40 Acres Sports

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from Texas’ Thursday night game against Iowa State.

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Electric?! That is what Mack Brown called the 52,762 fans that attended the tussle in Ames. And to top it off, the game was played on a Thursday?! Are we playing in the MEAC conference?

1st Quarter (2:27) WTH Rose?! The baton twirler from the Cyclone band caught the booming kickoff instead of a Cyclone kick returner. Most of Nick Rose’s kickoffs were sailing far into the end zone for touchbacks all night.

2nd Quarter (:00) WTH Horseshoe?! If this is the first time you seen this word on one of my posts, it refers to a certain QB. Horseshoe refers to Case McCoy who has a golden horseshoe up inside of him due to his lucky ways (A&M, Kansas, etc.). How in the hell did that Hail Mary pass to the end zone end up in John Harris hands? Amazing that the TD pass to end the half was bigger than you thought at the time.

3rd Quarter (6:34) WTH Cleats?! The defense looked like it was stepping up to the challenge. Then Adrian Phillips decided to slip (get some longer cleats… dude) and let the Cyclones receiver score on a 97 yard pass play.

3rd Quarter (4:30) WTH Magic?! Mike Davis has lost his right to be called Magic. He clearly took a cheap shot by going low at the defensive back on the goal line. Amazing how Mack Brown said that his player was just battling and competing. Is really that out of touch?

4th Quarter (3:40) WTH Kill Shot?! I am disappointed with the tenacity of the ISU team to slam the door. The Cyclones were 2nd down and 1 on the Horns 4 yard line. The next two plays were miss steps that opened the door. Did anyone think the Horns were going to pull this out? Here comes Horseshoe.

4th Quarter (:51) WTH Gray?! Johnathan Gray fumbled not once but twice on the goal line. Maybe Joe Bergeron should have been the choice in a late game situation… oh wait… OSU Cowboy late game fumble. Oh well.

Next up for the Longhorns is the Red River Rivalry against the Sooners in Dallas on October 12th.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at @40AcresSports or follow me at @Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

Magic… Momentum… Anything?

As we get closer to the start of the 2013 Football Season, the question needs to be asked where is this team headed. An even bigger question is what is the state of the Longhorn Men’s Athletic program?

Magic is described as the appearing to perform supernatural feats using sleight of hand. Back in the day there was a term used as “Sooner Magic” where the unexpected would occur for the OU Football team. The term came from epic tussles between the Sooners and Cornhuskers. That magic and momentum carried to other games where the Sooners would do the unimaginable. Just look at their last National Championships when OU who was a 10.5 point underdog beat the Seminoles 13-2. Texas had a similar run of “magic” when Vince Young took a team that had just lost 0-12 to the Sooners in 2004 and went on to win 20 games and two Rose Bowls plus a National Championship. Now look at these two programs and tell me where the “magic” is at. The magic is with the other teams in the conference.

Kansas State: Just came off the greatest sports year ever with a Big XII Championship in football, baseball and basketball in 2012-13.

Oklahoma State: Won the Big XII Championship in 2011 and owns a better overall record over the Sooners for the past three years.

Baylor: Has a Heisman Trophy winner, a new stadium being built and a winning record over the Horns in the past three years.

Texas Tech: At least they have a new coach and an inspired fan base that has a lot of hope for the future.

TCU: Is finishing up their renovations to their stadium and has plenty of momentum with a solid coach and a win over the Horns last year.

And then there is A&M: A multi-million dollar stadium renovation that will make it the biggest football stadium in Texas, solid footing in the tough SEC, and a Heisman Trophy winner. Oh yeah, I forgot… we do not care about them anymore since they are not in the conference.

So with everyone else having momentum beginning this football season, what is in store for the Longhorns in 2013. Here is a video to get you going before we go game by game.

New Mexico State (0-0) at Texas (0-0) Aug. 31st

At least we can say we beat the Aggies this year… even though there from New Mexico. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (1-0) at BYU (1-0) Sept. 7th

This game will tell much of the story for this year’s team. Win impressively and the fan base will believe a BCS game is in the cards. The Horns squeak by this team with their altitude sickness in check, and then the fan base is in for a rollercoaster ride. Lose this game and we will wonder if Mack will make it back next year. Horns WIN (close)

Mississippi (2-0) at Texas (2-0) Sept. 14th

This game just got tougher since the Rebels posted a 7-6 record last year in the SEC. The only reason I can predict a win for the Horns is because this game is at home. Again the aftermath of Provo determines this outcome. Horns WIN (close)

Kansas State (3-0) at Texas (3-0) Sept. 21st

The sorcerer from Manhattan will have his team ready to play. I think momentum of the home crowd and the pending bye week ahead will get this team ratcheted up to take it out on the Cats. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (4-0) at Iowa State (2-1) October 3rd

A Thursday night game?! Are we in the AAC? Do we need the exposure to help our recruiting? Guess Horns want some extra time to get ready for the Sooners. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (5-0) vs OU (4-1) October 12th

The Sooners will be coming off back to back tough games (ND & TCU) before the Red River Rivalry. I cannot see the play of the Belldozer causing much harm unless Manny and the defense cannot stop the run like last year. Hope the extra time gives Applewhite something for Stoops’ defense to chew on. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (6-0) at TCU (4-3) October 26th

Trap game! TCU will have the toughest part of their schedule behind them and they will be looking to turn their season around with a win. The Horns will have another bye week to start dreaming about an undefeated season. The more desperate team will win this one. Horns LOSE (close)

Kansas (2-5) at Texas (6-1) November 2nd

Get ready for a pissed off bunch of Horns in Austin. They will take it out on the Jayhawks who will be reeling from 5 consecutive losses coming into DKR. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (7-1) at West Virginia (3-5) November 9th

I see the urgency in the Horns to not let another TCU moment come back to haunt them. Playing for the first time ever at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, sounds like the stadium was named after an impressionist painter; the fans will try to make it an intimidating venue. The Longhorns take care of business in the fourth quarter. Horns WIN (big)

Oklahoma State (9-0) at Texas (8-1) November 16th

This is the defacto Big XII Championship game in Austin. Both teams are talented and will be coming on strong for this pivotal matchup. Last year I flipped a coin and I predicted the Horns would win (Horns won a close one). Just flipped it. Horns LOSE (close)

Texas Tech (7-4) at Texas (8-2) November 28th (Thanksgiving Day)

The rock star coach will be a little less flamboyant coming into Austin. The talent on the field should show up with the Horns still smarting from last week’s lost to the Cowboys. Fans will breathe a sigh of relief after this one is over on Turkey Day. Horns WIN (close)

Texas (9-2) at Baylor (8-3) December 7th

Say so long to Floyd Casey Stadium which is the smallest stadium in the Big XII. A sloppy game played by both teams as they try too hard to impress the bowl committees. Both running games will be on display on a miserable day for offense. The Horns emerge victorious to reach Coach Brown’s bar for a successful season. Horns WIN (close)

Just so you know… close means 10 points or less and big is 14 points or more.

I am predicting a 10-2 year for the Horns. You can check my past predictions to see that I was not too far off in 2012 & 2011. I hope to see some magic and some momentum from the Horns this season because I don’t think Mack Brown has anymore tricks up his sleeve.

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas game against Iowa State.

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Fans?! It was a very special day where the Longhorns honored our armed forces and remembered Darrell Royal. Just wish the 100,018 fans came early to be a part of the festivities.

Texas opened the game in the wishbone as a tribute to the late Darrell Royal. (AP Photo)

1st Quarter (10:51) WTH Wishbone?! Don’t think one fan in the stands thought the tribute formation for DKR would result in this type of trickery. But we should expect the unexpected when it comes to OC Bryan Harsin and this team.

1st Quarter (3:32) WTH Bomb?! This is starting to be a trend with David Ash hooking up with Mike Davis for a long touchdown. A 61 yard pitch and catch by this tandem is starting to be a work of art.

2nd Quarter (2:53) WTH Tony?! Anthony Fera may need to find out who stole his mojo. A 32 yard blocked field goal and a missed extra point will get you pulled from the game. Oh wait, it did since Nick “Error” Jordan took over and made everything he hit. Am I little too hard on kickers?

Halftime WTH Band?! What a great tribute to DKR with the band spelling out Royal on the field. Nice touch with the band forming a war ship, submarine and a plane to honor our military.

4th Quarter (7:46) WTH Brown?! We have a sighting confirmed that Malcolm Brown is on the field at running back. Malcolm was given a heavy dose of the rock to close out the game. The combination of all of the running backs netted the Longhorns over 222 yards for the game.

4th Quarter (5:14) WTH Turner?! Who is Josh Turner? The sophomore is the newest crop of defensive players that are stepping up like LB Steve Edmond. Josh’s interception late in the game put a capper to an excellent defensive performance.

Next up for the Longhorns is a Thanksgiving Day date with the TCU in Austin on November 22nd.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at @40AcresSports or follow me at @Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

Last night we were treated to a show in Ames, Iowa when the Longhorns came in and started from the onset of annihilating the Iowa State Cyclones. It was a steady dose of passing and running throughout the game. While most Longhorn fans were confident that this would be a sure victory, after last season’s fiasco, there had to some within the Longhorn family that was nervous and worried, because this Iowa State team had pulled an upset that nobody saw coming already this season. This was going to be a nice challenge for the Horns before their annual rivalry game with Oklahoma.

Most fans would have been happy to see a team with a consistent movement and be able to show a chance at making some big plays. What Longhorn fans were treated to was somewhat of an offensive clinic from Case McCoy and David Ash. Both Quarterbacks showed a pocket presence that would go beyond their youthfulness, and showed some flash of excitement as the starting quarterbacks. While they are young and inexperienced, they have shown the ability that keeps both of them getting snaps and alternating in the offense.

While Iowa State is not an Oklahoma caliber team, there is a lot of hope building within the fan base that the Longhorns will be able to steal a big win in Dallas next weekend. A win like this is just a building block for a young team that should help lay the foundation for the future. The only puzzling question is going to be who will win the starting position outright?

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas’ game against the Cyclones.

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Horn Fans?! Forget the 11AM kickoff, your Longhorns come back from an upset (did I say upset?) victory over the Huskers. The students did not come ready, the alumni fan base was not ready and we found out that the team was sure not ready.

1st Quarter (5:23) WTH Defense?! Last week we lauded the efforts of the defense and Coach Blood’s game plan. No game plan this week? The Cyclones put an 80 yard 6:37 minute drive together for the game’s first score.

2nd Quarter (14:05) WTH Hix?! You sure are built like a Longhorn lineman. You just do not have the mental makeup. You’re going to start getting the label of Flozell Adams for all the false start penalties. The penalty erased a touchdown and the Horns had to settle for a field goal. Stupid is…

2nd Quarter (13:01) WTH Williams?! I think it’s a weekly item to call out somebody named Williams. Aaron Williams is trying to get his draft stock higher with multiple duties. Returning punts better not be on his resume again. He failed to fair catch a punt that ended up rolling 74 yards to put the Horns down at the 1.

2nd Quarter (:29) WTH Red Zone?! Greg Davis needs to trick things up or we will never get in the end zone. It looked like the game plan was to out talent the Cyclones. Too bad effort was not added to the plan. Oh yeah, we missed the field goal to end the half.

3rd Quarter (10:55) WTH Monroe?! Either DJ Monroe needs to be kicked off the team for his past transgressions or give him more carries. He touches the ball once and sprints for 10 yards and a first down. Mack if you are trying to teach him a lesson. Give him the ball more. DJ Monroe and Malcolm Williams are the two biggest mysteries on this team.

3rd Quarter (2:42) WTH Vaccaro?! The arrogance by the Horns was clearly evident when Kenny Vaccaro immediately points to Christian Scott after the Cyclones put up a touchdown in the back of the end zone. Kenny points to Christian like it was his fault that the touchdown occurred. This team needs an attitude adjustment.

4th Quarter (3:09) WTH Muschamp?! Coach Blood needs to be called out for his arrogance of putting out his base nickel defensive package when Iowa State is clearly running the ball to drain the clock. The decision to out talent the opposition resulted in the Cyclones getting a crucial first down to salt the game away.

Next up for the Longhorn’s are the 25th ranked Baylor Bears in Austin at 6:00 pm on October 30th.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at 40AcresSports or follow me at Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

In the first week of conference play every team that was supposed to win did just that. [tag]Iowa State[/tag] gave [tag]Kansas[/tag] a heck of a run so they move up one spot even after a loss, but no one else moves. This week should be much more interesting as four of the top five teams in the conference go head to head.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. [tag]Oklahoma[/tag]

   
   LW: 1

   The Sooners throttled an overmatched Baylor team and ended the game quickly by putting up 28 first quarter points. Baylor QB Robert Griffin ran well against them so maybe [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] can do the same this week when the Sooners and Longhorns face off.

2. [tag]Missouri[/tag]

   
   LW: 2

   Mizzou wins in Lincoln for the first time in thirty years in a rout. The Tigers’ defense continued to give up big yards (particularly through the air) but only gave up 17 points to the Cornhuskers. This week the Tigers face Oklahoma State.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   The Horns took care of business easily against CU in their conference opener. The offense wasn’t perfect but the defense nearly was in the team’s win. This week the Longhorns will try to take down rival and top ranked Oklahoma.

4. [tag]Texas Tech[/tag]

   
   LW: 4

   Tons of points for both Tech and Kansas State. The game was never in doubt for the Red Raiders but the team’s defense still is. The team faces a good passing offense this week in Nebraska and we’ll see if they’re up to the test.

5. [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag]

   
   LW: 5

   The Cowboys whooped the Aggies and at 5 – 0 are climbing up the national rankings. The team advantage of five Aggie turnovers and won easily despite giving up a lot of yards. The Cowboys face a big time defensive test this week against Missouri and I don’t think they’re up for it.

6. [tag]Kansas[/tag]

   
   LW: 6

   Uh oh. I was tempted to drop Kansas even after squeaking by with a win against Iowa State. They had to rally from a 20-point halftime deficit to the Cyclones but surprisingly held their #16 national ranking. Should be an interesting game against Colorado this week.

7. [tag]Colorado[/tag]

   
   LW: 7

   Colorado coach Dan Hawkins desperately needs to find offensive line help or he’s going to get his own son killed. The line was completely dominated by the Longhorns and therefore couldn’t get anything started on offense. They travel to Kansas this week for a battle to be the North’s second best team.

8. [tag]Nebraska[/tag]

   
   LW: 8

   They ran their mouth during the week and then spit on Missouri QB Chase Daniel before the game but got blown off the field once the game started. They make way too many mistakes (penalties and turnovers) to be a good team. Up this week is Texas Tech.

9. [tag]Baylor[/tag]

   
   LW: 9

   They’re still Baylor, in case you were wondering. Despite looking like an improved team early in the season they didn’t put much of a fight against Oklahoma. The defense surrendered nearly 600 total yards and 49 points in game that would have been much worse if OU hadn’t started taking it easy after just one quarter. This week the Bears have a winnable game against Iowa State.

10. [tag]Iowa State[/tag]

    
    LW: 11

    The Cyclones move up one spot despite losing. They jumped out to a big halftime lead but just couldn’t hold onto it once KU got going in the second half. The game could have been either a sign the team is getting better or a backbreaking loss that sends them into a tailspin. We’ll find out Saturday against Baylor.

11. [tag]Kansas State[/tag]

    
    LW: 10

    The Wildcats put up some yards against Texas Tech but were bad on third downs and couldn’t put up nearly enough points to make up for their defense. KSU needs to win their next two games against A&M and then Colorado if they hope to pull themselves up from the bottom tier of the conference.

12. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 12

    As predicted, the Aggies got their butts kicked against Okie State. The offense did put up a ton of yards but turned the ball over five times in the first half. This week they face a pretty average Kansas State at home so we’ll find out if they’re as bad as we think they are. Should be fun(ny).

With the Horns and Sooners set to do battle at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, there’s another reason for fans of the two teams to argue and spit at each other. The Big 12 has released the men’s basketball preseason coaches poll and Texas is at number two right behind [tag]Oklahoma[/tag].

The Horns lost their best player in [tag]DJ Augustin[/tag] but returns a ton of talent and depth everywhere but point guard. With defending conference and national champs [tag]Kansas[/tag] losing so many players the conference is wide open this season. If either [tag]Dogus Balbay[/tag] or somebody can step up to man the point the Longhorns should have another shot to win the conference and make a deep tourney run.

2008-09 Big 12 Preseason Poll

See how the coaches think the league will turn out below:

There were several of teams off last week in the conference but there was still a lot of movement in the power rankings. Losses by Colorado and Nebraska and a shaky home win by Texas A&M sent all those teams down a bit. Meanwhile Oklahoma State continues to win in impressive fashion. The Cowboys are undefeated and putting up big offensive numbers so have moved up three spots to number five. Conference play starts Saturday so things should be much clearer in next week’s rankings.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. [tag]Oklahoma[/tag]

   
   LW: 1

   The Sooners jumped to a huge first quarter lead against [tag]TCU[/tag] and then just road that through the end of the game. QB Sam Bradford threw for a ton of yards but had by far his least accurate performance of the season. More troubling for OU is the complete ineffectiveness of the running game. They tried to force the issue but manage to only rush for an abysmal 25 yards on 36 carries.

2. [tag]Missouri[/tag]

   
   LW: 2

   Bye week. The Tigers face Nebraska this weekend to open Big 12 play.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   Another week and another 52 – 10 win for the Longhorns, this time over SEC rival [tag]Arkansas[/tag]. The Texas offense has been impressive all season but for the first time all season the defense was dominant. The front seven was able to sack the Razorbacks’ QBs seven times and the Horns are now top five nationally with 16 sacks on the season. Texas faces Colorado Saturday at 6pm on FSN.

4. [tag]Texas Tech[/tag]

   
   LW: 4

   Bye week. Red Raiders open Big 12 play against Kansas State.

5. [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag]

   
   LW: 8

   Okie Lite put another 50 spot on the scoreboard this past weekend against Troy. The Trojans aren’t exactly a national power but [tag]Ohio State[/tag] struggled to get past them while the Cowboys racked up 612 total yards. They host the Aggies Saturday at 7pm.

6. [tag]Kansas[/tag]

   
   LW: 7

   Bye week. KU opens conference play with a virtual bye against Iowa State.

7. [tag]Colorado[/tag]

   
   LW: 5

   Colorado didn’t show up well in a surprisingly thorough loss to [tag]Florida State[/tag]. QB and coach’s son Cody Hawkins was inaccurate and inefficient and the running game didn’t do enough to pick him up. The FSU offense wasn’t much better but thanks to terrible kick coverage was able to play with a short field on several possessions. The Buffaloes face the Longhorns Saturday.

8. [tag]Nebraska[/tag]

   
   LW: 6

   Nebraska fans may be disappointed in a home loss to [tag]Virginia Tech[/tag] but Bo Pelini’s team fought hard till the end and almost came back and won it. This week Nebraska has a tough one when they host #4 Missouri.

9. [tag]Baylor[/tag]

   
   LW: 10

   Bye week. Next up are the number one ranked Sooners.

10. [tag]Kansas State[/tag]

    
    LW: 9

    Another shaky week for the Wildcats, barely beating a 1 – 3 Louisiana-Lafayette team in Manhattan. QB Josh Freeman and the offense again looked solid but the defense looked like swiss cheese. The Ragin’ Cajuns ran all over them to the tune of 335 total rushing yards in the game. Not good. Up this week is Texas Tech.

11. [tag]Iowa State[/tag]

    
    LW: 12

    Bye week. This week the Cyclones face off against Kansas.

12. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 11

    Just how bad are the Aggies? Army wasn’t just winless but they were winless against mediocre competion, and at Kyle Field the A&M needed a fourth down stop to escape with a win. Their match-up with Oklahoma State Saturday night will be an interesting one to watch (but not actually watch because it’s embarrasingly not being televised).

No movement at the top but the teams in the bottom half of the rankings are starting to drop games. Last weekend Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, and Iowa State all had losses. The most impressive team last week may have been the Colorado Buffaloes, who if they keep the running game going might be able lay claim to be the best team not named Missouri in the Big 12 North.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. [tag]Oklahoma[/tag]

   
   LW: 1

   Off week before facing number 24 [tag]TCU[/tag] this weekend.

2. [tag]Missouri[/tag]

   
   LW: 2

   Tigers made a lot of mistakes and let lowly Buffalo hang in there for a long time. Chase Daniel’s career day eventually allowed them to pull away in the second half. The Tigers are off this week in prep for Big 12 play.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   The Horns clobbered an overmatched [tag]Rice[/tag] squad with another near perfect performance from [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag]. The defense wasn’t great but may have turned a corner when they put up an epic goalline stand. This week Texas hosts former SWC rival [tag]Arkansas[/tag] in their last non-conference outing.

4. [tag]Texas Tech[/tag]

   
   LW: 4

   The Red Raiders put on a good ol’ thumping of Division 1AA UMass. They have off this week but their real season will finally begin when they stop playing Pop Warner teams and start playing Big 12 foes.

5. [tag]Colorado[/tag]

   
   LW: 5

   Impressive overall performance for the Buffs on national television against top 25 ranked West Virginia. He might not get the pub his fellow freshman running back does but the miniature Rodney Stewart looked lightning quick while rushing for 166 yards. Next up is another tough one against Florida State.

6. [tag]Nebraska[/tag]

   
   LW: 7

   Bye week for Nebraska before they face Virgina Tech this Saturday.

7. [tag]Kansas[/tag]

   
   LW: 8

   Not exactly impressive but the win over Sam Houston State was never in doubt either. Former car detailer and OU quarterback Rhett Bomar threw for 340 yds but was also picked off three times. Kansas is off this week.

8. [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag]

   
   LW: 9

   Oklahoma State was off last week. This week they get Troy State.

9. [tag]Kansas State[/tag]

   
   LW: 6

   First real opponent of the season and Kansas State didn’t look good against a Louisville team that isn’t of the caliber of recent years. It was only a nine point loss but the Wildcats never stood a chance. Up this week is Louisiana-Lafayette.

10. [tag]Baylor[/tag]

    
    LW: 11

    UConn isn’t some chump team and the Bears played them very tough on the road. Losses like this would be wins at home and might lead to future wins from freshman QB Robert Griffin. Baylor has an off weekend to prepare to attempt a huge upset of OU on October 4th.

11. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 12

    Aggies got blown out of the water by the Miami Hurricanes and it could have been much worse. If they had wanted to the Hurricanes could have ran off tackle every play for 300 yards and never attempted a pass. This week they host Army.

12. [tag]Iowa State[/tag]

    
    LW: 10

    I thought head coach Gene Chizik might have turned things in the right direction in Ames but maybe not. Iowa State has now lost 13 straight road games and unless they beat Baylor in a few weeks they might not win one away from home this season either. The Cyclones have a much needed bye this Saturday.

Outside of [tag]Kansas[/tag] against South Florida not an exciting week of games in the [tag]Big 12[/tag]. None of the top six teams moved but losses by KU and [tag]Iowa State[/tag] means some movement in the bottom half of the rankings.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. [tag]Oklahoma[/tag]

   
   LW: 1

   Another week, another dominating win. The defense gave up a little more this week though, especially through the air as Washington QB Jake Locker passed for 249 yards. OU QB Sam Bradford was nearly perfect in the win, passing 304 yards and 5 TDs on 18 of 21 attempts.

2. [tag]Missouri[/tag]

   
   LW: 2

   The best offensive performance of the season by the Tigers. Chase Daniels passed for 405 yards and four TDs as the offense put up 69 points against Nevada. The backup quarterbacks added 114 more yards for a whopping total of 519 yards through the air. Up this week is another easy one against Buffalo.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   Unexpected bye week thanks to Hurricane Ike. Next up the Horns face Rice in what should be a gimme.

4. [tag]Texas Tech[/tag]

   
   LW: 4

   The Red Raiders defense picked off five passes from SMU’s Bo Levi Mitchell and the offense had nearly 700 total yards. Tech is going to give up yards, but if they can become a big play defense that creates turnovers that might make them a legit Big 12 title contender. This week on their gauntlet of a non-conference schedle is Division 1AA UMass.

5. [tag]Colorado[/tag]

   
   LW: 5

   Colorado had last week off before a nationally televised Thursday night game against West Virginia.

6. [tag]Kansas State[/tag]

   
   LW: 6

   Off last weekend in preparation for an mid-week game against Louisville.

7. [tag]Nebraska[/tag]

   
   LW: 8

   A solid win over a New Mexico State team playing their first game of the season. The Huskers jumped out early and stayed up throughout. The defense wasn’t dominant but didn’t allow any long scoring drives. This week they face their first half decent test against Virginia Tech.

8. [tag]Kansas[/tag]

   
   LW: 7

   The Jayhawks fell in a close one on the road against South Florida. They were up at halftime but were completely dominated in the third quarter as they coughed up the lead. KU won’t be a contender in the North unless they can run the ball better and do a better job defending the pass. This week they face Sam Houston State.

9. [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag]

   
   LW: 10

   Not exactly a game that tells us much about the Cowboys but the rushing offense did impress. Against Missouri State three different players topped 100 yards on the ground and the team averaged eight yards per carry. They’re off this week.

10. [tag]Iowa State[/tag]

    
    LW: 9

    They didn’t get blown out against rival [tag]Iowa[/tag] but the Cyclones’ offense couldn’t put the ball in the end zone. They actually outgained the Hawkeyes 325 to 244 but turned the ball over three times and gave up a long punt return for a TD. Head coach [tag]Gene Chizik[/tag] has them headed in the right direction but I’m not sure he’ll be around long enough to reach the destination. This week: UNLV.

11. [tag]Baylor[/tag]

    
    LW: 12

    I love me some Robert Griffin. After throwing the ball in his first start, against Washington State the Baylor quarterback ran all over the place. He rushed 11 times for 217 yards, which is nearly 20 yards per carry. This week the Bears face UConn on Friday night.

12. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 11

    No game as the Aggies get two weeks to prepare (to get blown out) for the Miami Hurricanes.