BY: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
Big XII Week One Recap
Oregon VS Texas
Texas kicked off the week of Big XII action in a game against Oregon. This was labeled a must-watch game, and it did not disappoint. The Ducks held on to a small lead for most of the game. Texas had the ball, down by three, with 30 seconds and counting. It was fourth and nine with the ball on the 50-yard-line. Oregon fans thought they had this one in the bag. Then, Texas quarterback Kai Kohko fired a pass over the heads of the defenders to a streaking Wish Bishop. Bishop caught the ball at the 26-yard-line and outran everyone to the endzone. It was his only catch of the game.
Final score Texas 38, Oregon 34
Texas pulled off a dramatic win over a playoff-caliber team. They later watched two of the best conference rivals lose this week, which makes this win even more precious. The Longhorns will continue to chase their sixth conference title next week as they travel to Gainesville.
Oklahoma State VS Michigan
The Cowboys started their season by traveling to Solider Field for a neutral-site meeting with Big Ten powerhouse Michigan. It was a defensive slugfest for the first three quarters, but Michigan scored ten unanswered points in the fourth to come out with a win.
Final score Michigan 31, Oklahoma State 19
It isn’t the end of the world for the Pokes. The season is long and they lost to a quality opponent. They need to adjust and be ready to take on the Mountaineers in Morgantown next week. Having DE Les McAdoo back from suspension won’t hurt.
Florida VS Boise State
There were a lot of questions about how Boise State would handle the move to the Big XII, but if this game is any indication, they will be just fine. The Broncos’ quarterback Ryan Smith looked like the best player in the CFSL. Smith completed over 80% of his passes and found the endzone six times. He led the offense to the second highest scoring offense of this young season.
Final score Boise State 55, Florida 28
Boise will host a talented Michigan squad next week. This game is likely to have serious playoff implications. However, if Smith and company play half as well as they did Wednesday night they should be fine.
Illinois VS Missouri
When Missouri found out they were starting the season against an expansion team they were likely excited by the news. Now, however, they wished they played anyone else. The Illini thoroughly handled the Tigers, but there were bright spots. Mizzou quarterback Almedin Colakovic threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns. He did, however, throw the same number of interceptions.
Final score Illinois 48, Missouri 27
Missouri will have a great chance to bounce back next week. They travel to College Station to take on the Aggies, who many predicted to be one of the worst teams in the CFSL. However, they better come prepared. Texas A&M is not going to roll over for the Tigers. Just as in Nebraska.
Oklahoma VS Florida State
Athletic Director Dustin Hall shocked the league when he announced the Sooners would adopt a triple-option offense. Playing one of the best defenses in the league might not have been the best way to test out the new system. Oklahoma moved the ball, but they only converted 15% of their third down attempts. Their inability to convert on third and long stifled the majority of their drives.
Final score Florida State 34, Oklahoma 10
Oklahoma will have a much easier test against Nebraska next week. However, only one team scored less than the Sooners this week. If Oklahoma doesn’t get their offense figured out fast they could be headed for a trap game.
Nebraska VS Texas A&M
The only in-conference Big XII match-up of the week was a wild one. At halftime, Texas A&M led 28 to 9. The game looked in hand, but the Huskers had other plans. Nebraska battled back quickly, taking their first lead of the game 34 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Cornhuskers never gave the lead back.
Final score Nebraska 36, Texas A&M 34
For Nebraska, they will host a tough Oklahoma team next week. But the Sooners appear to have a weakness in their triple-option offense. If the Cornhuskers can pull off an upset, it would be their first-ever win over Oklahoma.
As for the Aggies, they host the Missouri Tigers. This is certainly a winnable game, but it won’t be easy. Maybe Texas A&M will run the ball a little more if they get a big lead.
