Big 12 Update: Oklahoma State, Texas Atop Standings

Ohh, cowboy, you’re gonna enjoy this update of the Big 12.

To no one’s surprise, Texas leads the Big 12 with one conference loss. To even Mike Gundy’s surprise, Oklahoma State is tied with the Longhorns at the top after being 2-2 in September and losing its Big 12 opener to Iowa State.

The Cowboys’ 27-24 win against Oklahoma in the last Bedlam on the schedule, which you can read all about here and all over PFB, is what catapulted them over their rival in the Sooners’ last season in the conference before leaving for the SEC.

The weekend started with five one-loss teams tied for first in the Big 12, but OSU and Texas were the only ones to make it to Sunday without a second deficit. The Longhorns beat one-loss Kansas State, while one-loss Iowa State lost to Kansas.

With three weeks left and the path to Arlington becoming more clear, here’s the Big 12 update from this past weekend, a standings update and what’s ahead for the Cowboys in the conference race.

Texas Tech 35, TCU 28

Texas Tech and TCU got Week 10 going for the Big 12 on Thursday night.

The Red Raiders fought off a late surge from TCU to secure its fourth win as both teams are crawling to .500, with Tech improving to 4-5. The Horned Frogs, however, dropped to 4-5 after being undefeated this time last season.

Next week only gets harder for struggling TCU, hosting Texas at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Tech has a challenge, too, traveling to 7-2 Kansas, which is coming off back-to-back wins over OU and Iowa State.

No. 7 Texas 33, No. 23 Kansas State 30 (OT)

Kansas State was a shorthorn away from upending Texas and being with OSU at the top of the Big 12 standings.

Down 27-7 in the third quarter, the Wildcats came back in a flurry to tie the game at 27 with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Will Howard to Jayce Brown. But the snap on the PAT skipped across the turf so the kicker had to pick it up and was quickly tackled to keep the game tied.

Texas kicker Bert Auburn made a 34-yard field goal to give his team a 30-27 lead with 6:03 left. Then K-State’s kicker, Chris Tennant, nailed a 45-yarder as time expired to send the game to overtime.

Auburn hit another field goal, this time from 42 yards, to end the game in overtime and save Texas from the upset and Big 12 standings plunder.

Texas heads to Fort Worth next to play TCU at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, while K-State hosts Baylor at 2 p.m. Saturday.

No. 21 Kansas 28, Iowa State 21

Although Kansas was the ranked team, this was actually an upset as far as Big 12 standings go.

Iowa State was one of the five one-loss conference teams tied for first in the Big 12 when the weekend started. KU had two conference losses, but had a strong start and was coming off an upset over OU.

ISU travels to Provo next for late night showdown with BYU at 9:15 p.m. Saturday. KU hosts Texas Tech at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Houston 25, Baylor 24 (OT)

This was the second Big 12 game to go into overtime this weekend.

Houston quarterback Donovan Smith ran in a 1-yard touchdown in overtime then also punched it in for the two-point conversion and the win. Smith was Houston’s leading rusher with 66 yards on 22 carries, along with 236 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Houston (4-5) hosts Cincinnati at 6 p.m. Saturday, as Baylor (3-6) goes to Kansas State at 2 p.m. Saturday.

UCF 28, Cincinnati 26

Another close one in a battle for their first Big 12 win in program history.

The Golden Knights are winless in the Big 12 no more, though, as they scored a touchdown with 1:27 left to take a lead they wouldn’t lose. UCF (4-5) hosts OSU at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Orlando.

Cincinnati (2-7) is still in need of its first Big 12 win with a trip to Houston next at 6 p.m. Saturday.

West Virginia 37, BYU 7

Is West Virginia good or not? Is BYU? The latter may have been answered in this game.

WVU improved to 6-3 while walloping BYU and shutting the Cougars out until there was 6:24 left in the game. BYU dropped to 5-4 before hosting ISU at 9:15 p.m. Saturday.

WVU will travel to Norman to play OU, which has lost two straight, at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Big 12 Standings

	Big 12 Record	Overall Record
Texas	5-1	8-1
Oklahoma State	5-1	7-2
Kansas	4-2	7-2
Oklahoma	4-2	7-2
Kansas State	4-2	6-3
West Virginia	4-2	6-3
Iowa State	4-2	5-4
Texas Tech	3-3	4-5
TCU	2-4	4-5
Houston	2-4	4-5
BYU	2-4	5-4
Baylor	2-4	3-6
UCF	1-5	4-5
Cincinnati	0-6	2-7

What’s Next for OSU

Mike Gundy made it clear Saturday night that he’s not looking ahead yet at a possible trip to Arlington with three weeks left. But we will.

OSU has the easiest schedule ahead of those near the top: at UCF (4-5), at Houston (4-5), vs BYU (5-4). If the Cowboys win out, it’s simple, they’ll play for a Big 12 title in Arlington.

If Texas also wins out, that’ll be OSU’s opponent at AT&T Stadium. The Longhorns’ next three games include TCU, Iowa State and Texas Tech. But if Texas drops one of those and loses a second game, then things get interesting for OSU’s potential challenger.

OU holds a tiebreaker over Texas. If the Longhorns and KU lose again while OSU wins out, it’ll be a Bedlam rematch for the Big 12 title. That is honestly probably worst-case scenario for the Pokes.

KU and K-State would need Texas or OSU to lose two more times for a chance to get to Arlington. The Jayhawks would get in over a two-loss OU team, though.

Iowa State could get in over OSU if the Cowboys lost just one more, but the Cyclones would also need OU and KU to lose again.

Upsets could cause chaos, but that usually is the way of the Big 12. But as long as OSU keeps its run going, what else happens won’t matter.