In this week’s Big 12 roundtable, we break down the Russell Athletic and Advocare V100 Texas bowls from Wednesday night as well as look ahead to the Thursday night Valero Alamo Bowl:
What was the biggest takeaway from Miami’s 31-14 win over West Virginia?
Mitch Sherman: West Virginia’s anemic offensive showing served as a condemnation of defense in the Big 12 -- and in a roundabout way, offensive play in the league, too. The Mountaineers ate up yards in bunches during conference play, outgaining even Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in losses. They managed just 229 total and 95 rushing yards against Miami, both season-lows. Dana Holgorsen described the Hurricanes, after this defeat, as “the best defense we faced all year.” And really, it doesn’t look close. So what does that say? Well, if Miami, which lost four straight games midseason, stacks up that well against Big 12 defenses, those gaudy offensive numbers posted by WVU and others are surely somewhat inflated.
Max Olson: I felt like the Mountaineers missed their big opportunity early in that game. Their defense was totally flustering Brad Kaaya and forced punts on the Canes’ first six drives. West Virginia’s offense squandered its chance to take over the game there by making too many mistakes and failing to sustain drives in the first half. In fact, they finished with negative-12 yards of offense in the second quarter on four drives. That’s brutal. Credit Miami’s defense, which was terrific over the course of the night and especially up front.
Jake Trotter: Even though the Mountaineers didn’t play well defensively, I put this loss on the offense. The Mountaineers were awesome on defense early, but when they forced Miami into five punts to start the game and the West Virginia offense did nothing with it, the defense seemed to lose its edge. West Virginia is going to need more from its passing attack next season to be a factor in the Big 12 race again. Maybe Will Grier will be the answer.
What was the biggest takeaway from K-State’s 33-28 victory over Texas A&M?
Sherman: Kansas State is capable of scoring in a flash? Even against the suspect defenses of the Big 12, the Wildcats almost never looked interested offensively in anything but grinding out drives. And maybe, that’s it -- maybe K-State has been capable all along of the 79-yard Jesse Ertz-to-Byron Pringle pass and the 52-yard touchdown run by Dominique Heath that we saw in the first half Wednesday night. Maybe it just didn’t want to play that style in the Big 12. The aforementioned K-State stars on offense from the Texas Bowl all return next season. Don’t sleep on the Cats.
Olson: I thought Ertz did an impressive job of managing the game and taking what the Aggies gave him. He hit open receivers and did a great job of executing in the run game. Yes, Texas A&M’s defense was mighty porous to finish the year, and that’s inexcusable considering how much talent Kevin Sumlin and John Chavis are working with, but K-State’s offense kept the pressure on that D all night and did just enough to hold on. Definitely intrigued to see how much better Ertz gets as a junior.
Trotter: Was there a player in the Big 12 that improved more after October than Ertz? On Wednesday, Ertz delivered arguably the best performance of his career with 195 yards passing, 67 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Ertz also completed 14 of 20 passes, as K-State controlled the game from the second quarter on. Bill Snyder’s contending teams have always featured a veteran quarterback. Ertz will be just that next season. And he’ll be surrounded by an impressive front line of teammates on both sides of the ball.
What is the key for Oklahoma State against Colorado?
Sherman: For four weeks as I’ve looked at this game, rarely has my attention turned to the Colorado offense. The Buffaloes gained just 163 yards last time out against Washington and topped 400 yards just once in their final six games. Oklahoma State has to keep the Buffs in check. Sure, the Cowboys could win a shootout, but a better scenario for OSU involves stifling Colorado. I like the Pokes’ chances if Mason Rudolph needs to produce no more than 30 points against that strong Colorado defense. Oklahoma State, though gouged often in the Big 12, possesses the defenders at every level to cause problems for CU.
Olson: I think the absence of Jim Leavitt is going to be huge. He was one of the best defensive coordinators in the game this year at Colorado, and his departure to go work at Oregon is going to hurt the Buffs Thursday night. I’m sure the transition was probably smooth for CU players during bowl prep under Joe Tumpkin, but you need your absolute "A" game to stop this Oklahoma State offense, and that’s quite a tough task for a new defensive playcaller.
Trotter: Can Oklahoma State get the deep-ball connection back on track? Due to the rain, the Cowboys attempted only two passes downfield against Oklahoma (and completed both of them). When James Washington & Co. are threats to deliver big plays in the passing game, that opens up the rest of the field and allows the Cowboys to operate at maximum capacity offensively -- something that didn't happen in Norman.