The Cowboys, ranked 14th in the initial College Football Playoff standings, are about to see their stock rise rapidly.
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Below are our recaps from the most important Week 11 results, followed by five key takeaways. But this showdown between ranked teams shouldn’t be overlooked. “We’ve got a long way to go to get up there”.
Oklahoma State travels to Iowa State next week, then the Cowboys face No. 2 Baylor and No. 14 Oklahoma at home.
There were changes on the other side of the ball as well. Iowa’s dream season will come crashing down.
Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph was rarely pressured or harassed en route to a stunningly efficient 16-24 for 352 yards – and 5 touchdowns in the air. With a defense that has shown real maturity over the last three games, they have an excellent opportunity to do so.
There was plenty of consternation in response to the selection committee’s choice of Alabama as the No. 4 team in last week’s rankings. Alabama outgained the Tigers by more than 250 yards, holding Leonard Fournette to 31 yards on 19 carries and looking roughly 10 clicks out of their league.
Shaun Nixon had career highs of nine catches and 146 yards, and KaVontae Turpin added seven catches for 107 yards for the Horned Frogs. TCU is the more tested of the two teams, and they have more on the line with a potential BCS game at stake.
Oklahoma State owns a schedule edge the rest of the way. Florida clinched the East with an ugly win against Vanderbilt, appropriate considering the level of play in that division.
GROUND GAMES: The biggest difference between the offenses is that TCU has run the ball well and Oklahoma State hasn’t.
As for the Buckeyes, all eyes are on those last two games against Michigan State (Nov. 21) and Michigan (Nov. 28). Junior quarterback Tyler Jones threw for 287 yards and a touchdown. The toughest game will likely be North Carolina in the conference championship game. Oklahoma State averages 53 penalty yards per game and opponents average 77. “You’re not going to come into an environment like this and have four turnovers and expect to win a game”.
Instead, TCU lost in blowout fashion.
Translating film study into playmaking was a theme of the night for OSU’s defense, as it wasn’t the only time it felt like the Cowboys were one step ahead of Heisman hopeful Boykin. Oklahoma State would score another touchdown in the first quarter on this time a 50 yard Rudholph-to-Washington connection. Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are the proverbial Big 12 tank while West Virginia, K-State and others are merely the grease used to tread the Big 12 tires. Hopefully, so will the ’15 Baylor game.
The Big 12 has one fewer unbeaten today.
TCU (-5) @ Oklahoma State – OSU isn’t very good as far as 8-0 teams go.
Ohio State looked a lot like the Ohio State of the sloppy first half of the season on Saturday against Minnesota: Cardale Jones started, and the Buckeyes didn’t score in the game’s first 25 minutes. But what if LSU and Alabama both win out?
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After the teams traded a couple three and out’s, the Pokes defense set the tone when Jordan Burton picked off Trevone Boykin for his first interception of the game.
