Big 12 Power Rankings: Texas Beats Oklahoma, Big 12 Up In The Air
By Ben Nielsen
Oct 12, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown celebrates winning the Red River Rivalry against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cotton Bowl Stadium. The Texas Longhorns beat the Oklahoma Sooners 36-20. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
2. Texas Longhorns
Record: 4-2 (3-0)
Previous Ranking: 5
Last Week: Texas 36, Oklahoma 20
This Week: Bye
Next Week: at TCU
Remember when we (read: me) thought Texas was going to miss a bowl game altogether? Whoops. Texas has ripped off three-straight wins since, including a tremendous performance over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
They’ve from “Fire Mack Brown” to “Top of the Big 12” in a month.
With that said, beware of TCU.
If there was ever a let down game, TCU would be it in two weeks. Texas’ new style of winning relies on a power run game and a more aggressive defense that is still leaky against the run. TCU is built to stop and take advantage of both of those things.
This isn’t to say TCU will win, but it is the type of game that could give Texas fits. TCU is among the conference’s best at stoping the run (3.2 yards per carry) and pass (6.2 yards per completion), and is best in the league in sacking the quarterback. No running game plus pressure on Colt McCoy isn’t a recipe that should sound to appealing to Longhorns fans.
But TCU can’t move the ball on offense whatsoever, ranking 100th in the nation in passing yards per game and 92nd in rushing yards. This should be Texas’ saving grace.
Assuming a win over TCU, Texas has Kansas at home and West Virginia on the road before the gauntlet of OSU, Texas Tech, and Baylor.
For now, though, Texas controls their own destiny in the Big 12, which is more than we thought we’d be saying a month ago.