Big 12 Notes: Baylor excited about first CFP rankings

the first release of the College Football Playoff ranking is only considered a barometer, Baylor can be excused for feeling a bit anxious about its spot.

“Yeah, I’m curious. I think I wouldn’t be completely honest if I said I wasn’t,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “I’m not sure how much my curiosity is going to change anything. I think it’s been proven it’s got zero affect.”

Baylor, ranked No. 2 in the polls, will stand 7-0 when the first CFP ratings are released Nov. 3. The Bears toppled Iowa State 45-27 on Oct. 24 and are idle before playing at Kansas State on Nov. 5.

The Bears were fifth in the final CFP ranking last year, one spot removed from the first-ever playoff after beating TCU in the regular season but finishing in a tie with the Horned Frogs atop the Big 12.

Conference officials were not inclined to break the tie, and the CFP panel did not care to differentiate between the Big 12’s finest as Baylor and TCU were left out of the four-team mix after each finished 11-1.

Briles questioned the composition of the CFP panel and also complained that Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby could have done more to promote Baylor as the league champion.

Measures were then taken in the offseason that outlined procedures to determine a single champion from the Big 12, the only conference among the Power 5 that plays a full round-robin schedule and does not conduct a championship game.

Baylor has dominated opponents throughout the first half of the 2015 season. The win over Iowa State was the closest margin for the Bears to date and also snapped a six-game string of scoring 60 or more points. Quarterback Seth Russell suffered a fractured bone in his neck and will need further evaluation before a determination is made on his status.

Still, the Bears’ swift offensive execution prompted no hesitation from Briles when asked where he thought his team should be slotted in the first CFP poll.

“I’m always going to think we’re No. 1,” he said. “You ask me in July, I’ll say we’re 1. You ask me in February, I’ll say 1. Why would I say anybody else is better than us?”

BAYLOR (7-0, 4-0)

Game: Baylor 45, Iowa State 27. QB Seth Russell left with a fractured bone in his neck and will need further evaluation to determine his status as the Bears failed to score 60 or more points for the first time in seven games. WR Corey Coleman caught two touchdown passes to pad his nation-leading total to 18. Baylor jumped to a 35-0 lead but was then held scoreless for 35 minutes. RB Shock Linwood added 171 yards rushing.

Takeaway: If the injury to Russell sidelines the junior quarterback, the Bears have a rising star waiting to take over in Jarrett Stidham, a true freshman from Stephenville, Texas, where Art Briles was once a decorated high school coach before moving on to the college ranks and eventually taking over at Baylor.

Stidham has completed 24-of-28 passes for 331 yards and six touchdowns, with a 255.7 pass efficiency rating, in his brief work backing up Russell. He entered the Iowa State game with the Bears facing a fourth-and-1 call, but Briles elected to kick a field goal for the final score.

“I hated to put Stidham out there just cold, with the first snap being a fourth-down play in a 15-point game,” Briles said.

The good thing for Stidham, if he must replace Russell, is the weapons at his disposal.

Coleman not only boosted his touchdown total but broke the Baylor career record. The junior has 31 touchdown receptions and surpassed Kendall Wright (30) on the all-time chart.

“It’s real exciting,” Coleman said. “It’s just a real blessing to be in that category with Kendall.”

With their scoreless streak against Iowa State, the Bears did prove they’re only human. Baylor did not score in the third quarter, just the third time in the 28 quarters they have played this season the Bears failed to record points.

Next: at Kansas State, Nov. 5.

IOWA STATE (2-5, 1-3)

Game: Baylor 45, Iowa State 27. QB Joel Lanning took over the Iowa State offense after starter Sam Richardson completed just 3-of-12 passes. Lanning, a sophomore, completed 12-of-17 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns, but the early 35-0 deficit the Cyclones dug proved too much to overcome. RB Mike Warren added 145 yards on 28 carries to lead a 232-yard ground assault for Iowa State, which held Baylor scoreless over a 32-minute stretch to crawl with 15 points.

Takeaway: Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads was not overly complimentary of Lanning, who replaced a quarterback, Richardson, who has won just one Big 12 game as a third-year starter for the Cyclones.

“You can credit a player, but he wasn’t blocking for the guy who was carrying the ball and he wasn’t running the football and he wasn’t catching the football that he was throwing,” Rhoads said. “But he performed very well.”

Well enough that Iowa State apparently has a quarterback controversy, though Lanning was not thinking about the future as much as trying to get the Cyclones jump-started after falling behind by 35 points in the first 22 minutes.

“You’ve just got to come out and start chipping away at the game,” Lanning said.

Warren accepted some blame for the early difficulties after losing a fumble at midfield following Baylor’s first touchdown.

“We’ve got to come out fast and that just completely destroyed our momentum,” he said. “You know, I was down on myself, but I had guys around me that helped pick me up and then we just kept on rolling.”

Injuries to WR Allen Lazard and S Kamari Cotton-Moya left the Cyclones without key playmakers on both sides of the ball.

Next: vs. Texas, Oct. 31.

KANSAS (0-7, 0-4)

Game: Oklahoma State 58, Kansas 10. The Jayhawks scored all their points in the second quarter, including a 33-yard touchdown pass from QB Ryan Willis to WR Steven Sims, but were limited to 221 total yards. Willis completed just 12-of-31 passes for 191 yards, with two interceptions, and was constantly pressured by Oklahoma State pass rushers. The loss was the 10th in a row for Kansas and its 33rd straight on the road, dating to a 2009 win at UTEP under former coach Mark Mangino.

Takeaway: Coming off an impressive showing in which he nearly rallied Kansas past Texas Tech, Willis looked like the true freshman he is at Oklahoma State.

“He had a rough day,” said first-year Kansas coach David Beaty. “I think he did a few good things, but I thought he overthrew a bunch of guys. I thought his poise … it wasn’t where it’s been.

As the losses mount, Kansas faces the prospect of its first winless season since 1954.

“You try not to hang your head and stuff,” said LB Joe Dineen. “This one was tough, though. Momentum, I think, it’s still there. We obviously took a step back, but I think we’re still on the right track moving forward.”

If so, the Jayhawks must improve dramatically in all three phases. Not only did Willis struggle, but the defense allowed 583 yards and 33 first downs as Oklahoma State surged downfield behind Mason Rudolph, inserted J.W. Walsh into goal-line situations and eventually played the last quarter with a third-string quarterback, redshirt freshman Taylor Cornelius.

Special teams were also bad for the Jayhawks. They committed two penalties on an onside kick they tried to open the second half with. Two penalties were later committed on the same kickoff return. Kansas drew a season-high 10 flags for 102 yards.

“We had a little bit of everything,” Beaty said.

Next: vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 31.

KANSAS STATE (3-4, 0-4)

Game: Texas 23, Kansas State 9. The Wildcats managed just 242 yards of total offense, in spite of a game-high 122 yards rushing on 18 carries by RB Charles Jones. After falling behind 16-0, the Wildcats produced their only touchdown on a 7-yard strike from QB Joe Hubener to WR Dominique Heath with 32 seconds remaining in the first half. That snapped a 78-0 scoring streak against the Wildcats, but they could only add a 36-yard third quarter field goal from PK Jack Cantele. The four-game conference losing streak is the first for Kansas State since 2001.

Takeaway: Jones left the game at the worst possible moment, rushing for 7, 15 and 22 yards on the first three plays of a fourth quarter march, but then asking for a breather.

His backup, RB Justin Silmon, lost five yards on a first-down play, then QB Joe Hubener rushed for two yards but was injured. WR Kody Cook moved to quarterback and threw an incomplete pass and the Wildcats’ best chance to cut into a seven-point deficit was wasted.

“We had an opportunity there,” said Hubener, who returned to the game twice after leaving with neck and ankle issues. “It was hard for me personally, coming out in that situation. I’m sure it was hard on Kody having to step in in that situation, but I have faith in Kody.”

Maybe the Wildcats can start having more faith in Jones, who had lost his starting spot to Silmon earlier in the season.

“He ran as aggressively as any time since he’s been here,” Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. “That’s what we needed him to do. That was the challenge for him and he certainly responded.”

Facing a 16-0 deficit they allowed the Longhorns to gain in the first half, conditions were unfavorable for a comeback. Heavy rain fell throughout the game, limiting what touch Hubener had throwing the ball after connecting on fewer than half his attempts coming into the game.

Kansas State remains shorthanded at quarterback. Starter Jesse Ertz suffered a season-ending injury on the first play of the opener, while two other backups, Alex Delton and Jonathan Banks remain unavailable. That left Cook, the Wildcats’ leading receiver, to step in when Hubener went out.

Next: vs. Baylor, Nov. 5.

OKLAHOMA (6-1, 3-1)

Game: Oklahoma 63, Texas Tech 27. RB Samaje Perine rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns and QB Baker Mayfield completed 15-of-22 passes for 212 yards and two more scores against his former team. The Sooners were content to pound the football for 405 yards on the ground as RB Joe Mixon added 154 yards rushing and two scores. Oklahoma also snatched four interceptions while holding Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes, the Big 12 passing leader, to 233 yards.

Takeaway: Mayfield actually attempted fewer passes than he had all season, but with the ground game working so well, there was no need for the Oklahoma quarterback to fire passes at will against his former team.

His work, however, did include some sideline assistance. Mayfield was often spotted next to Oklahoma linebackers coach Tim Kish and tried to provide any input possible into what the Red Raiders were scheming offensively.

In the end, both teams downplayed any help Mayfield provided, though the Sooners held Texas Tech nearly 200 yards below their offensive average while grabbing four interceptions.

“I didn’t notice (any help),” Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “It didn’t help me any, make any calls. I can guarantee you that.”

The day was still sweet for Mayfield, who led the Sooners out on the field, immediately exhorted the student section and sought to beat Texas Tech, which engaged in a public battle over the former walk-on’s transfer, which prohibited Mayfield from gaining instant eligibility at Oklahoma.

During his freshman year in 2013, Mayfield started seven games and was named the Big 12’s offensive freshman of the year. Mayfield transferred after sensing Texas Tech would not place him on scholarship.

After the win, Mayfield did exchange a quick handshake with former coach at Texas Tech, Kliff Kingsbury, in what was their first interaction since December 2013, when Mayfield informed the coach he was transferring.

“I said, ‘Good game,”‘ Mayfield said. “He told me, ‘Good game and good luck the rest of the season.’ Nothing there.”

Next: at Kansas, Oct. 31.

OKLAHOMA STATE (7-0, 4-0)

Game: Oklahoma State 58, Kansas 10. Playing with heavy hearts before a somber crowd after learning four people were killed when a car crashed into the Oklahoma State homecoming parade, the Cowboys scored on their first possession and were never threatened by the winless Jayhawks. QB Mason Rudolph completed 20-of-26 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown, while backup QB J.W. Walsh executed in the red zone and accounted for five touchdowns. Walsh added 68 yards passing and 24 rushing before QB Taylor Cornelius, a freshman, took over late in the third quarter.

Takeaway: A different feel to this homecoming, this game, was evident the moment the Oklahoma State squad began The Walk, which it conducts from the Student Union to Pickens Stadium for each home game.

Normally the band plays. This time, however, the band was silent as news of the deadly crash that injured dozens and killed four swept through campus, and for that matter, the country. The incident happened roughly four hours prior to kickoff.

“You walk out and it’s just quiet,” Walsh told the Tulsa World. “The band’s not playing. It’s just different.”

Still, fans gathered and wished the Cowboys the best, mindful of the fact the team was still going to play a football game and needed to be prepared, in spite of the circumstances.

“As you’re walking, people are yelling our names, cheering for us, trying to be as positive as they can be in the situation, what it was, and trying to get us mentally ready to play a football game,” Walsh said. “You know, as different as it was, I think we all handled it well.”

WR David Glidden, who caught six passes for 91 yards, said the game was cathartic for the 59,000 in attendance, as well as the Cowboys themselves.

“I personally could see in guys’ eyes, they wanted to get this done,” said Glidden, “and maybe give those people that had a complete shock, give them something to maybe brighten their day. Just to show that we’re coming out and we’re doing it more for just us, more than just our team. It’s for everybody in this town and community and state.”

Next: at Texas Tech, Oct. 31.

TCU (7-0, 4-0)

Game: Idle.

Next: vs. West Virginia, Oct. 29.

TEXAS (3-4, 2-2)

Game: Texas 23, Kansas State 9. By defeating the Wildcats, the Longhorns won consecutive games for just the second time under second-year coach Charlie Strong. Texas was coming off a bye week that followed its Red River upset of Oklahoma and handed Kansas State its fourth straight defeat by exerting its authority up front. The Longhorns rushed for 274 yards, including 103 from RB Johnathan Gray. The Texas defense allowed only 242 yards as Kansas State converted just 5-of-16 opportunities on third and fourth down.

Takeaway: When Tyrone Swoopes was benched after a disappointing performance at Notre Dame in the season opener, the junior quarterback was not forgotten. With his 244-pound frame, Texas coach Charlie Strong discovered a role for Swoopes in short-yardage situations.

Against Kansas State, Swoopes was effective, rushing for all three of the Longhorns’ touchdowns while navigating a slick surface that was constantly pounded with hard rain.

“I’ve always told Tyrone, even when we made that (quarterback) change, ‘Listen, there is no reason for you to hang your head. You’re still going to be part of it, and you never know when you’re going to show up,”‘ Strong said.

The last touchdown Swoopes provided came from 10 yards out with 1:47 remaining. That sealed the outcome on a drive that also included rushes of 13 and 29 yards by Swoopes. In the Oklahoma win, Swoopes rushed for one touchdown and passed for another.

The final drive against the Wildcats came after an interception by S Dylan Haines at the Texas 48-yard line. That pick capped a strong half for Texas defensively as the unit held Kansas State to a field goal in the second half.

“This is exactly what we wanted to be (defensively),” LB Peter Jinkens said. “At the beginning of the season, things weren’t clicking like they were supposed to. But as the season has gone on, we are where we want to be now.”

Next: at Iowa State, Oct. 31.

TEXAS TECH (5-3, 2-3)

Game: Oklahoma 63, Texas Tech 27. QB Patrick Mahomes entered the game as the Big 12 passing leader but was held to 233 yards while throwing four interceptions against the Sooners. RB DeAndre Washington rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Red Raiders were playing against Baker Mayfield, who began his career as a walk-on at Texas Tech and played as a freshman but left after he sensed he would not receive a scholarship. Mayfield sat out last year. He passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns and engineered Oklahoma to 617 total yards.

Takeaway: A slow start prevented Texas Tech from engaging in a shootout. During the first nine minutes, the Red Raiders’ 24 yards of offense barely exceeded their penalty yards (21). The first of four turnovers was also part of that mix as Oklahoma built a 14-0 lead and also began to establish its dominance on the ground.

“More than anything I think the slow start hurt us,” Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “We were chasing the whole game. You come out and you have those penalties and you have a drop on third down and then throw an interception and it is 14-0. Then you are just chasing the rest of the way.”

Although Texas Tech showed flashes on defense, including a 50-yard return of a fumble recovery by CB Jah’Shawn Johnson — his fourth takeaway of the season — the Red Raiders did not do enough to slow the Sooners on the ground.

That also allowed Mayfield, the quarterback who transferred from Tech after he was named the 2013 offensive freshman of the year in the Big 12, the opportunities he needed to efficiently carve the Red Raiders by going 15-of-22.

It did not help Tech that its quarterback, Mahomes, had his worst passing performance of the season. The sophomore did function well as a rusher however, keeping 15 times for 58 yards and one touchdown.

Next: vs. Oklahoma State, Oct. 31.

WEST VIRGINIA (3-3, 0-3)

Game: Idle.

Next: at TCU, Oct. 29.

NOTES, QUOTES

–Oklahoma lost one defensive standout but gained another in its win against Texas Tech.

CB Zack Sanchez, an All-Big 12 pick last season, left with a sprained ankle two plays into the game and was replaced by junior Dakota Austin. Meanwhile, LB Frank Shannon played for the first time since the 2014 Sugar Bowl upset over Alabama.

Although he had recorded just eight tackles in his career, Austin stepped up and was in on 11 stops and also grabbed an interception.

“It’s definitely hard to be patient,” Austin told The Oklahoman. “It’s even harder to keep the will. If you can keep that, before you know it your time is going to happen. It happened, and I’m just thankful I got the opportunity.”

Sanchez’s injury brought back memories from earlier this season when CB Jordan Thomas was hurt against Tulsa and the Hurricanes threw for 427 yards.

Against Texas Tech, however, the Sooners remained stingy as they limited the Red Raiders to 253 yards passing and snagged four interceptions. Texas Tech entered the game averaging 427 yards through the air.

“It’s starting to show some maturity with our back end,” Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “That’s where you are starting to see development — players not panicking and letting the moment get too big.”

Shannon was in on 13 tackles and also snared an interception after replacing injured Jordan Evans.

“When it first started, I was like, ‘Man, this is fixing to be a long day,”‘ said Shannon, after getting chop-blocked on the game’s first play. “As the day went on, I got more comfortable and stuff. All the butterflies went away.”

–Oklahoma State considered the postponement of its game against Kansas after four people were killed and dozens injured when a woman suspected of driving under the influence plowed a vehicle into a crowd at the Cowboys’ homecoming parade.

“The decision was made that we’re going to play, and we’re going to remember the victims at the game,” Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis said. “We’re going to move forward, but we will remember what happened.”

Tragedy is not new to Oklahoma State. In 2001, a private plane crashed and killed 10 members of the men’s basketball program. Just four years ago, women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna died when the single-engine plane they rode in crashed during a recruiting trip.

The mood inside Pickens Stadium was somber — quiet enough that the large American flag that flies over the stadium could be heard rippling as it was raised to half-staff.

Before the game, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy embraced members of his team in a tight huddle as the Cowboys remembered the victims of the homecoming horror and prayed before taking the field against the Jayhawks.

Gundy, an Oklahoma State graduate who also played quarterback for the Cowboys, said he was apprised of the possibility of postponing the game and said he was fine with whatever decision his administration made.

“I do want to reiterate that this one incident cannot take away from Oklahoma State University, and it cannot take away from homecoming and the celebration,” Gundy said. “That’s something that’s very important to us, and to me, to make a point that it is a great time of the year.

“It’s a great weekend and a great day, and there’s a tremendous amount of pride and effort that goes into our homecoming, and that’s why it has been established the way that it is. I don’t want anything to be taken away from that.”

–Texas may be attempting something novel in the Big 12 by making its run game the focal point of its offense.

“We’ve always wanted to run the ball,” said Jay Norvell, who calls plays as the Longhorns’ wide receivers coach. “We’ve been patient with it, we’ve stayed with it and that’s a big part of the running game. … Our kids love to run the football.”

Against Kansas State, the Longhorns had no other choice. Steady rain, some of it heavy, came down throughout the game and the slippery conditions made it hard to pass the football.

RB Johnathan Gray responded with his best total (103 yards) of the season in the ground game while QB Tyrone Swoopes entered in red-zone situations and supplied all three touchdowns as part of a 274-yard rushing output. Of the Longhorns’ first 21 plays, 19 were rushes. That was against the Big 12’s top-rated rushing defense too. The Wildcats came in allowing 126.3 rushing yards on average.

“It’s just kind of smash-mouth football, and everybody loves that,” Swoopes told the Daily Texan. “When we go out there, everybody kind of knows what’s going on. Our offensive linemen, the running backs, the tight ends do a great job of blocking. We just go out and do our thing.”

QUOTE TO NOTE: “It’s all about confidence, and the guys have to just believe in themselves. We didn’t want that (Oklahoma win to be) everyone saying it was a fluke. All of a sudden, they’re still riding high. You don’t like to have open dates, but maybe that open date really did help us.” — Texas coach Charlie Strong.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 8 IN THE BIG 12:

1. Oklahoma State overcame a horrific homecoming tragedy that left four dead and still managed to play effectively and efficiently. The Cowboys routed Kansas to remain undefeated. University officials considered postponing the game, but players sensed the victory helped relieve a grieving campus.

2. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield played for the first time against his former team, Texas Tech, and completed 15-of-22 passes while also relying on a dominant run game. RB Samaje Perine logged the fourth 200-yard game of his career. The Sooners were solid defensively too, snagging four interceptions.

3. Baylor will have a 7-0 record when the College Football Playoff committee releases its first set of rankings on Nov. 3. That initial poll will come out two days before the Bears’ next game at Kansas State on Nov. 5. By then Baylor will know more about the status of QB Seth Russell and his injured neck.

4. Texas had to wait two weeks before getting to follow up on its upset win over Oklahoma. The Longhorns relied on dominant play from its linemen to generate a strong ground game in a rain-soaked win over Kansas State. Backup QB Tyrone Swoopes was instrumental taking over in the red-zone.

5. Kansas State suffered a fourth consecutive loss in Big 12 play for the first time since 2001. RB Charles Jones had one of his best performances but no one else stepped up offensively for the Wildcats, who had been outscored 78-0 before scoring their only touchdown late in the second quarter.