Big 12 Quote Board

The Big 12 was turned on its head a bit this past weekend with Nebraska losing to Texas and Oklahoma State and Missouri getting huge road wins, not to mention Oklahoma getting the nod as the #1 team in the BCS. The end result is some huge games this weekend with  the balance of power in the conference at stake. Here's what's buzzing around SBN's Big 12 blogs. 

This will be short and sweet. Everyone gets an F save the RBs because I thought Christine Michael ran hard. This game reminded me a lot of the ISU game in '05. That was the game that I decided to give up my season tickets. I cannot recall ever seeing an A&M team come out more uninspired in a game that they needed so badly as they did against Mizzou. I do not know how long Byrne and the powers that be think that the fans will keep paying to watch this inferior product. If we do not see a drastic turnaround on the field, then we need to find a new coach and athletic director. Bill Byrne could have gone after anyone in the nation and he chose Sherman. If Sherman does not work out, it is on Byrne. It is time to put up or shut up. - I Am The 12th Man

We all saw it. We are all still asking this question. Obviously, it's really hard to stomach this loss, and I think my personal biggest concern going forward is that our players are going to lose motivation, because it seemed like their entire motivation for this season was built on beating Texas.

I am really afraid that the loss to Texas hurt their pride so much, that they could fall into a "What's the point?" mentality and 2010 will turn into 2007 fast. What this years team needs is a leader, a guy who we know will rally the troops both on the field and off the field. In 2007 the team really lacked a specific player who was a leader on and off the field, that combined with poor coaching led to a 5-7 season. - Corn Nation

A lot to talk about here, and we will get to it more in-depth throughout the week. For now, leave your thoughts in the comments. Here are a few quick thoughts from me.

That was the most complete game Oklahoma State has played all season (blowouts excluded).  The Pokes jumped up early, controlled the game (outside of the stretch in the 2nd quarter), and protected the lead. It was the type of steady performance we have been waiting to see. - Cowboys Ride For Free

Do I have to write about this? For real?

The game was just brutal. We were beat in all phases of the game, and one has to believe this is starting to wear the guys down mentally. Oklahoma looked sharp coming off a bye, not flat like Tech was, and it had to have made a huge difference in the game.

Landry Jones threw only 4 incomplete passes (30 for 34) the entire time he was out there. Ryan Broyles set an OU record with most receptions in the game (15, 13 of which came in the first half), and OU as a whole rushed for nearly 6 yards/carry. - Clone Chronicles

Normally in this space I would take a look back at how the Jayhawks did according to Denver's keys to the game. However, since saying we didn't do well 5 times doesn't seem like a lot of fun, instead I decided to look at the first six games of the Turner Gill era and examine how they stack up to the first six games of other KU coaches (which admittedly doesn't sound like too much fun either. - Rock Chalk Talk

The morning of the game, I told my dad that I didn't have a good feel if Texas would win or not, but I told him Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez was going to have a long afternoon. I was wrong. He had a really short afternoon.

Martinez, who came into the game averaging almost 11 yards per carry, was shut down with 1.6 yards per carry and had just 63 yards passing. He was benched in the second half.

The Texas defense had its best performance since the Texas Tech game, holding Nebraska's offense to just 202 total yards and two field goals. Nebraska prepared a red-out, but they should have been prepared to get shutout - of the end zone, that is. - Burnt Orange Nation

1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME? | Make sure and watch the coordinators from yesterday's post-game press conference. I've done a non-transcript and up first is OC Neal Brown:

OC Neal Brown: Just didn't play very well. Somewhat uninspired early in the costest. Didn't finish plays. Guys are down, Oklahoma St. took the fight to the team. Played with sense of urgency against Baylor. Still did some good things. Early in the game, those first 4 or 5 drives, it was bad technique. Same opening script against Baylor. Drive oriented offense. Not going to hit a ton of big plays. Capable of doing that and can't overcome negative plays. Nobody to be frustrated except with ourselves. Try to figure out what's going on, from pre-game, to what we eat, to how we practice. If we're not ready to go, I don't understand. Only get 12 games, should be ready and up to play. - Double T Nation

In 5 of the last 9 years, the team that opened up the initial BCS poll at the #1 position finished at the top spot after the conference championship games. Only two of the nine teams finished outside the top 5, and none finished outside the top 10. In the table below, the losses column indicates the number of losses from the time the first BCS poll was released through the week of the conference championship games. - Crimson And Cream Machine

Actually, first a word about happiness.  Few weekends are as positive for one school as this one was for Missouri.  Never mind the growing buzz about Mizzou Basketball, or the big win for Mizzou Volleyball, or even Ian Kinsler's big hits for the Rangers in the ALDS (and Game 2, at least, of the ALCS).  Everything we hoped we would see from the Mizzou football program, we saw this weekend.  Here's the big, five-star, golden boy recruit making good.  Here's a defense that is improving by the second.  Here's a coaching staff pushing all the right buttons.  Here are two former stars, so tremendously likable, making a killing in the NFL.  Here's ESPN deciding that Columbia is finally ready for its Gameday close-up.  (And yes, here's Nebraska losing and Kansas dropping below Washington State on the BCS conference totem pole.)

Weekends aren't always like this.  We hope this coming one will be even better, and it may be, but it also might be worse.  Savor the good ones. - Rock M Nation

First of all, a lot of credit to Carson Coffman for delivering a bigtime performance last night.  The overall numbers in terms of yards gained weren't eye-popping, but it's everything we could ask from Coffman and more.  He had 184 yards passing on 15 completions in 16 attempts, and the only incompletion was an out-and-out drop.  Add to that 42 yards rushing on 10 attempts with three touchdowns and you have a great game.

Next, the defense deserves its due for bouncing back from an embarrassing outing against Nebraska last Thursday to shut down KU's (admittedly inept) offense.  After KU's first six drives in the first half, K-State had held the 'beaks to 62 total yards.  Just like everyone else in purple, I would have loved to see a shutout, but there's little to complain about from the defense's effort on Thursday. - Bring On The Cats