Big 12 Insider: Week11 in the Big 12

Week 10 in the college football season is over and the Big 12 is starting to come down to a two team race.  The Oklahoma State Cowboys came out of this weekend still undefeated, even though they were played pretty tough by Kansas State.  Oklahoma also came out with a win but are still down one game to the Cowboys.

Let’s take a quick look at the games this past weekend in the Big 12.

As mentioned, the Cowboys found a formidable opponent in the Kansas State Wildcats and they played them pretty close, but Oklahoma State came out on top, 52-45.  That leaves the Cowboys as the only undefeated team in the conference.

The Longhorns continue to roll as they beat Texas Tech 52-20.  In this matchup, the Longhorns racked up over 500 yards of offense.  With that defense playing as well as it has been, this Texas team is going to be tough to deal with for the remainder of the season if the offense can continue to produce.

The Oklahoma Sooners beat the Aggies 41-25 in a game that was thought to be an important one at the start of the season.  It turned into a convincing win by the Sooners. 

The Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas Jayhawks battled it out and the Cyclones came out on top 13-10.  This was one of the closest games in the conference in a while.  The Cyclones are positioning themselves for a bowl bid, which would be their second in a row if they can keep winning the games that they are supposed to be winning.

Baylor and Missouri played each other Saturday and Baylor came out of this game with a 42-39 victory in a very close contest, and like the Cyclones, the Bears are keeping themselves in the hunt for another bowl appearance.  There are still whispers of Heisman possibilities for Robert Griffin III and he may have a chance at that honor if he can finish the year strong.

The Big 12 teams that are ranked in the AP Top 25 include Oklahoma State at No. 2, Oklahoma at No. 7, Kansas State at No. 17 and Texas at No. 21.

In the USA Today Coaches Poll, Oklahoma State is third, Oklahoma is seventh, Texas is 20th and Kansas State is 22nd.

In the BCS ranking, Oklahoma State is second, Oklahoma is sixth, Kansas State is 14th, Texas is 16th and Baylor is 25th.

Let’s take a look at the games coming up this weekend in the Big 12.

The Texas Longhorns will take on the Missouri Tigers Saturday.  Texas hopes that they will be able to control the somewhat effective Missouri offense and win this game which will give them a shot at a bowl bid.  Texas has won big over the course of their last few games and will win this one if they can keep up that running game.

Oklahoma State will play Texas Tech this weekend and this could be a trap game for the undefeated Cowboys.  The Cowboys are one of the best teams in the nation right now and can’t look too far ahead (especially towards their upcoming matchup with the Sooners).  They need to take care of the here and now and need to get a win against the Red Raiders to keep themselves pointed in the right direction.

Baylor will take on Kansas in a game that they should win to help them move closer to a bowl bid.  Baylor started off the season hot but started to struggle once they hit their conference schedule.  Winning this game could help them improve their position and move them towards a winning record for the second straight year. 

Kansas State and Texas A&M will play one another on Saturday. With two losses, the Wildcats can’t afford another one if they want to remain ranked in the polls.  The Aggies have been hot and cold all season but the Wildcats come into this game as the better team and should be able to beat the Aggies.

Oklahoma and Iowa State have byes this week.