Texas Tech is at the forefront of several longtime programs in the new Big 12.
In the last two years, the conference has brought in eight new schools, and some are influencing the race for the title game. However, Texas Tech, Iowa State, and West Virginia represent the established teams, alongside newcomers Colorado and BYU, all of which remain unbeaten in conference play.
Last Saturday, Texas Tech won against Arizona with a score of 28-22, bringing their conference record to 3-0. The Red Raiders have won their conference games by a total of 17 points, putting them at the top of the standings. They will take a break before hosting Baylor next.
“We got to the bye, we put ourselves in a good position,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “We’ve got to get healthy. We’ve got to fix some things, you know, and then we’ve got to go 1-0. … You can’t get ahead of yourself. You’ve got to be in the moment.”
The Big 12 was formed in 1996 when four Texas schools from the old Southwest Conference joined members of the Big 8. Iowa State from the Big 8 and Texas Tech from the Southwest were part of the conference’s first year, while West Virginia joined in 2012.
None of these three teams have won a Big 12 title, but their chances of finally achieving that have greatly improved since Texas and Oklahoma left for the Southeastern Conference in July. Texas, ranked No. 1, and Oklahoma, ranked No. 18, are set to face off in Dallas on Saturday, a matchup that used to have implications for the Big 12 title.
Now, Iowa State and West Virginia are in the title hunt, both starting the league at 2-0. Iowa State is the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 at No. 11, having beaten Baylor 43-21 last Saturday, while West Virginia defeated Oklahoma State 38-14.
Iowa State’s offense has relied heavily on quarterback Rocco Becht, who has thrown for 1,173 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Cyclones coach Matt Campbell praised Becht for his smart play.
“It’s great to have great targets to throw to, but I think the ability to have the poise in the moment and be able to read the entire field … the thing that’s been fun about those — it’s not the first read, it’s the second, third or fourth read in the progression,” Campbell said. “It tells you his moxie and his growth.”
Iowa State is at the top of the Big 12 for total defense, allowing only 271.6 yards per game.
West Virginia’s strong ground game ranks third in the conference, gaining 223 yards per game. Quarterback Garrett Greene and running backs C.J. Donaldson and Jahiem White form a powerful trio. The Mountaineers rushed for 389 yards and controlled the ball for nearly 44 minutes last Saturday.
Oklahoma State started the season as one of the favorites in the conference. The Cowboys have been hard to beat at home under coach Mike Gundy for the past twenty years, making this win significant for the Mountaineers.
“Against a team like this — even though the season may not be going for them like they would like it to, for us to come out like that for a full 60 minutes and play the way we did — that adds a lot of confidence, especially going to next week’s game with a really good team,” said West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter.
All three of Texas Tech’s wins in the Big 12 have come against newer conference members — Arizona State, Cincinnati, and, most recently, Arizona on the road last Saturday.
Tahj Brooks leads the conference with 679 rushing yards, averaging 135.8 yards per game. He ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona. The Red Raiders are third in the league with 460.5 total yards per game.
The most important number for McGuire is the team’s record.
“There have been dogfights,” the Texas Tech coach said. “I think that’s how the Big 12 is going to be every single week. And then we’ll be right there as far as, like — I mean, we’re OK playing these one-score games, and we’re going to play for four quarters.”
