Bedlam rivalry game to decide Big 12 title
Two bitter rivals will meet in Norman, Oklahoma, this weekend to determine the conference champion.
No. 8 Oklahoma (9-2) and No. 10 Oklahoma State (9-2) meet with rankings attached to their names for the sixth time in eight years. The top-10 matchup features highly touted quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph, two of the top 12 passers in the nation.
Mayfield led the Sooners to a 58-23 victory to win the Big 12 last season, but the Cowboys stole the contest in Norman in 2014. The two teams enter the matchup with a combined 15-game winning streak, but one must snap in the conference’s unofficial championship game.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State kick off at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Baylor continues losing skid at AT&T Stadium
Since starting 6–0, the Bears’ season quickly turned for the worst.
Without starting quarterback Seth Russell, Baylor dropped its fifth straight game in Arlington to Texas Tech, 54-35. The loss marked the Bear’s fourth straight blowout loss, a testament to the decline of their defense throughout the season.
The defense yielded 586 passing yards and six touchdowns to Texas Tech’s strong-armed quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes, a junior, leads the NCAA in passing yards and may be foregoing a senior season to test the waters in the NFL.
Texas Tech improved to 5-7 with the win, but the Red Raiders’ season appears to be finished barring an unexpected bowl invitation.
Kansas proves unable to build winning streak
Kansas won its first FBS game since 2014 in late November with a 24-21 victory over Texas. But on Rivalry Week, the Jayhawks had their eyes on winning their first road game since 2009.
However, Kansas State had different plans. With a versatile rushing attack, the Wildcats cruised by their in-state rival, 34-19. Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder now owns 200 wins in his esteemed coaching career. The Wildcats are quietly one of the top teams in the Big 12 with a 7-4 record, winning four of their last five. They close the regular season in Fort Worth against TCU on Saturday.
West Virginia throttles Iowa State in second half
The Mountaineers held a 21-16 lead over Iowa State after two quarters, but head coach Dana Holgorsen’s offense ignited for the final stretch in Ames, Iowa. West Virginia annihilated the Cyclones 49-19, improving to 9-2 in the process.
Freshman running back Martell Pettaway dominated in his first career appearance, recording 181 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards and a touchdown. Despite a successful season in the wins column, the Mountaineers are eliminated from Big 12 title contention — Oklahoma and Oklahoma State each hold tiebreakers over the team.
They can finish their season with a win over Baylor on Saturday.
