College Football Coverage: Texas Survives While Baylor Thrives

TheSportsNotebook.com’s college football coverage has updated its BCS bowl projections following Week 4, with a special look at the chances of Fresno State rising out of the Mountain West. As part of a conference-by-conference wrap-up of the week, here’s a look at the Big 12…

Big 12:, Mack Brown  joined USC’s Lane Kiffin, as a high-profile coach on the hot seat and Brown’s  team, like Kiffin’s, bailed him out in a 31-21 win over Kansas State. The Longhorns benefitted from the return of quarterback David Ash, who had been listed as “out” on the injury report, but came back and provided some support to a running game that controlled the game, thanks to Jonathan Gray’s 141 yards. Texas lives to fight another day. Kansas State has the same 2-2 record, but the Wildcats have just done nothing to suggest they can be competitive in the Big 12. Only the fact Bill Snyder is their coach keeps me from writing off their bowl chances completely.

Let’s not sleep on Baylor. The Bears dropped 70 on Sun Belt contender UL-Monroe, leading 35-0 by the end of the first quarter. They got a couple defensive touchdowns, they got a big game from Lache Seastrunk on the ground and Bryce Petty threw for 311 yards in the air. Perhaps Baylor might get in the discussion with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State as a legitimate title contender of possible BCS at-large candidate.

The Sooners and Cowboys were both idle in what was a quiet week for the conference. Oklahoma State gets its chance to tee off on West Virginia next week, while Oklahoma’s game with TCU—another idle team—will provide a read on the Sooners’ capacity to compete for a national title and that of the Horned Frogs to impact the conference race.

Other post-Week 4 thoughts from the power conferences…

SEC: Alabama Fails To Impress Again
Pac-12: Stanford Flexes Its Muscle
ACC: Clemson Gets The Win It Needed To
Big Ten: Weakness Keeps Showing