Bryson Blue
Writer
There is no other way to describe the Big 12 Conference race than chaos. There are currently five ranked Big 12 schools, and some of them have to face each other before the season ends. BYU gets a pass this week with a bye, but other Big 12 leaders like Texas Tech, Utah, Cincinnati, and Houston will all be in action.
There are some solid games this week. The No. 24 Utah Utes (6-2, 3-2) will host the No. 17 Cincinnati Bearcats (7-1, 5-0). The No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders will travel to face the Kansas State Wildcats (4-4, 3-2). The Arizona State Sun Devils (5-3, 3-2) will travel to play the Iowa State Cyclones (5-3, 2-3).
While both teams are on the outside of the Big 12 bubble looking in, this is still an interesting matchup. There are currently five teams tied for fifth place in the Big 12, with Arizona State being one of them at 3-2. Iowa State is 2-3, but has a chance to shake things up with each win.
The Sun Devils are led by quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Raleek Brown on offense. Leavitt has missed some games with injury, but when healthy, he has been a force. The Sun Devils’ QB has 1,628 yards on the season, with 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Defensively, linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and defensive back Myles Rowser have been key contributors. Elliott leads the teams in tackles with 67 and 4 sacks. Rowser has 57 total tackles and 2 passes defended.
Iowa State QB Rocco Becht is going to have to be on top of his game against the Sun Devils. So far, Becht has thrown for 1,933 yards, 10 TDs, and 6 INTs. On the defense, DB Marcus Neal Jr. will be one to watch out for. The disruptive Neal Jr. has 54 total tackles, a sack, and three passes defended.
The Red Raiders were the juggernaut and top team in the Big 12 just weeks ago, but a misstep against Arizona State allowed BYU to pass them. The Wildcats had high expectations coming into the season, but have failed to meet them thus far. But Kansas State has shown flashes of those preseason projections, dominating Kansas, TCU, and UCF. While being 3-1 in their past four games, the Wildcats could play spoiler in the Big 12.
Red Raiders’ QB Behren Morton has struggled with injuries this season. He was available for the Red Raiders’ previous game against Oklahoma State, but did not play. Will Hammond, who started in his stead, tore his ACL against the Cowboys. Should Morton be able, the Red Raiders will need him to play.
With Texas Tech’s health concerns, if Kansas State indeed wants to play spoiler, QB Avery Johnson has to put on a show. This season, Johnson has thrown for 1,792 yards, 15 TDs, and 2 INTs. If QB health is in question, look out for LB Desmond Purnell to make things difficult. Purnell has 46 total tackles and 2 sacks for a big loss of 16 yards. That is the last thing Texas Tech wants to see coming towards a hobbled QB.
The Big 12 will finally get some ESPN Gameday representation, as the show will travel to Salt Lake City for No. 24 Utah vs No. 17 Cincinnati. The Bearcats have been the surprise of the season, sitting at second in the Big 12 with a 5-0 record in conference play. In the grand scheme of things, Utah has two quality losses to BYU and Texas Tech, but that does not matter in conference championship consideration.
The Utes find themselves on the outside looking in, needing a lot to go in their favor to make the Big 12 championship game and the College Football Playoff. When the Utes played Colorado last week, they were without standout QB Devon Dampier. Dampier will likely play this game and will have to be his best self to get past the Bearcats.
Brendan Sorsby has been having a great season for the Bearcats, throwing for 1,843 yards, 20 TDs, and only 1 INT. That is the type of production that can take down a good team in a hostile environment. LB Jake Golday can make Dampier’s night a rough one, with 67 total tackles and 3.5 sacks. This week is a must-watch for the Big 12.
Another week of Big 12 Conference football is in the books. Week 10 was marked as a key week for the conference, and it did not disappoint.
TJ Chapman
Editor
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