Big 12 Update: Texas Remains Not Back, Sooners Survive Late Scare

Texas isn’t back. In fact, Texas might stink.

It was another interesting weekend of Big 12 action with games that were supposed to be close not being all that close (Baylor and Texas) and games that weren’t supposed to be close being close (Oklahoma and TCU). Here is a recap of the weekend that was.

No. 14 Baylor 24, Texas 10

This game wasn’t even as close as the two touchdown separation indicates.

Texas scored on a last-second field goal at the end of the first half, and it only came when Keaontay Ingram broke a 68-yard run from his own 2-yard line with under 20 seconds in the half.

The Longhorns’ lone touchdown came with one second in the game. So Texas was literally seconds away from going to Baylor and scoring 0 points.

Baylor looked good after choking away its unbeaten season the weekend before against Oklahoma.

Denzel Mims was particularly unstoppable. The senior wide receiver caught seven passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.

Texas officially can’t win the Big 12 after Saturday, meaning they didn’t win a conference title in the 2010s. Since joining the Southwest Conference in 1915, the Longhorns have won at least one conference crown in every decade until now, per Football Scoop.

Tom Herman should be firmly on the hot seat by now. Just look at his projection matched with that of Matt Rhule, who just stomped him.

Both took over at their respective schools in 2017. Rhule went 1-11 in his first season and is 10-1 in Year 3. Herman went 7-6 in Year 1 and is 6-5 in Year 3.

Herman did lead UT to a Sugar Bowl win last season, but something tells me in this era of the College Football Playoff, a Sugar Bowl win against a Georgia team that might or might not have been motivated isn’t going to cut it.

Herman has recruited well, but recruiting to Texas has to be much easier than recruiting to Baylor.

Tom Herman is AMPED. pic.twitter.com/S7EVkIwy57

— Longhorn Network (@LonghornNetwork) November 23, 2019

No. 9 Oklahoma 28, TCU 24

TCU quarterback Max Duggan completed seven passes for 65 yards, and it was still nearly enough to beat Oklahoma in Norman.

There was a controversial spot on third down that iced this game Saturday night. And while I agree it was a terrible spot that was made all the more terrible that it was reviewed and still not changed, I’m not sure if TCU got the ball back they would’ve been able to go the length of the field with the 65 passing yards the Horned Frogs had to that point.

But this might’ve been closer to a loss on the play than it was a first down:

This was ruled a first down by Jalen Hurts, clinching an Oklahoma win over TCU.

Horrible spot that they upheld on review pic.twitter.com/sN1iveAJGP

— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) November 24, 2019

An OU loss would’ve made Bedlam more fun, as the winner would’ve advanced to the Big 12 title game, but now the Cowboys will just have to play to spoil any Playoff hopes the Sooners have left.

No. 21 Oklahoma State 20, West Virginia 13

The Cowboys were without their star receiver and their starting quarterback and still found a way to push their conference win streak to four games.

Beating West Virginia isn’t something to celebrate too hard this season, but after a shaky start and now with all the injuries, OSU is 8-3.

It was another great day for the Pokes’ defense, and Chuba Hubbard had 194 all-purpose yards, including a career-best 88 receiving yards.

No. 22 Iowa State 41, Kansas 31

Kansas is 3-9 after their tight loss in Ames, and though 3-9 is decent for Kansas’ standards, it’s a shame that it still looks like the Jayhawks will finish last in the Big 12.

That is unless something wild happens against Baylor next week.

Kansas has won only one conference game, but it finished three of its conference losses within 10 points of its foe, which is a definitive step forward.

As for Iowa State, the Cyclones have just been average this year after all thy hype they entered the year with as a conference dark horse.

Kansas State 30, Texas Tech 27

After Saturday’s loss to Kansas State, Texas Tech will officially miss out on bowl eligibility in the first season of the Matt Wells era.

Wells was able to redshirt quarterback Alan Bowman, though, after he played in only three games this year before leaving with injury.

Saturday wasn’t Jett Duffey’s best day (he saved that for the OSU game), as Bowman’s replacement threw two interceptions.

It was Kansas State’s seventh victory this season in the first year under Chris Kleiman. K-State plays Iowa State next weekend. That with a bowl game gives the Wildcats a chance to finish with nine wins to start the Kleiman era, which isn’t bad at all.