Tag: 2021 week 12

Texas loses again, hits rock bottom in latest Big 12 Power Rankings after week 12

The teams at the top of the conference took care of business this week, but how does the bottom half look after week 12 action in the Big 12

The Oklahoma State Cowboys clinched a spot in the Big 12 title game with their shutout win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders because of their head-to-head win over the Baylor Bears. The Oklahoma Sooners bounced back from their first loss of the season to beat the Iowa State Cyclones and control their own destiny heading into Bedlam. A win for the Sooners and they’re in.

A loss and a Baylor win and the Bears will be making the trip to Arlington looking to avenge their loss to the Cowboys from earlier in the season.

At the other end of the Big 12 power rankings, a big name team tumbled further down the list after their sixth straight loss, this time to West Virginia. The Texas Longhorns have now lost back-to-back games to the two teams that have been at or near the bottom of these rankings for much of this season; the Kansas Jayhawks and the West Virginia Mountaineers. Things are not good in Austin even if it’s still early in the Steve Sarkisian era.

The season’s almost over and several Big 12 teams are vying for bowl eligibility and Big 12 championship berths. It should make for an interesting final week of the season in the Big 12. With that, let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings after week 12 action.

Instant Takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 28-21 win over the Iowa State Cyclones

Instant takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners gritty 28-21 win over the Iowa State Cyclones.

On a day when the Oklahoma Sooners offense couldn’t do much through the air — again — the Sooners did what they needed to in order to secure their 10th win of the season and move one step closer to securing a berth in the Big 12 championship game.

It was an impressive performance for the defense who played in Brock Purdy’s face all game long and the running game found its footing after several weeks of underwhelming performances against Kansas, Texas Tech, and Baylor.

Though Caleb Williams and the passing game struggled, he made a difference with his legs on the Sooners’ first score of the game, taking the ball 74 yards for the touchdown. Kennedy Brooks provided a fantastic lead block that sprung to go the distance for the score.

The Sooners won their seventh one-score game of the season, which is an impressive feat. Though impressive in some areas, there are some things they need to work on before heading to Stillwater next Saturday for Bedlam. But before we get to that, let’s take a look at some instant takeaways from the Sooners 28-21 win over Iowa State.

3 Oklahoma Sooners to watch vs. the Iowa State Cyclones

As the Sooners offense prepares for their matchup with Iowa State, these three players are key to Oklahoma bouncing back.

While the Sooners entered their bye week a few weeks ago flying high offensively, they came out of the bye, went to Waco, and struggled against the Baylor Bears defense.

The team as a whole lost, but at multiple moments throughout the game, the defense showed they were ready to compete. The same cannot be said about an offense that looked as flat as a fresh piece of paper. It’s time to flip that page and start anew.

More precisely, three players on the offensive side of the ball must bury last week’s shortcomings and ready themselves for another war against Iowa State. Their contributions are paramount to Oklahoma’s chances to win this game.

Caleb Williams, QB

Earlier this week, we mentioned Caleb Williams is one of a handful of players that needed a major bounceback this game. With that being the case, it’s only right your starting true freshman quarterback is also a key to the game this week. It’s quite simple. When Williams plays to the level we’ve seen, Baylor notwithstanding, Oklahoma can operate on offense at a level Sooner fans have grown accustomed to.

Maybe it was the first true road game atmosphere in very hostile territory that rattled him but he’s back home and has had all week to work through things.

Iowa State runs a 3-3-5. There’s likely to be a lot of Cover 3 or Cover 1 played for the Sooners and the Cyclones will try to speed up Williams decision making. Decisiveness with the ball will be key.

After seeing quite a few blitzes last week, maybe Williams is better prepared and his coaches also tweak their game plan to give him some quick throws when Iowa State brings pressure. If he plays well, the Sooners win this game.

Up Next: Williams needs help up front

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Oklahoma Sooners vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Get ready for Saturday’s matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Iowa State Cyclones with our Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

After a week of drama after the loss to Baylor and wild head coaching rumors, it’s time to put that behind us and get ready for an actual football game. In search of a redemptive performance, Saturday can’t get here fast enough for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Coming to town is a tough Iowa State team that’s suffered a disappointing 2021. A team that was supposed to contend for a Big 12 title in 2021 is scratching and clawing to stay relevant for a title game spot in a couple weeks.

Neither team can afford another loss, which should lead to focused effort from the two sides.

This is a gut-check game for both teams. The Cyclones are coming off a tough loss to Texas Tech last week and the Sooners are looking to rebound from their loss to the Bears. A great game is about to take place in Norman, which looks on paper to be another tight one for the Oklahoma Sooners.

With that, let’s take a look at this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions!

Up Next: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

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