By: David Ware (@davidware)
Handling High Blood Pressure
It is almost guaranteed that if you are a coach or player in the Big XII, you are going to have high blood pressure. Almost every game is high-pressure, high-intensity, and drama-filled. Texas held on by a three-point win, and Colorado held off LSU by just five points. Oklahoma’s athletic director, Dustin Hall, managed his blood pressure as the Sooners won by 21 points against the Aggies. West Virginia has lost the last three games by a total of 10 points and LSU has a win and a loss in the last two weeks with a three-point difference. Colorado has won two of the last four games by seven points and lost one by seven points. The Sooners have had two different games end by three points and they split those games. The Aggies lost both of the one-score games they have been involved in this year. I am not one to give advice when it comes to sportsbooks, but it seems like a safe bet to pick the underdog to cover the point spread.
The parity of the Big XII is amazing with four of the six teams having at least two wins and every team having at least one sin so far. It honestly feels like any week we can see any of the Big XII teams win a narrow game one interesting stat is that the worst net points in the conference is (-41). The ACC has two teams with a worse net and the SEC has one team with a bigger negative net.
The Tigers On the Verge of Hitting Next Level
The LSU Tigers are rebuilding under Hall of Fame Athletic Director Josh Claydon and it is a fair assessment that they are ahead of the expected learning curve. Claydon is eight seasons removed from his last championship with Notre Dame and he had four seasons of just 0.500 football. This LSU team though has taken huge strides in improving and is currently (2-3) on the season and in third place in the Big XII. The Tigers have scored the second-highest amount of points in the conference.
Tavon Moss has had a huge sophomore year and is averaging 97 more passing yards per game and only one less touchdown than he had in eight games at Clemson last year. His touchdown ratio went from 1.27 touchdowns to interceptions last year and this year it is 1.88 touchdowns per interception. One big benefit that LSU has given Moss is only being sacked six times this year compared to 20 sacks last year. Moss has had more time to make his reads and find his receivers. Junior Wide Receiver Dakoda Cydrus has been the primary weapon for Moss with 30 catches, 626 yards, and four touchdowns. Last season he averaged 9.3 yards per reception compared to this year’s 20.9 yards per reception. The Tigers would be in the playoffs as of right now and they are going to be a dangerous team should they continue their success.
Big XII Notable Performances of Week 5
The combo of Nasir Pope and Dakoda Cydrus produced 16 catches, 319 yards, and two touchdowns for LSU. Colorado had a great rushing effort from Halfback Taylor James, 30 carries, 136 yards, and two touchdowns. Linebacker Hannibal Recker had 12 tackles, one for a loss, a pass deflection, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery for Colorado in their win over LSU. Texas had a great performance from freshman Quarterback Spunky Tolbert with 418 passing yards, 88 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns. Dylan Powell and Charlie Jo combined for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Linebacker Brandon Chen added 13 tackles, three for a loss, and a sack for Texas as well. For West Virginia Gunner Rice had a near-perfect game with 403 passing yards, three touchdowns, and 64 rushing yards. His wide receiver Jay Pittman had six catches for 132 yards and a touchdown this week. Texas A&M had a solid performance from Wide Receiver Eli Riggins with eight catches, 134 yards, and two touchdowns. Oklahoma Quarterback Himoteo Del Este had another stellar performance with 314 passing yards, 128 rushing yards, and seven total touchdowns. This has become a regular for Del Este.
Big XII Week 5 Results
Texas defeated West Virginia 31-28
Colorado defeated LSU 40-35
Oklahoma defeated Texas A&M 55-34
Big XII Week 6 Schedule
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Colorado at Oklahoma 6:30 PM CST (Twitch)
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
LSU at Texas 8:30 PM CST (Twitch)
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Texas A&M at West Virginia 8:30 PM CST (YouTube)
Potential Big XII Game of the Week
This week presents some big games for the Big XII and the playoffs. Texas can pretty much guarantee a playoff spot with a win over LSU. It doesn’t lock the conference down but it would give them another tiebreaker which should solidify the third seed at worst for the Longhorns. Oklahoma and Colorado are looking to fight for second place and maybe even first if LSU can pull off the upset. The Texas A&M and West Virginia game feels like a must-win for both teams as another loss for either could be too much to overcome.
Until Next Time, Keep Your Game Face On and Your Spirits High
