Around the Big 12: Week 13

Well, now, that was one hell of a week!

The Big 12 turned in a very exciting slate of games — and also the Texas-Kansas game — in the final week of the regular season. With all the action finally settled, and Oklahoma and Texas locked in to the Big 12 Conference Championship Game, let’s take a look at Week 13 in America’s Favorite Conference.

Texas (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) 24, Kansas (3-9, 1-8 Big 12) 17: I had a pretty good Thanksgiving — saw some family, ate some turkey, watched some football, played some golf, etc. I have a lot to be thankful for.

And yet, I still curse the heavens that Kansas couldn’t pull this one off.

The Jayhawks rallied, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter. Texas had to recover an onside kick to win, and now the Longhorns are going to the conference title game. I just don’t get it, man.

Oklahoma (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) 59, West Virginia (8-3, 6-3 Big 12) 56: This was Big 12 football at its finest, a matchup of two legitimately good teams that could not do a single thing to stop the other. I watched this game at the lone bar in my hometown Friday night with a very good friend of mine, and by the time it got to the fourth quarter I was barely paying attention to her and was trying to angle myself to get a better look at the TV.

Will Grier threw for 539 yards and four touchdowns, but had a bad fumble that helped Oklahoma win the game. Kyler Murray threw for 364 yards and ran for 114 more. Those are two of the best three quarterbacks in the country, and we’re lucky we’ve been able to watch them this season.

Iowa State (7-4, 6-3 Big 12) 42, Kansas State (5-7, 3-6 Big 12) 38: With 12:27 left in the fourth quarter, Kansas State scored to lead this game 38-21. It took less than eight minutes for Iowa State to score three times and take a lead it would not relinquish.

The Cyclones had three turnovers and still won. Kansas State won time of possession 35:18 to 24:42 and still lost. I didn’t watch this game, but I sort of wish I did, if only to watch Matt Campbell work his devil magic once again. (He’s definitely taking another job in the offseason, FYI.)

Baylor (6-6, 4-5 Big 12) 35, Texas Tech (5-7, 3-6) 24: Baylor became bowl eligible by winning this game on the strength of 308 passing yards from Charlie Brewer and 125 rushing yards from John Lovett. The Bears trailed 17-10 at halftime before winning the third quarter 14-0.

This might be the end for Kliff Kingsbury, and if so, that’ s a dang shame. It’s not that I can’t read the writing on the wall — the Red Raiders have slightly underperformed during his tenure. It’s that I think he’s a genius offensive coach and a very good dude who wanted to coach at his alma mater, and it didn’t go his way. I feel sorry for the guy, at least until I remember that he’s a rich, beautiful man in his early 40s with the world at his feet, and I’m a blogger in my parents’ basement who ate a ham sandwich for lunch and dinner three days in a row earlier his month to save money. Wreck ‘Em Tech, and all.

Hope y’all enjoyed the season. Stick around for next week’s Around the Big 12, in which I’ll give a short rundown of how each team’s season went. I don’t think my bosses here necessarily need me to do that, but I’ve got a few more weeks’ worth of Texas jokes I need to unload.