Big 12 Football Roundup: Week 4 Scores, Rankings, Reactions
Week 4 Big 12 football scores, rankings and reactions for each game, including the TCU classic over Texas Tech.
Week 4 Big 12 Football Roundup
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Scroll down for thoughts on each Big 12 team, recaps and picks.
Big 12 Player of the Week
TCU WR Josh Doctson caught 18 passes for 267 yards and three scores in the wild win over Texas Tech.
It didn’t disappoint
Everyone wants fireworks out of the Big 12, and they came and then some in one two terrific games that lived up to their billing.
The Oklahoma State win over Texas might not have brought the fireworks, but it was a thriller down to the end showing off the depth and potential of the league. Texas really isn’t as bad as many might make it out to be, while Oklahoma State survived and kept on rolling along a 4-0. But that’s not why you called.
Ole Miss vs. Alabama was better, but TCU vs. Texas Tech is No. 1A in the Game of the Year honors with 1,357 yards, lots of big plays, lots of passing, lots of insanity, and a finish that will go down in TCU history if the tipped play in Aaron Green’s hands turns out to be part of a championship season.
Baylor bombed Rice with 70 points and West Virginia destroyed Maryland. Throw those two games in with the two conference classics, and on a weekend that was supposed to be all about the Pac-12, the Big 12 took over.
Baylor
W, Rice 70-17
Now the offense is really humming. The Bears might not be playing anyone interesting, but if it was so easy to hang up 70 points on a team that might contend for its conference title like Rice, everyone would do it. The key is the maturation of Seth Russell, who was flawless completing 12-of-16 passes for 277 yards and six scores. Corey Coleman was firing with three touchdown catches. Shock Linwood and Terence Williams were dealing with 100 yard rushing days. It all worked, and it needs to with the Big 12 showdown with Texas Tech up next.
Kansas
L, at Rutgers 27-14
The running game can’t be bottled up like it was. The Jayhawks couldn’t get anything established on the ground against Rutgers with 41 of the team’s 64 rushing yards coming on one De’Andre Mann run. Montell Cozart had a nice day completing 13-of-18 passes for 193 yards, especially considering he was sick. Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps. The run defense was awful and the Jayhawks lost to a dead team walking, but it wasn’t an embarrassing loss. That’s good enough for now.
Oklahoma State
W, at Texas 30-27
The Cowboys got what they needed out of Mason Rudolph, and two plays they didn’t. J.W. Walsh stepped in against Texas and ran for a touchdown and threw for another in his few moments under center, but it was the play of Rudolph constantly pushing the ball down the field that kept the Longhorns on their toes. Two bad interceptions almost proved deadly, but the defense was able to pick up the slack more often than not, bottling up Jerrod Heard. It wasn’t a perfect performance, and it took a big break at the end to pull it out, but OSU will start 4-0 before dealing with a rested Kansas State.
TCU
W, at Texas Tech 55-52
Welcome to the 2015 TCU season. Texas Tech might have a high-powered offense, but this is what life is going to be for the Horned Frogs after so many problems and injuries on defense. Trevone Boykin looked in 2014 midseason form, and Aaron Green ran well and came up with a historic catch, but it was Josh Doctson who really carried the team. When the team needed something to happen, he’s the one who came through with 18 catches for 267 yards and three scores. Now if the defense can just do something against the run again, everything will be fine against Texas.
Texas
L, Oklahoma State 30-27
For everyone who wants to go crazy over the loss to Oklahoma State and how it all went down, remember, the Longhorns are just two special teams miscues from likely being a whole bunch better. You are what your record is, and at the moment, Texas is wildly inconsistent. Jerrod Heard was okay, and there was no reason to be in the game when it was being horribly outplayed – and with 16 penalties for 128 yards – but remember, all three of the losses came to teams currently unbeaten (Notre Dame, Cal and Oklahoma State). That’s not any consolation considering TCU and Oklahoma are up next.
Texas Tech
L, TCU 55-52
West Virginia
W, Maryland 45-6
This can all turnaround in a heartbeat with a win over Oklahoma up next, but at the moment, West Virginia is flying under the radar. That’s not fair considering it’s playing as well as anyone over the first few weeks, with the offense ultra-efficient and the defense ball-hawking, coming up with an aggressive six turnovers against Maryland. There were too many penalties – ten for 124 yards – and there were two giveaways, but this was a dominant win over a decent Maryland team. The stage is set. Beat the Sooners, and the respect will finally start to be there.
Big 12 Rankings After Week 4
1. Oklahoma (4-0)
2. Baylor (4-0)
3. TCU (4-0)
4. West Virginia (4-0)
5. Texas Tech (3-1)
6. Oklahoma State (4-0)
7. Kansas State (3-0)
8. Texas (1-3)
9. Iowa State (1-2)
10. Kansas (0-4)
Scores & Picks: How’d We Do?
2015 Big 12 Football Picks Through Week 4: Straight Up: 28-5 ATS: 13-10-1
at Rutgers 27, Kansas 14
Line: Rutgers -14, o/u: 65.5, Prediction: Rutgers 34, Kansas 24
– Three Thing Recap & Analysis
at Baylor 70, Rice 17
Line: Baylor -35, o/u: 76, Prediction: Baylor 55, Rice 21
– Three Thing Recap & Analysis
at West Virginia 45, Maryland 6
Line: West Virginia -16.5, o/u: 57, Prediction: West Virginia 37, Maryland 27
– Three Thing Recap & Analysis
Oklahoma State 30, at Texas 27
Line: Oklahoma State -3, o/u: 61, Prediction: Texas 41, Oklahoma State 38
– Three Thing Recap & Analysis
TCU 55, at Texas Tech 52
Line: TCU -7, o/u: 80.5, Prediction: Texas Tech 48, TCU 45
– Three Thing Recap & Analysis
