Big 12 Light

The No. 1 Curse strikes again, and Baylor becomes bowl eligible. Welcome to week eight.

North

Texas Tech 27, Colorado 24
The third quarter belonged to the Buffs, but Tech took over during the fourth and took home the win. The Red Raiders came back from a 10-point deficit on Matt Williams’s leg. He kicked the clutch field goal with 2 minutes and 8 seconds left in the game. Colorado couldn’t get anything going on the ground. Of 32 attempts, the Buffs only got 28 rushing yards. A ground game could’ve given Colorado another dimension on offense that might’ve helped against Tech. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Sorry, Buffs, you were close, but the Raiders won this close match.

Texas A&M 45, Kansas 10
I don’t know what’s more shocking, 130 yards in penalties or Jerrod Johnson being benched in the second quarter? Yes, the turnover-prone Johnson was a key factor in the Aggies’s three-game losing streak, but A&M wasn’t in a desperate position when Johnson was pulled from the game. He had completed 60 percent of his passes for 139 yards and no interceptions, and A&M was up 17-3. Did the A&M coaches see another meltdown on the horizon? Or were they just taking preventative measures? Either way, backup QB Ryan Tannehill led the Aggies to four more touchdowns and the win.

No. 11 Missouri 36, No. 1 Oklahoma 27
First Alabama, then Ohio State and now Oklahoma. Being No. 1 in the polls sucks this season. Despite the No. 1 Curse, Missouri was a formidable opponent for Oklahoma to face off against, and the Tigers started the game out right. Gahn McGaffie returned the first kickoff of the game 86 yards for a touchdown. Missouri controlled the clock, keeping the ball for over 38 minutes, and Blaine Gabbert completed 71 percent of pass attempts for 308 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. Landry Jones had two uncharacteristic interceptions, and the Sooners ground game stalled. Oklahoma’s trip to Columbia proved fatal, but at least the Tigers are enjoying a nice Homecoming.

South

Baylor 47, No. 22 Kansas State 42
The Wildcats made a late surge, scoring the last TD in the final 7 seconds of the game, but it wasn’t enough. The Baylor offense racked up almost 700 total yards, and Robert Griffin had a stellar game. He threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns, the best he’s done in any single game so far this season. With this win, Baylor is now bowl eligible and might make its first bowl game since 1995. And the Bears may just crack the top 25.

No. 16 Nebraska 51, No. 14 Oklahoma State 41
Two high-octane offenses, and both lived up to the reputation. Taylor Martinez threw five touchdown passes, and Brandon Weedon threw two touchdowns while Kendall Hunter ran in two more. The two offenses combined for more than 1,000 total yards. My question is, where were either teams’ defenses? Apparently, not on the field.

Iowa State 28, Texas 21
The Texas offense again sputtered. The Longhorns outgained the Cyclones in total yards, and they only had three penalties for 25 yards. But turnovers were killer. In addition to one lost fumble, Garrett Gilbert threw three interceptions. The game against Nebraska looks to be more of a fluke than a turning point for Texas.