Tuesday brought a few clear themes across the Big 12, and Baylor, UCF and Texas Tech each offered one of their own.
Baylor’s win over Arizona State in Tempe changed the feel around the Bears in a hurry. They may not look like a true top-tier Big 12 title contender just yet, but they might not need to be. For the first time all season, Baylor showed what it can look like when everything clicks: DJ Lagway had his best game, the ground game showed up, and the defense made stops when it had to.
The bigger reason for optimism is what comes next. Baylor has a bye this weekend, then gets TCU, Kansas and UCF. Those are three games that look very winnable, and it would not be a surprise if the Bears are sitting at 7-1 overall and undefeated in Big 12 play when the calendar turns to the final month.
UCF, meanwhile, keeps getting hit by quarterback misfortune. Since the Knights joined the Big 12, it’s hard to think of another team that has dealt with worse luck at that position. Over the last four seasons, they’ve gone through so many quarterbacks that keeping track has become a challenge.
This year has followed the same script. Alonza Barnett III already went down earlier in the season, forcing Keyone Jenkins into action.
Then Jenkins got hurt against Houston last weekend, though he did return. Still, it raises the same question again: is there some kind of curse in Orlando for quarterbacks??
It’s tough enough to win with backup quarterbacks at this level, and UCF has spent far too much time asking its depth chart to carry the load.
Texas Tech’s problem is different, but it could end up being just as damaging. The Red Raiders keep coming out flat. Against Abilene Christian, Oregon State, Houston, Sam Houston and Colorado, they have not looked sharp in the first half of any of their five games.
The numbers show some balance, but not enough to erase the concern. Texas Tech has outscored opponents 66 to 45 in first halves, which is fine on paper but not nearly dominant enough given the schedule. The second half has been a completely different story, with the Red Raiders outscoring opponents 103 to 33 after halftime.
That split tells the whole story. Multiple times this season, Texas Tech has been behind at the break because the offense needs an entire half to get rolling.
If the Red Raiders are going to be the elite team they think they can be, they have to start faster. The good news is the back end of the schedule is manageable.
The bad news is that sooner or later, those slow starts are going to put them in a hole they can’t climb out of.
In Other News...
Colorado Bye Week Could Force Deion Sanders Into Tough Lineup Calls
After the win over Colorado, Texas Tech is watching a Buffaloes team that suddenly has a lot to sort through during its bye week. Deion Sanders said the break will be used to evaluate the roster and try to snap a three-game skid, with the staff looking hard at how individual players are developing before Utah comes into view.
That puts a few younger names in the spotlight, including freshman quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne, running back Damian Henderson II, offensive lineman Xavier Payne and safety Naeten Mitchell. For Colorado, the next stretch is about more than rest. It is about deciding which players can help stabilize the season, and which lineup changes might give the Buffaloes a better chance to get moving again. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech's Bye Week Could Define Whether This Team Is Real
Texas Tech heads into its bye week at 5-0 and ranked 11th nationally, which is the kind of start that forces people to start asking bigger questions about what this team really is. The record is spotless, but the performances have not always been, with the offense showing stretches of inconsistency and the line allowing too many plays to go backward while quarterback Will Hammond has had to navigate a heavier burden than the standings suggest.
The pause in the schedule gives the Red Raiders a chance to clean up the kinds of flaws that can get exposed once the games get harder. There is still plenty to like about where Texas Tech sits, but the next step is about whether it can sharpen the details on both sides of the ball and turn a promising start into something more durable. [Read more 🡒]