Big 12 Week 5: Baylor Comeback Win, OU & Texas Undefeated

Week 5 for the Big 12 Conference saw the second week of conference play for most teams.

Week 5 Winners:

Baylor:

Down 35-10 against the UCF Knights headed into the fourth quarter, things were not looking great for the Baylor Bears. However, a touchdown run, pass and even one scored off of a fumble recovery were enough to put the Bears in a position to win on Saturday.

The Bears also held the Knights, who scored 28 in the first half, scoreless in the game's final quarter. A field goal with just over a minute left in the game sealed the Bears' 36-35 comeback win.

This weekend, Baylor returns to Waco to welcome the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

BYU:

Reeling from a loss against Kansas to open the Cougars' initiation to the Big 12, BYU had room to improve against fellow conference newcomer Cincinnati,.

Despite the 35-27 win over the Bearcats, Cincinnati actually led in total yardage, rushing and passing, and yards per play against the Cougars, showing signs that BYU still has much to learn before they come close to a conference championship.

Looking ahead, BYU has a Bye Week for Oct. 7, but will travel to play TCU in Week 7.

Oklahoma:

The Sooners are 5-0, a welcome improvement after the 2022 season. OU scored in several ways, apart from regular rushing and passing touchdowns, an interception return and even a safety showed the Sooners are gaining proficiency on both sides of the ball.

Coming up, the Red River Rivalry. An undefeated OU takes on an also-undefeated Texas, the Big 12's unstoppable force meets its immovable object on Oct. 7.

Texas:

In their second game against a ranked opponent this season, the Longhorns proved dominant over the Kansas Jayhawks in a 40-14 win.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 325 yards, and running back Jonathan brooks ran for two touchdowns for the Longhorns.

As previously mentioned, Texas meets Oklahoma in the Cotton Boll in Dallas this weekend for the Red River Rivalry.

Texas Tech:

Despite being up 35-28 at the end of the first half, the Texas Tech Red Raiders found the Houston Cougars were determined to win on Saturday.

However, the Red raiders were even more determined, shutting out the Cougars in the second half on the road to a 49-28 victory in Lubbock.

This weekend, Texas Tech travels to Waco to meet Baylor. Both teams are 2-3 this season.

West Virginia:

Behind Oklahoma and Texas, West Virginia sits in third place in the Big 12 Conference after a 24-21 win over the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday.

Determined to put on a performance after a loss to Penn State in the season opener, the Mountaineers are 4-1, with wins over Dequesne, Pittsburgh, Texas Tech and now TCU.

The Mountaineers do not play this weekend, but will play against the Houston Cougars next week on Thursday, Oct. 12.

Week 5 Losers:

UCF:

Despite a determined final-drive effort from the Knights, UCF wasn't able to stave off a Baylor comeback win on Saturday.

The Knights travel to Lawrence, Kansas to face the Jayhawks on Saturday.

Cincinnati:

Cincinnati fell 35-27 against BYU, with their first Power 5 conference win still unattained.

Looking ahead, the Bearcats return to Cincinnati to welcome the Iowa State Cyclones this weekend.

Houston:

Similar to Cincinnati, the Houston Cougars have yet to win their first Power 5 conference game, falling 49-28 against Texas Tech

The Cougars welcome the West Virginia Mountaineers to Houston on Thursday, Oct. 12, following their Bye Week this week.

Iowa State:

The Cyclones were competitive in their first half against the Oklahoma Sooners, but you can't win a four-quarter game in the first half.

A 48-yard field goal put the Cyclones behind by a single point, with Oklahoma leading 21-20 with nine minutes left in the second quarter, but that field goal turned out to be their final points of the night on Saturday.

This weekend, the Cyclones welcome TCU to Ames, Iowa. Both teams are seeking their second conference game win of the season.

Kansas:

For the first time this season, the Jayhawks have graced the Losers column with their presence after a 41-14 loss to texas.

There was a brief moment in the third quarter where victory looked to be in reach for the then No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks, but a shutout fourth quarter by the Longhorns put a stop to that.

The Jayhawks play UCF at home on Saturday.

TCU:

The Horned Frogs held a steady lead over West Virginia for much of their game on Saturday, either leading by a single score or being tied until the fourth quarter.

TCU's luck ran out after a 49-yard field goal from Mountaineers kicker Michael Hayes in the fourth quarter, and unable to score the rest of the game, lost 21-24.

TCU travels to face Iowa State on Saturday.

Did Not Play:

For first time this section sees action this season, two teams were on a Bye Week for Week 5: Oklahoma State and Kansas State.

Both teams will face each other Friday, Oct. 6, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Kansas State is 3-1 for the season, with their only loss being to No. 21 Missouri. The Cowboys are 2-2, having lost to South Alabama and Iowa State in Weeks 3 and 4.