot in these rankings for the first time.  Oklahoma was about as dominant as possible, putting up 672 yards of offense while allowing only 183.  Worth noting is that only one of the Sooners’ six wins so far has come on the road, and that was a struggle against Cincinnati.  Four road games remain for the Sooners, including unbeatens Missouri (next week) and Oklahoma State at the end of the year.

2. Oklahoma State (6-0, 2-0).  Speaking of road games, the Cowboys won a nice one in Lubbock last week, 34-17.  Texas Tech QB Taylor Potts played through a possible concussion, but was unable to be effective enough to keep up with OSU’s more balanced offense.  And the Cowboys’ defense looked a little better, holding an opponent under 28 points for just the second time this season.  Next week, Oklahoma State will host a very talented Nebraska squad that figures to be in a very bad mood.

3. Missouri (6-0, 2-0).  Last week, Missouri went to Kyle Field and blew out Texas A&M, 30-9, with Blaine Gabbert doing most of the damage through the air: 361 yards passing and 3 TD’s.  This team is clicking at the right time, but the lack of a running game is a liability.  As the only team in the North without a conference loss, the Tigers control their own destiny, but they’ll have to beat Oklahoma and Nebraska in their next two games to keep it that way.

4. Texas (4-2, 2-1).  Last week in Lincoln, Garrett Gilbert predictably rushed for 71 yards while Taylor Martinez managed only 21 yards.  Ahem.  Gilbert may not have Martinez’s breakaway speed, but he was a thousand-yard rusher in high school and he’s quick enough to grab a few yards at a time from the spread offense, which Texas is finally using as its primary formation again.  And the Texas defense was all over the field, holding the explosive Nebraska offense to just 6 points on 202 yards and several times looking as if they knew the exact play the Huskers had called.  It was a season-saving 20-13 win for the Longhorns, who can win out if they play like they did last weekend.

5. Nebraska (5-1, 1-1).   After waiting 10 months for “REDemption” after last year’s Conference Championship Game, the Big XII-vacating Huskers might be waiting forever for another shot at Texas after last Saturday’s loss.  There’s no time for the Huskers to lament what might have been, as their next two games are against #15 Oklahoma State and #16 Missouri.  Nebraska should be able to get its offense going again against a porous Cowboys’ defense, but the Cornhuskers’ talented secondary will have to shut down the #3 passing game in the nation in order to leave Stillwater with a win.  Huge game for both teams.

6. Kansas State (5-1, 2-1).  Last Thursday, Kansas State lit Kansas up like a pinball machine, 59-7.   Next week, KSU heads to Waco to take on Baylor in a big game for both teams as they try to stay alive in their divisions.  Neither team can play defense (KSU is 81st and Baylor is 80th nationally), and while the Wildcats have a great running game, they’re still only 59th in total offense, whereas Baylor’s more balanced attack is the #8 offense in the nation.  Tough game for KSU unless Daniel Thomas goes wild.

7. Baylor (5-2, 2-1).  Not a pretty win over Colorado, 31-25, but any time you go on the road, lose the turnover battle, and still come away with a W, you’ve got to breathe a sigh of relief.  Robert Griffin III put up over 300 all-purpose yards (371) for the fourth consecutive game, though he did turn it over twice.  Next week’s game against KSU could be decided by which star has the bigger game: Thomas or RGIII.  I’d bet on Griffin and the Bears at home. 

8. Texas Tech (3-3, 1-3).  Surrendering “just” 34 points to an Oklahoma State team that came in averaging 52.6 points per game sounds like a decent defensive effort, until you look at the 581 yards allowed.  A defensive technician like Tommy Tuberville must have gone through half the Excedrin in Lubbock over the past few weeks.  Next week, Tech will head to Boulder for the Mediocrity Bowl.

9. Texas A&M (3-3, 0-2).  Against Mizzou last weekend, Texas A&M was only outgained 417 yards to 379, and neither team had a turnover, but it was a blowout simply because the Aggies found themselves in far too many third downs (19) and converted far too few of them (6).  The box score makes it look like Jerrod Johnson had a nice game (322 yards passing and a TD), but his missed throws in the first half killed multiple drives and were a big part of the 16-point halftime deficit.  Fortunately for the Aggies, who’ve lost three straight, they get the conference’s ultimate slumpbuster next week: Kansas.  If they can’t win that one, expect Mike Sherman to have an unfortunate accident.

10. Colorado (3-3, 0-2).  They managed to give Baylor a game last week, taking a five point lead to the break, but they lost the second half by 11.  Next week, the Buffaloes will take on Texas Tech in a must-win for both teams: with each sitting at 3-3, it’s hard to see the loser getting to a bowl game this season.  And after four losing seasons in a row, anything short of a bowl, and probably a bowl victory, will be the final nail in Dan Hawkins’s coffin.

11. Iowa State (3-4, 1-2).  Hey Cyclone fans, remember that one time when your team got the ball all the way down to the Oklahoma 27 yard line?  You must have been so excited!  It’s a shame your kicker missed that field goal (and another one) so you didn’t get to score any points.  On the bright side, only three of your five remaining opponents are ranked.  How is that a bright side?  I don’t know, I’m just trying to help.

12. Bye Week (0-0, 0-0).  Would be favored over Kansas on a neutral field.

13. Kansas (2-4, 0-2).  The Jayhawks have lost their last two games by a staggering 114-14 combined score.  It’s safe to say that the folks at Auburn (7-0, #4 in the BCS) are pretty content with their hiring of Gene Chizik instead of Turner Gill, no matter what Charles Barkley thinks.

Big XII Power Rankings After Week 6

1. Nebraska  (5-0, 1-0).  As expected, the Husker defense shut down Kansas State and Nebraska won big, 48-13.  Even Daniel Thomas couldn’t get anything going, with only 63 yards on 22 carries (2.9 ypc).  By contrast, on 23 combined carries, Cornhuskers Taylor Martinez and Roy Helu, Jr ran for a ridiculous 351 yards.  The only question with the Cornhuskers is if they can pass it well enough to come from behind late, but with their running game (#2 nationally) and defense (#12 nationally), they might never have to find out.  Next week Nebraska finally gets its rematch of last year’s Big XII Championship Game against Texas.

2. Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0).  Bye week for OU, but they hold on to the #2 spot.  The Sooners’ defense has been questionable, allowing 22.8 ppg (56th nationally), while the offense has put up a respectable 32.8 ppg.  Neither of those numbers is awe-inspiring, but it’s worth remembering that OU has played a tough schedule, having already faced Texas, Florida State, and a 5-1 Air Force squad.  QB Landry Jones and RB DeMarco Murray have combined for 20 touchdowns in their first five games.  Next week OU gets to show off against an Iowa State team that just allowed 68 points and almost 600 yards to Utah.    

3. Oklahoma State (5-0, 1-0).  Just another day at the office for the Cowboys’ offense against Louisiana-Lafayette: 54 points on 492 yards.  Oklahoma State is now #2 in the nation in total offense and #4 in scoring offense (52.6 ppg).  But the Cowboys are also 87th in total defense and 88th in points allowed (29.2 ppg).  Giving up that many points against a mostly bad schedule (Texas A&M is the only respectable team OSU has played) has to be a concern with several big games left on the docket for the Cowboys.  If this defense can’t hold the Ragin’ Cajuns under 28 points, what can it do to slow down Nebraska and OU, or even Texas Tech next week? 

4. Missouri (5-0, 1-0).  Gutsy effort from Blaine Gabbert to play through a hip pointer as long as he could, though the entire offense could’ve sat this one out, as the Tigers’ defense outscored Colorado 2-0.  Misleading stat of the year: Missouri is currently #3 in the nation in points allowed (11.2 ppg).  Watch what happens to that ranking as the Tigers play their next four games: @ Texas A&M, Oklahoma, @ Nebraska, and @ Texas Tech.  Nevertheless, the Tigers have played two very solid games in a row since narrowly avoiding the upset against San Diego State.  Maybe they’re starting to come together. 

5. Texas (3-2, 1-1).  Texas ranks #6  in the nation in total defense and #71 in total offense.  It’s probably a good thing that Greg Davis coaches from the booth and isn’t on the sideline within reach of Will Muschamp during the games.  Next week’s game in Lincoln looks unwinnable on paper for the Longhorns, but Texas has beaten Nebraska in eight of nine meetings since the inception of the Big XII, including all three games played in Lincoln.  Still, the Longhorns will have to come up with their best effort of the year to avoid losing three games in a row for the first time since 1999.    

6. Texas A&M (3-2, 0-1).  The Aggies took a shot at the Razorbacks in Jerryworld, but came up a touchdown short.  Jerrod Johnson finally got the interceptions under control, throwing only one, but the Aggies also lost three fumbles.  With only one conference loss, Texas A&M is still in the running to win the South, but it’s hard to predict that kind of success for a team that has turned it over a staggering 14 times in its last three games.  And how is a quarterback as mobile as Johnson getting sacked 3.2 times per game?  This is a talented group that makes entirely too many mistakes.  Next week the Aggies host #21 Missouri in a must-win game.

7. Texas Tech (3-2, 1-2). After an ugly loss to Iowa State, they turned around and beat a pretty good Baylor team 45-38.  Taylor Potts had a huge game, posting 462 yards and 4 TDs with only 1 INT on 59 passes.  In fact, this was his fourth very good game out of five so far.  This team can only be described as erratic — I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pick up a win they aren’t supposed to get and a loss they aren’t supposed to get before the season is through.  Tech will get another test when they host #20 Oklahoma State next week.  Final score should be something like 119-116.

8. Kansas State (4-1, 1-1).  Outclassed badly by Nebraska last week.  This just hasn’t looked like a very good football team no matter what its record says.  Sure, they beat the first four cupcakes on the schedule, but only one by double digits.  The Wildcats’ running game is very solid, but their passing game is awful (107th in the nation) and their defense isn’t much better (82nd in the nation).  They should be able to win at Kansas next week, but if that defense doesn’t improve a lot, more losses are coming.

9. Baylor (4-2, 1-1).  Tough loss for the Bears last week.  They were in it the whole way, but they couldn’t get the defensive stops they needed in the second half.  Robert Griffin III lit up the stat sheet through the air again, with 384 yards passing, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs, but the Red Raiders managed to hold him to just 18 yards rushing on 11 carries.  Baylor is now just 1-2 outside of Waco, and the Bears are headed to Boulder to take on Colorado next weekend.  Baylor needs a win in that game before its schedule gets tougher.

10. Colorado (3-2, 0-1).  Shutout by Mizzou last week, 26-0.  The Buffaloes may have a winning record (for now), but they’ve been blown out badly in both of their losses and they’re only scoring 18.2 points per game.  With two almost completely unwinnable games (@ OU and @ Nebraska) and at least three other potential losses (Baylor, Texas Tech, and Kansas State) remaining, a fifth consecutive losing season is a real possibility.

11. Iowa State (3-3, 1-1).  The Cyclones set off the upset alert against #10 Utah with a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.  Then they lost by 41.  Iowa State plays its next game in Norman, which is the college football equivalent of invading Russia in winter.  Cyclone fans would be well-advised to watch the Ohio State at Wisconsin game instead.  Might want to avoid SportsCenter that night, too.

12. Kansas (2-3, 0-1).  Last weekend’s bye means the Jayhawks will be looking to extend their season-best 11-day unbeaten streak when they take on KSU this Thursday night.

Big XII Power Rankings After Week 5

 1. Nebraska (4-0).  Week 5 was a bye for the Huskers.  This Thursday night they’ll head to Manhattan, Kansas to tame the 4-0 Wildcats.  Neither team can throw the ball at all (Nebraska ranks #102 in passing and Kansas State is #103).  Both teams can run it, but Nebraska runs it better, averaging 310 yards a game on the ground to KSU’s 216.  And the defense is a big edge to Nebraska, who has allowed 13 points per game while Kansas State has surrendered 20 per.  And given how well Nebraska played at Washington, don’t expect them to be intimidated by a much smaller crowd at KSU.  Nebraska by 14+.

2. Oklahoma (5-0).  Once again Oklahoma failed to decisively finish a team that was on the ropes, but the Sooners held on to beat Texas 28-20.  Sooner fans have to be encouraged by how well Landry Jones played.  Jones was hit or miss in big games last season, with an outstanding bowl game performance, but a 5 interception game against Nebraska (OU lost 10-3) and an unspectacular game against Texas (OU lost 16-13).  So the Sooners had to be a little uncertain of what they’d get from him yesterday, and then very happy with what they got, along with a nice game from DeMarco Murray as well.  The Sooners get a bye this week to enjoy the Golden Hat.

3. Oklahoma State (4-0).  After a very shaky first half, they went to the locker room trailing Texas A&M 21-7.  Then the Cowboys came out and scored 28 unanswered points, but had to survive a late rally by the Aggies and kick a last second field goal to secure the 38-35 victory.  The Cowboys’ defense continued to underwhelm, giving up 535 yards to the Aggies, but the Cowboys’ offense looks like it can hold its own with just about anybody in a shootout.  With the way Texas and Texas Tech have looked, Okie State fans have to feel like winning Bedlam could mean winning the South.

4. Missouri (4-0).  Bye week for the Tigers.  They move up in the rankings only because three teams in front of them lost last weekend.  This is still a team that has only looked good twice in four games.  They’ll host Colorado next Saturday.

5. Texas A&M (3-1). Dropped a heartbreaker in Stillwater last week.  The Aggies deserve some credit for not folding when they were down 35-21 in the fourth quarter.  The lynch pin in this loss was Texas A&M’s five turnovers (matching the Aggies’ turnover total in the near-loss to FIU).  If Jerrod Johnson doesn’t stop making charitable donations to the other team, several more losses are coming.  Who’d have thought there would be loud rumblings in Aggieland about benching the quarterback they thought was a Heisman candidate as recently as three weeks ago? 

6. Texas (3-2). Oklahoma jumped on Texas early and led 21-7 at the half.  Texas made some good halftime adjustments and got back in it, but it was too little, too late.  The Longhorns actually outgained the Sooners, 373 yards to 360, but the Achilles’ heel for Texas was the turnovers: the two they gave away and the one they couldn’t take away when Landry Jones fumbled deep in Sooner territory.  The Longhorns get a bye week to lick their wounds before travelling to Lincoln for a game that appears almost unwinnable at this point. 

7. Baylor (4-1). Huge win for the Bears over Kansas, 55-7.  Robert Griffin III should take a shot on the 4 at the nearest roulette wheel, because on 44 total rushes and passes, he racked up 444 total yards and 4 touchdowns.  This is a one man show on offense, but if Griffin stays healthy this year, Baylor will not be an easy out for anybody in this conference. 

8. Kansas State (4-0).  Like Nebraska, KSU got a bye last week before this Thursday night’s showdown with the Cornhuskers.  Kansas State figures to have a difficult time working its one-dimensional offense against the stingy Nebraska defense.  I can’t picture the Wildcats winning this game unless they get a truckload of turnovers or they can somehow sneak Michael Bishop into Carson Coffman’s jersey and get Bishop into the game without anyone noticing that he’s black.  And good.

9. Colorado (3-1). The Buffaloes managed to beat Georgia 29-27.  Okay.  So Mark Richt can go ahead and put his house in Athens on the market.  But if I were Dan Hawkins, I wouldn’t start breathing easier until my team won next week at Missouri.  And if they do, okay, maybe Colorado isn’t as awful as Cal made them look three weekends ago.  Either way, the meat of Colorado’s schedule is coming up, and it’s tough, as they have to face Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Baylor from the South Division.  What in the wide world of sports is going on when playing Okie State and Baylor sounds worse than playing Texas and Texas Tech? 

10. Iowa State (3-2).  Nice win for the Cyclones over Texas Tech, 52-38.  The Cyclones surrendered 508 yards of offense, but they won the game because they didn’t give up any turnovers and they took three from the Red Raiders.  Still, Cyclone fans should be in no rush to hit eBay looking to secure some of the Big XII Championship game tickets that Longhorn fans are unloading.  Utah, #10 in both polls, comes to Ames next Saturday.  Good luck with that.

11. Texas Tech (2-2).  No longer a question mark; they aren’t very good.  This still looks like a Mike Leach team: they can throw it all over the field, they can’t run it, and they can’t stop the other team.  But this would have been a rebuilding year for the Pirate just as it is for Tuberville.  In a couple of years, Tuberville will have recruited guys who can run the football and play defense and Tech football will be a lot different than it was under Leach.  In the meantime, if this team can make Iowa State look good, it’s gonna be a long year.

12. Kansas (2-3).  Turner Gill is a very good coach, and he’ll get this ship righted.  But it probably won’t happen by 2011 and it certainly won’t in 2010.  The 48-point loss to Baylor last week might not be their worst this year.  On the bright side for the folks in Kansas, tornado season is just about over.

Top 10 Reasons Why OU Sucks

10. It’s in Oklahoma.  What an arm pit of a state.  No character at all.  When you hear “Oklahoma”, what’s the first non-sports thing that comes to mind?  Tornadoes?  Mobile homes?  The Trail Of Tears?  A stupid musical?  Oklahoma’s scenery makes Kansas look like Wyoming.  The reason for the high school meth problem in Oklahoma is that the only way to cope with growing up there is to get so stoned out of your gourd that you forget you’re in Oklahoma.  Texas gave the world Janis Joplin, Buddy Holly, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and ZZ Top.  Oklahoma gave us Hanson and Toby Keith.

 

 

9.  That god damned song.  You know, the one they play after every gain of two yards or more.  Shouldn’t a university band know more than four bars of music?

  

 

8. Billy Sims.  Another Texas high school player pilfered by OU, because Oklahoma high school football is a joke, though we’re thankful you took this walking embarrassment.  Sam Bradford (one of exactly two likable Sooners in the past generation, the other being Wayman Tisdale) had to go collect his Heisman with this jackhole yelling “Boomer!  Boomer!” like the attention whore that he’s always been.  That Earl Campbell was a Longhorn and Billy Sims was a Sooner is really all anyone needs to know to understand the difference between our schools and our football programs.

 

 

7. The academics.  U.S. News and World Report currently has OU ranked #111 in the nation.  Even Nebraska, where the “N” on the helmet stands for “Nowledge”, is ranked higher in academics than OU.

  

 

6. Brian Bosworth.  Like Billy Sims, the Boz was a very talented player who should’ve shut up a lot more often.  In addition to his on-field antics, he was barred from playing in the Orange Bowl for steroid use.  Then he sent letters to several NFL teams warning that if they drafted him, he would not play for them.  During his rookie year with Seattle, he ran his mouth to the media about how he was going to shut down Raiders running back Bo Jackson — Jackson ran for 221 yards and 3 TD’s.  Two years later, Bosworth washed out of the league with shoulder problems; he is still considered one of the biggest draft busts in history.  A few years later he reached the pinnacle of his professional life by starring in the critically-acclaimed (29% approval on rottentomatoes.com) Stone Cold.  And this prick is still revered to this day in Norman.

 

 

5. Offered without comment.

 

4. Medium Game Bob Stoops.  Is he growing a goiter?  The underside of his jaw is starting to look pregnant.  Anyway, not only does his ass pucker tighter than a duck’s every time he has to coach a big game, but after he loses it, he goes to the press conference and says, “No excuses”, then proceeds to make about a dozen excuses.  He’s also the king of running up the score against overmatched opponents.  And his player discipline is laughable.  Stoops just suspended Jaz Reynolds (a WR with zero catches this season) for tweeting that people in Austin should kill themselves.  But when a much more highly regarded prospect and OU commit, Justin Chaisson (the fifth best DE that year according to Rivals), held a screwdriver to his girlfriend’s neck and threatened to kill her, Bob didn’t feel the need to pull his scholarship offer.  You see, a felony is not a problem at OU as long as you’re a good player, but if you’re not, you’d better watch what you tweet, or Big Disciplinarian Bob will hammer you to show the world that OU handles its business in-house.  See also Stoops kicking unproven WR Josh Jarboe off the team for a youtube rap that talked about guns, while star WR Malcolm Kelly’s youtube rap featuring a line about “sippin’ codeine”, while Kelly was wearing a Sooner jersey in a Sooner locker room no less, of course got him no punishment at all.  Bob’s fair like that. 

 

 

3. Barry Switzer.  He cheated his ass off, recruited a bunch of thugs and let them run wild (see below), and did it all with a shit-eating grin on his redneck face.  As with Earl and Billy, that Darrell K Royal coached at Texas and Barry Switzer coached at OU is all anyone really needs to know.  Switzer resigned as head coach of OU after five of his players were arrested for felonies and his recruiting violations earned the Sooners a three-year probation from the NCAA.  It’s not a stretch to say that Switzer is one of the worst human beings in history.  I think it goes Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Glenn Beck, then Switzer.  And OU, instead of being embarrassed by this filthy, cheating scumbag, named a building at their sports complex after him.

 

2. OU fans.  With an average of 38% body fat, an average volume of 124 decibels, and an average vocabulary of 124 words, they’re not much fun to be around.  They drive their houses to the State Fair and start going on and on about their seven national championships, and when you point out that the only reason they ever won anything is because they are one of the filthiest programs in NCAA history, they keep smiling and ranting, because they simply don’t care about the cheating.  Every fanbase has a minority that are complete jerks — the types who will taunt and even pick fights with the other team’s fans, drop F bombs in front of children, jeer when the other team’s player is injured, throw stuff at the other team’s bench, key your car if it has the wrong sticker on it, and so on.  The problem with OU is that those fans ain’t the minority.

 

1. And of course, the number one reason why ou sucks is the aforementioned cheating.  OU has cheated so much that Jackie Sherrill and Worm from Rounders think the Sooners crossed the line.  The Oklahoma football program has been put on probation by the NCAA five times for major violations.  And just a few years ago, OU had to kick starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and an offensive lineman off the team because they had bogus jobs at an OU booster’s car dealership.  Bomar’s father said there was more to the story that would cast Stoops in a bad light, but declined to elaborate, saying he didn’t want to go down that road.  And then there’s former basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, who was found guilty of improper contact with recruits a staggering 577 times from 2000 through 2004.  I guess none of this rampant cheating should be surprising, given that they chose to name themselves after the settlers who illegally claimed land before the designated start of the Oklahoma Land Run.  When the state was founded by land thieves and dirt burglers, and the university thinks it’s appropriate to memorialize them, why would we expect them to care about modern rules or fair competition?  

 

 

In conclusion, OU sucks.  They might win the football game tomorrow.  There’s even a tiny chance they’ll win the RRS for the next 19 years in a row to pull even with Texas in the all-time series.  But they would still suck.  They will always suck.

OU will always be the choice for Oklahomans who are cheaters, liars, thieves, mobile home dwellers, meth-heads, wearers of mullets and overalls and jorts, guys who drive a rusted ’86 Camaro, people who trace the words with a fingertip as they read, guys who have made out with their sisters, girls who have multiple NASCAR tattoos, people who think the banjo is cooler than the guitar, people who know how to make moonshine, people who have been on Jerry Springer, and people who think a swim in the crick constitutes a bath.

For the rest of the people in Oklahoma, there is Oklahoma State.

Big XII Power Rankings After Week 4

1. Nebraska (4-0).  Beating South Dakota State 17-3 shouldn’t blow anybody’s skirt up, but no one else in the conference did nearly enough this week to dethrone the Huskers.  Taylor Martinez’s three turnovers (two picks and a fumble on just 27 total passes and runs) are a definite concern, as is the fact that a bad defense was able to hold Nebraska to a pedestrian 4.3 yards per carry and 345 yards of total offense.  But looking mediocre offensively once in four games with a young quarterback is a minor concern, especially when your defense is top ten in points allowed.  Nebraska is still the class of this conference so far.

2. Oklahoma (4-0).  In three of its four wins, OU has beaten a much weaker team by only a single digit.  Cincinnati came into this week’s game 1-2 (its lone victory against Indiana State) and got within two points of the Sooners.  Landry Jones had another solid game, posting 370 passing yards and 2 TDs with 1 INT.  But DeMarco Murray was bottled up for just 67 yards on 28 carries (2.4 ypc).  OU is now ranked 88th in the country in rushing yards.  Can this team run it at all on Texas, or on Nebraska in a potential Big XII Championship Game matchup?  Can it win if it can’t? 

3. Oklahoma State (3-0).  Bye week for the Pokes, but they advance one spot courtesy of UCLA.  Big game coming up Thursday night against Texas A&M.  Both teams have explosive offenses and questionable defenses.  First team to 35 points wins, and in Stillwater, it should be the Cowboys.

4. Texas A&M (3-0).  Bye week for the Aggies as well.  This is the week we find out if the Aggies’ seemingly-improved defense (currently ranked 10th in total defense and 18th in scoring defense) is for real against an explosive Oklahoma State offense.  Foreshadowing: it isn’t.  But the Aggie offense (9th in total offense and 12 in scoring offense) definitely is for real, and may give them a chance to pull off the mild upset in Stillwater.  Should be a fun game either way.

5. Texas (3-1).  The defense kept the Longhorns in it for a while, holding the Bruins to just 75 yards and 13 points in the first half, in spite of two UCLA drives starting in the red zone after Longhorn turnovers.  Then UCLA ran all over Texas in the second half.  It didn’t help that the Longhorn defense was gassed by the middle of the third quarter because the Texas offense couldn’t stay on the field.  The Longhorns had five turnovers and at least as many dropped passes.  Expect Will Muschamp to quickly plug the holes that UCLA exposed in the rush defense, but can Greg Davis fix the entire offense by Saturday’s Red River Shootout? 

6. Texas Tech (2-1).  Bye week for the Red Raiders, who remain the biggest question mark in the conference to me.  Getting within ten points of Texas two weekends ago is not as impressive as it was before the Longhorns were embarrassed by UCLA, but it’s still not a bad loss.  Tech should beat Iowa State easily next weekend, and we still won’t be any closer to knowing who this team really is yet. 

7. Missouri (4-0).  After pounding The Other Miami 51-13, the Tigers now have two strong showings to go with their two disturbingly weak showings.  Mizzou is 32nd in total offense and 42nd in total defense — yawntastic numbers given the opponents.  They should beat Colorado next week to get to 5-0, but then they hit a four game gauntlet (Texas A&M, @ Oklahoma, @ Nebraska, Texas Tech).  It would not be shocking if the Tigers lost all four of those, though I think they’ll manage to beat A&M and/or Tech. 

8. Kansas State (4-0).  The Wildcats had to come from behind to beat UCF 17-13 last weekend in the rain.  I’m still not impressed with this team.  K State is 50th in points scored and 46th in points allowed.  Running back Daniel Thomas is an animal, but the Wildcats’ passing offense ranks #100 in the nation.  If they fall behind, and they will, can they come from behind with that meager passing attack?  The good news for KSU is that they don’t have to play this weekend.  The bad news is that a week from Thursday the Cornhuskers are coming to Manhattan to expose the Wildcats as the fraud that they are.  KSU coaches should use the extra practice time ramming pickup trucks into their skill position players to simulate the hits the Blackshirts are going to bring.

9. Baylor (3-1).  Solid win for the Bears this weekend over Rice, 30-13.  Baylor looked like the Baylor of old against TCU, but they are doing one of the things good teams are supposed to do: pounding the cupcakes.  Against Sam Houston, Buffalo, and Rice, the Bears allowed a total of just 22 points, while scoring 98.  In four games this season, Robert Griffin III has thrown for 971 yards and rushed for 157 yards, for an average of 282 all-purpose yards a game.  He’s also put up 11 total touchdowns.  It’s not unthinkable that he’ll get some Heisman run this season, especially if the Bears can pull off an upset that gets the national media’s attention.  Kansas should be no threat to Baylor next weekend. 

10. Colorado (2-1).  The Buffaloes got a bye last week.  Next week, a reeling 1-3 Georgia team comes to Boulder for a battle of once-proud programs just trying to avoid a losing season.

11. Kansas (2-2).  The good news is that KU put up 42 points on 501 yards of offense against New Mexico State.  The bad news is that New Mexico State might not win a football game this year.  KU fans should just enjoy not having a losing record for the next few days. 

12. Iowa State (2-2).  “Hey!  We’re a .500 team!  Why are we dead last?”  Because your Cyclones only managed 210 yards of offense against an abysmal Northern Iowa squad and only beat them because they turned it over five times.  With nothing left on the slate but #13 Utah and seven more Big XII teams, it won’t be a surprise if this was Iowa State’s last win of the season.  Sorry, Cyclone fans.  It can’t be your year every year.

Big XII Power Rankings After the First 3 Weeks

1. Nebraska (3-0). I’m not sold that they’re the best team in the conference, but they have certainly earned the top spot so far. The Cornhuskers are off to a very impressive start, with the nation’s #4 rushing attack and an average margin of victory of 48-16.  With only South Dakota State and Kansas State remaining before the Texas game, look for the Huskers to be 5-0 when the Longhorns come to Lincoln.  And expect the Sea of Red to be foaming at the mouth for a chance to avenge last year’s perceived injustice in the Big XII Championship Game.  No one will face a tougher road venue this year.

2. Texas (3-0). While I don’t think they’ve played very well, I can’t put anyone else ahead of Texas at this point. The running game looks sluggish, but Garrett Gilbert is very talented and UT is deep at wide receiver, so I expect good things from the passing game as the season progresses. When your team is scoring 31 a game and your fan base is in full-on panic mode about the offense, you know you’ve been spoiled for many years by guys like Colt and Vince. Gilbert is going to be good enough to be mentioned with them, but probably not this year. Pairing a respectable-but-not-explosive offense with one of the best defenses in the country might lead to some uglier wins than Texas fans are used to, but it shouldn’t lead to many losses.

3. Oklahoma (3-0). I guess. One very impressive win and two clunkers. Like Texas, it’s hard to tell much about who this team really is. Texas gets the spot ahead of Oklahoma because the only certainty about these two teams is the Texas D. I suspect OU is guilty of playing to the level of their competition and they’re better than they looked against Utah State and Air Force.  I also suspect they’re not as good as they looked against Florida State.  The most surprising stat for OU is that they currently rank #80 in rushing yards.  DeMarco Murray will fix that.  Like Texas, we have not yet seen this team’s best game.  Perhaps they’re both saving some of their playbooks for each other on October 2nd in Dallas. 

4. Oklahoma State (3-0). Yeah, their defense is suspect, but their offense is a steamroller. We knew they’d be able to run the ball with Kendall Hunter, who has a legitimate shot at a 2,000 yard season (473 yards through three games on 60 carries, and he will get more carries against better teams). What is surprising, even shocking, is that to date they have the #1 passing offense in the nation. Yeah. 392 a game through the air. They are putting up almost 600 yards of offense and 57 points per game so far. If the Cowboys can beat Texas A&M, and in Stillwater they should, then this ranking is legit.

5. Texas A&M (3-0). Excellent offense. The defensive numbers look light years better than last year’s putrid defensive numbers, but consider the competition.  Jerrod Johnson’s five turnovers against FIU are a cause for concern, but at least he was able to lead the Aggies to the come from behind victory. Still, the fact that Arkansas State almost happened again has to be troubling Aggieland.  We’ll know a lot more about this team after its next two games — @ Okie State and against a very good Arkansas team in Jerryworld. If I were an Aggie fan, I’d be content with a win in either of those games, and concerned if the Aggies lost both. I suspect the Okie State game is semi-winnable and the Arkansas game isn’t.

6. Texas Tech (2-1). The defense already looks improved under new coach Tommy Tuberville.  The offense is hard to evaluate after looking very good against SMU and New Mexico but getting stonewalled by Texas  (144 yards and 7 offensive points).   It’s difficult to tell at this point what to expect from Tech — 9-3 or 6-6 both seem possible.  I miss Mike Leach’s post game interviews already.

7. Kansas State (3-0). 11th in the country in rushing yards. 102nd in passing yards. That ain’t gonna work against better teams. Their defense has given up 20+ in all three games against bad teams. KSU beat a bad UCLA team by 9 at home and a [Charles]turrible[/Barkley] Iowa State team by 7. This is a smoke-and-mirrors unbeaten that could easily finish 6-6 or worse. The bright spot: as with Kendall Hunter above, Daniel Thomas also has a legitimate shot at a 2,000 yard season (553 yards through three games and he’s on pace for well over 300 carries).

8. Missouri (3-0). This is how weak the Big XII is: Missouri was tabbed by many as a contender to win the North, then in their opener they struggled with one of the worst teams in the Big 10 (unless Illinois suddenly went from 3-9 to decent, which is possible, since they did beat mighty Northern Illinois by almost a full touchdown). And this week Mizzou had to come from behind in the final two minutes to beat San Diego State. I feel dirty ranking them this high given how badly they’ve played, but there are actually four worse teams in this once-proud conference.

9. Baylor (2-1). Looked worse than I would have thought against TCU. Before the season started, I thought this was a seven or eight win team, and they might still be, but I can’t rank them any higher right now after that ugly loss. I will be surprised if Baylor doesn’t leapfrog at least a couple of the teams ahead of them on this list.  If Robert Griffin III can stay healthy this year, the Bears should get to at least six wins and go bowling for the first time since 1994.

10. Colorado (2-1). Awful loss to Cal. The Big XII is going to kick this team around like a hacky sack.  The only real question with this team is if Dan Hawkins will make it through the season before the AD tells him to “go coach intramurals, brother”.

11. Kansas (1-2). The most balanced offense in the nation: 91st in rushing yards and 91st in passing yards.  Jayhawk basketball season starts November 12th against somebody called Longwood.

12. Iowa State (1-2). Just grow the corn, fellas.