Big XII Roundup: Week 13

The Big XII title game is set and nine teams are going bowling

Things didn't exactly go to plan early on Saturday, but after a real scare, Oklahoma State faces Texas in Dallas in the Big XII title game while seven other teams await the announcement as to what bowls they will play in. We recap all the Big XII action below as the regular season came to a conclusion.

Texas punched their ticket to the Big XII title game in emphatic fashion on Friday night, thrashing Texas Tech 57-7. Texas scored touchdowns basically every way you can in a football game, through the air, on the ground, on a kick return, and defensively on an interception. They also added five field goals to secure the blowout win. Quinn Ewers threw for 196 yards and Jaydon Blue ran for 121 to pace the Longhorns who were using backups by the time this game reached the third quarter including highly rated Arch Manning at quarterback. Texas plays in the title game against Oklahoma State on Saturday while Texas Tech waits to discover its bowl game fate.

Oklahoma State did it the hard way. The Cowboys went down 24-6 at the half before rebounding and eventually beating BYU in two overtimes, 40-34. Ollie Gordon was an important piece of the OSU game plan as he always is, but his performance on Saturday was next level. Gordon pounded away at BYU and finished with 166 yards on the ground amassing five touchdowns, tying an Oklahoma State record with some dude named Barry Sanders. The Cowboys battled away, eventually taking a 27-24 lead with just 53 seconds to go, but the Cougars tied the game on a 44 yard field goal to send it to OT. In the overtime, the two teams traded TDs before Oklahoma State took the lead in the second extra frame. The Cowboys then ended it after forcing a fumble and recovering the ball. After a weird season where they lost to South Alabama, Okie State will take on Texas for the Big XII title.

Oklahoma took care of business in the first game of the weekend, topping TCU 69-45. Dillon Gabriel threw for 400 yards and three touchdowns in the game while running back Gavin Sawchuk also scored three times on the ground while racking up 130 yards in the process. Billy Bowman put the icing on the cake on senior day in Norman with a spectacular twisting and turning pick six with six minutes to go. TCU’s season is over with a 5-7 record while Oklahoma awaits their bowl game announcement.

K-State had nothing to play for by the time their game against Iowa State kicked off, but the two teams offered up an entertaining game in the snow with Iowa State prevailing 42-35 in Manhattan. Iowa State running back Abu Sama III smashed away for 276 yards and three scores on the ground and QB Rocco Becht only completed eight passes but accumulated 230 yards and three touchdowns in the process. But it wasn’t just the offense, as the defense stopped K-State on a fourth down late in the game to seal the win. Both teams finished 6-3 in the league and await their bowl fates.

UCF had bowl eligibility on the line when they traveled to Houston to take on the Cougars. The Knights powered past Houston 27-13 and qualified for a bowl in their first season in the Big XII. It is UCF’s eighth consecutive season playing in a bowl game and a nice accomplishment as the only newcomer to the league this year to secure a .500 overall record. RJ Harvey rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the win for the Knights who await a bowl game announcement. Houston will try to regroup for 2024 after finishing the season on a three game losing streak.

West Virginia and Baylor played the least consequential game in the last week of the league slate with the Mountaineers already bowl eligible and the Bear mired in a dismal season. Well, that dismal season continued as West Virginia went to Waco and beat Baylor 34-31. West Virginia QB Garrett Greene passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more as WVU improved to 8-4 on the season and waits to see which bowl they will play in. Baylor has nine months to contemplate how it all went wrong.

Big XII Standings:

1. Texas, 11-1, 8-1
2. Oklahoma State 9-3, 7-2
3. Oklahoma 10-2, 7-2
4. Iowa State 7-5, 6-3
5. K-State, 8-4, 6-3
6. West Virginia 8-4, 6-3
7. Texas Tech 6-6, 5-4
8. Kansas 8-4, 5-4
9. UCF 5-6, 3-6
10. TCU, 5-7, 3-6
11. BYU 5-7, 2-7
12. Houston 4-8, 2-7
13. Baylor 3-9, 2-7
14. Cincinnati 3-9, 1-8

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