Big 12 Football Week 13: K-State Locks Up Championship Appearance
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The final weekend of the regular season did not disappoint. The week started with an early game on Friday in Austin, with the Longhorns playing a must-win game if they wanted to stay alive for the Big 12 Championship game.
Saturday brought an upset (or was it) in Stillwater, an emphatic win to get the CFP committee’s attention by TCU, the Sunflower Showdown in Kansas, and a crazy shoot-out game in Lubbock ended in overtime.
Here is how each Big 12 team fared in Week 12, plus some of the key results in the Top 25:
#23 Texas (8-4, 6-3)* vs. Baylor (6-6, 4-5)*
Texas wins 38-27
There was no tryptophan hangover for Bijan Robinson, who exploded for 179 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns in the Longhorns’ win on Friday afternoon. If this was his last game in Austin, he certainly made it one not to be forgotten. He now has 1,580 yards this season. His 3-year total at Texas puts him at 3,227 career yards, which ranks him fourth in Longhorns’ history behind some impressive names – Ricky Williams (6,279), Cedric Benson (5,540), and Earl Campbell (4,443). Texas needed a win to stay alive in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. Kansas State, though, would win Saturday night, sending the Cats to Arlington. Texas and Baylor are bowl eligible and will learn their postseason destination next week.
Oklahoma State (7-5, 4-5)* vs. West Virginia (5-7, 3-6)
West Virginia wins 24-19
That Poke Choke has been real for the last month. Injuries have decimated the Cowboys. Quarterback Spencer Sanders did not play, as he’s been dealing with an injury for the last few weeks. And this team is not the same without Sanders. But even without him, they had a chance to pull out the win at the end. Down five points, the Cowboys had a 4th and three on the WVU 28 with 2:26 remaining in the game. Backup quarterback Garrett Rangel threw an incomplete pass, and WVU took over on downs. OSU would get one more try but would not get out of its own territory. OSU is bowl eligible; West Virginia is not.
#4 TCU (12-0, 9-0)* vs. Iowa State (4-8, 1-8)
Iowa State had the best defense statistically in the Big 12. How would the explosive TCU offense handle that? Well, with the most points scored in a game in five years. The Cyclones had allowed 24 points combined in the first quarter of their previous 11 games. TCU scored 24 points in the first quarter. The Frogs scored eight touchdowns – through the air, on the ground, and two defensive pick sixes. The Frogs are now 12-0 for the third time in their history and the first since 2010 when they finished 13-0 after winning the Rose Bowl. TCU will play Saturday in the Big 12 Championship game and await their bowl announcement, as they are still in contention for the CFP. On the other hand, Iowa State finishes with a losing record for the first time since 2016, coach Matt Campbell’s first year.
Texas Tech (7-5, 5-4)* vs. Oklahoma (6-6, 3-6)*
Texas Tech wins 51-48 OT
Wild and crazy things happen in Lubbock in night games. And Saturday’s game did not disappoint. Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 449 yards and six touchdowns. Oklahoma running back Eric Gray ran for 161 yards on 28 carries. The Sooners had an 18-point lead in the second quarter until the Red Raiders scored three times later that quarter. Oklahoma had a 24-23 lead at halftime. The second half was a back-and-forth affair. Tech tied the game with a 43-yard field goal as time expired. Oklahoma then missed their field goal attempt in overtime. Tech won the game with a 35-yard kick in their overtime possession. It became the first time in Tech history that the Red Raiders beat Texas and Oklahoma in the same season. Both teams are bowl eligible and await their postseason destination.
#12 Kansas State (9-3, 7-2)* vs. Kansas (6-6, 3-6)*
Kansas State wins 47-27
It was the Sunflower Showdown in the Little Apple. After Texas won on Friday, the pressure was on Kansas State. A win over its in-state rival would give them a spot in the Big 12 Championship; a loss would send the Longhorns to Arlington. The Cats would respond accordingly. Quarterback Will Howard threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Deuce Vaughn ran for 147 yards and one touchdown. Though K-State routed Kansas for the win, the Jayhawks can’t complain about their season. Coach Lance Leipold has turned the program around and just got a well-deserved contract extension. Kansas is going bowling for the first time since 2008. K-State’s bowl destination depends on next week’s championship game. The Cats will most likely head to the Sugar Bowl with a win or the Alamo Bowl with a loss next week.
*Bowl Eligible Teams
Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, and Texas Tech
Noteworthy Top 25 Games:
#1 Georgia (12-0) vs. Georgia Tech (5-7)
Georgia wins 37-14
#2 Ohio State (11-1) vs. #3 Michigan (12-0)
Michigan wins 45-23
#5 LSU (9-3) at Texas A&M (5-7)
Texas A&M wins 38-23
#6 USC (11-1) vs. #15 Notre Dame (8-4)
USC wins 38-27
#8 Clemson (10-2) vs. South Carolina (8-4)
South Carolina wins 31-30
#9 Oregon (9-3) at #21 Oregon State (9-3)
Oregon State wins 38-34
#17 North Carolina (9-3) vs. NC State (8-4)
NC State wins 30-27
#19 Tulane (10-2) at #24 Cincinnati (9-3)
Tulane wins 27-24
#20 Ole Miss (8-4) vs. Mississippi State (8-4)
MSST wins 24-22
#25 Louisville (7-5) vs. Kentucky (7-5)
Kentucky wins 26-13
Four undefeated teams remained entering Week 13. Two of those teams faced each other in “The Game,” with Michigan winning over Ohio State. Going into Championship Week, the three remaining undefeated teams are Georgia, Michigan, and TCU.
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