Weekend Warzone: Tell your children about Iowa State

It was another exciting and weird week in the Big 12. Top teams had to escape close road games, TCU’s defense flashed it’s best self, and Iowa State is 5-2, and 3-1 in conference play. You read that correctly, Iowa State is currently in a four-way tie for second place in the Big 12 with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia.

....and TCU goes to Ames next week.

No. 4 TCU 43, Kansas 0

Let’s not get it twisted, Kansas is really bad. But what we saw on Saturday night wasn’t just a bad offense, it was an incredible defense taking advantage of a bad offense. In every way possible. TCU allowed 21 total yards to Kansas on offense. The Jayhawks had negative 25 yards rushing.

Meanwhile, Kenny Hill was fantastic again, completing 73% of his passes for 278 yards and five touchdowns. Just think what his numbers might have been, had he played in the fourth quarter. John Diarse and Jalen Reagor are separating themselves as the best receivers on the team, and we even got a little Turpin Time to get everyone out of their seat.

We had 17 takeaways here at FOW, while Rock Chalk Talk rightfully wants everyone fired.

Iowa State 31, Texas Tech 13

It’s a weird thing to say: “The Cyclones had the most impressive victory of any Big 12 team on Saturday.” But, I think it actually might be true.

Yes, TCU absolutely dominated Kansas 43-0, taking them to the woodshed, and then to another woodshed, and then to a third and final woodshed where they dug a hole and gently put Kansas’ entire offense in it. But Iowa State went into Lubbock on Saturday and dominated them.

The Cyclones held Tech to 336 yards of offense and just 13 points, while forcing three turnovers. Iowa State has now won three straight conference games since their weird loss to Texas, and oh god TCU has to go to Ames next weekend.

Wide Right Natty Lite is one big party right now in the comments, While Viva the Matadors is left wondering if Kliffy needs to go.

No. 10 Oklahoma State 13, Texas 10

There’s one thing we know about this Texas team: they play really, really good defense. It’s unfortunate that their offense can’t help them out at all, or the Longhorns might actually be good. Sure Sam Ehlinger is young and tough, but he made some big mistakes on Saturday, none bigger than his interception in the endzone to end overtime, and the game. Throw it away, kid, throw it away.

Cowboys Ride For Free is really worried about a beaten up offensive line moving forward, while Burnt Orange Nation is getting all to used to having its heart broken.

No. 9 Oklahoma 42, Kansas State 35

This was exactly the game TCU needed it to be. Oklahoma won in Manhattan, but it took literally the entire game to make it happen, while Alex Delton and Kansas State looked much, much better on offense than they did a week ago. Delton ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, and completed 12 of his 14 pass attempts, while throwing for another touchdown. Kansas State as a team ran for 268 yards on the ground.

Oklahoma’s defense really couldn’t do anything to stop Kansas State, and they should just appreciate the fact that Baker Mayfield and the offense had the ball to end the game. Rodney Anderson’s beautiful rushing touchdown in the waning seconds kept Oklahoma from being handed its second Big 12 loss of the season, and kept them in the race to reach the Big 12 Championship.

Crimson and Cream Machine knows they escaped with one on Saturday, while Bring on the Cats is tired of bad playcalling.

No. 23 West Virginia 38, Baylor 36

I tweeted way too early about this game on Saturday night, and fortunately the karmic Twitter justice gods (not to be mistaken for the true gods of karma) had taken the night off. West Virginia almost found themselves on the receiving end of what they did to Texas Tech a week ago, as the Mountaineer defense gave up 23 unanswered points to freshman Charlie Brewer and the Baylor offense.

A touchdown from Brewer to Trestan Ebner cut the game to two points with under 20 seconds remaining in the game, but Brewer took a sack on the ensuing two point conversion, and West Virginia held on to get the W. Baylor is going to win a game at some point this season, and I pray to God it doesn’t happen against TCU on Black Friday. On a side note, David Sills V should just go ahead and get every receiving award there is.

Smoking Musket is glad that karma remains undefeated, while Our Daily Bears is pretty convinced they have the best 0-7 team of all time.