By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Each week, Big 12 coaches have their weekly meetings with the media at their press conferences during the college football season. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda’s comments have already been posted. Rankings are from the AP Poll. Here are some highlights elsewhere in the league. Quotes and notes are taken from those pressers if not specified elsewhere. All games are Saturday unless otherwise noted.
Sonny Dykes, TCU (10-0, 7-0) – The No. 4 Horned Frogs play at Baylor: TCU assured itself of it second trip the Big 12 championship game with their 17-10 win at Texas. They also remain very much alive for the College Football Playoff. With their last hurdle Saturday at McLane Stadium, the Horned Frogs would almost be assuredly be undefeated at 12-0 before they head to AT&T Stadium Dec. 3. "I think we've just decided, 'Look, let's go on this journey together, and not worry too much about the destination," Dykes said. When Kendre Miller outrushed Bijan Robinson 138-29, he was asked after the game if he was the best back in the Big 12. Miller said, “Yes.’’
Lance Leipold, Kansas (6-4, 3-4) – The Jayhawks play host to Texas: Perhaps this is the week QB Jalon Daniels returns to the lineup. “He's taken more and more reps,” Leipold said. “He went today where he's at the point where he can play at a level that is going to allow him to go out there and play freely. And to a point, is he ever going to be a hundred percent like he was at the game? No, but where is that at? And if it's not a daily conversation, it's every other day as we talk and look at it, and if you're watching him in warmups, you can see it's really, really close.”
Brent Venables, Oklahoma (5-5, 2-5) – The Sooners play host to Oklahoma State: With a loss to West Virginia, Venables first season is going poorly. Now, he wants an attitude for Saturday in Bedlam vs. Oklahoma State. “At some point and time, we've got to be pissed as well and do something about it,” Venables said after the loss on Saturday. “All of us. It ain't okay. We've got a bunch of reasons where we can justify failure. But we've got to get better. We've got to coach them better, and we've got to play better. We've to play smarter. We've got to be more efficient. I thought West Virginia did a great job today, but I thought Oklahoma beat Oklahoma today.”
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (7-3, 4-3) – The Cowboys play at Oklahoma: Bedlam is ending. This is likely Oklahoma State’s last trip to Norman for the foreseeable future: “I think it’s [still there with] the fans. I mean, I’m not on it. You guys are. I think probably big in social media, probably big at the workplace down in Oklahoma City. People talk trash all week, but I just think the players live in a different world. They’re gonna practice hard. They want to compete. They want to win, don’t get me wrong, but I just don’t know that there’s the bitter rivalry anymore with young people. I mean, I do [beat in-state rival). It makes it easier during the year. Puts people in a good mood that wear orange.”
Neal Brown, West Virginia (4-6, 2-5) – The Mountaineers play host to Kansas State: With AD Shane Lyons forced out, Brown’s status is now even more murky. University President Gordon Gee: “We are supporting Coach Neal Brown and our team as we complete our season over the next few weeks,” Gee said. “We are aware there are some deficiencies, but we have not given up on the coach and the team, and they have not given up on each other. The evaluation of the football program will be the first task of our new athletic director and no changes will be made until that review has been completed.”
Chris Klieman, Kansas State (7-3, 5-2) – The Wildcats play at West Virginia: The Wildcats can wrap up the other berth in the Big 12 title game by winning one of their last two games against either the Mountaineers or Kansas. The growth of tight end Ben Sinnott reached a new level against Baylor with two TD receptions. “That was fun to watch. Kid from my hometown, he's getting better and I see him gaining confidence as the season has gone on. I saw a young inexperienced player the first three or four weeks of the season all sudden start to gain confidence probably around the Oklahoma game. When we started throwing him some seem balls and stuff. And then it's just continued to carry over. He's a really good athlete, and he attacks the football, but it's fun to watch him play with that kind of confidence.“
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech (5-5, 3-4) – The Red Raiders play at Iowa State: Although he received an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in January, edge rusher Tyree Wilson’s foot injury will keep him out indefinitely. “We expect Tyree Wilson to be out, he’s still going under some more testing,” McGuire said. “With a guy that’s projected to be a top 10 pick, you’re going to double, triple check. He had x-rays Sunday and he’s getting another group today.”
Matt Campbell, Iowa State (4-6, 1-6) – The Cyclones play host to Texas Tech: With five more turnovers in the 20-14 loss at Oklahoma State, Iowa State is -5 in the turnover ratio in the conference. They face the second-worst turnover ratio team in the league in Texas Tech (-6) Saturday. ISU must win its last two against the Red Raiders and at TCU to become bowl eligible. "Our inability to take care of the football cost us a football game today, and that's hard because you see the attitude, the effort, the investment, the fight of our kids," Campbell said.
Steve Sarkisian, Texas (6-4, 4-3) – The Longhorns play at Kansas: Texas second half issues stand out. It has been outscored 81-46 in the fourth and 48-9 in the second half – no touchdowns all field goals – of its last three games. But his players are sticking with him. “I haven’t lost any faith or belief in Sark,” RB Bijan Robinson said. “We trust in Coach Sark’s calls,” QB Quinn Ewers said. “Always gonna have faith in his calls. So, it’s whatever he wants to do.”
Publisher
Each week, Big 12 coaches have their weekly meetings with the media at their press conferences during the college football season. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda’s comments have already been posted. Rankings are from the AP Poll. Here are some highlights elsewhere in the league. Quotes and notes are taken from those pressers if not specified elsewhere. All games are Saturday unless otherwise noted.
Sonny Dykes, TCU (10-0, 7-0) – The No. 4 Horned Frogs play at Baylor: TCU assured itself of it second trip the Big 12 championship game with their 17-10 win at Texas. They also remain very much alive for the College Football Playoff. With their last hurdle Saturday at McLane Stadium, the Horned Frogs would almost be assuredly be undefeated at 12-0 before they head to AT&T Stadium Dec. 3. "I think we've just decided, 'Look, let's go on this journey together, and not worry too much about the destination," Dykes said. When Kendre Miller outrushed Bijan Robinson 138-29, he was asked after the game if he was the best back in the Big 12. Miller said, “Yes.’’
Lance Leipold, Kansas (6-4, 3-4) – The Jayhawks play host to Texas: Perhaps this is the week QB Jalon Daniels returns to the lineup. “He's taken more and more reps,” Leipold said. “He went today where he's at the point where he can play at a level that is going to allow him to go out there and play freely. And to a point, is he ever going to be a hundred percent like he was at the game? No, but where is that at? And if it's not a daily conversation, it's every other day as we talk and look at it, and if you're watching him in warmups, you can see it's really, really close.”
Brent Venables, Oklahoma (5-5, 2-5) – The Sooners play host to Oklahoma State: With a loss to West Virginia, Venables first season is going poorly. Now, he wants an attitude for Saturday in Bedlam vs. Oklahoma State. “At some point and time, we've got to be pissed as well and do something about it,” Venables said after the loss on Saturday. “All of us. It ain't okay. We've got a bunch of reasons where we can justify failure. But we've got to get better. We've got to coach them better, and we've got to play better. We've to play smarter. We've got to be more efficient. I thought West Virginia did a great job today, but I thought Oklahoma beat Oklahoma today.”
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (7-3, 4-3) – The Cowboys play at Oklahoma: Bedlam is ending. This is likely Oklahoma State’s last trip to Norman for the foreseeable future: “I think it’s [still there with] the fans. I mean, I’m not on it. You guys are. I think probably big in social media, probably big at the workplace down in Oklahoma City. People talk trash all week, but I just think the players live in a different world. They’re gonna practice hard. They want to compete. They want to win, don’t get me wrong, but I just don’t know that there’s the bitter rivalry anymore with young people. I mean, I do [beat in-state rival). It makes it easier during the year. Puts people in a good mood that wear orange.”
Neal Brown, West Virginia (4-6, 2-5) – The Mountaineers play host to Kansas State: With AD Shane Lyons forced out, Brown’s status is now even more murky. University President Gordon Gee: “We are supporting Coach Neal Brown and our team as we complete our season over the next few weeks,” Gee said. “We are aware there are some deficiencies, but we have not given up on the coach and the team, and they have not given up on each other. The evaluation of the football program will be the first task of our new athletic director and no changes will be made until that review has been completed.”
Chris Klieman, Kansas State (7-3, 5-2) – The Wildcats play at West Virginia: The Wildcats can wrap up the other berth in the Big 12 title game by winning one of their last two games against either the Mountaineers or Kansas. The growth of tight end Ben Sinnott reached a new level against Baylor with two TD receptions. “That was fun to watch. Kid from my hometown, he's getting better and I see him gaining confidence as the season has gone on. I saw a young inexperienced player the first three or four weeks of the season all sudden start to gain confidence probably around the Oklahoma game. When we started throwing him some seem balls and stuff. And then it's just continued to carry over. He's a really good athlete, and he attacks the football, but it's fun to watch him play with that kind of confidence.“
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech (5-5, 3-4) – The Red Raiders play at Iowa State: Although he received an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in January, edge rusher Tyree Wilson’s foot injury will keep him out indefinitely. “We expect Tyree Wilson to be out, he’s still going under some more testing,” McGuire said. “With a guy that’s projected to be a top 10 pick, you’re going to double, triple check. He had x-rays Sunday and he’s getting another group today.”
Matt Campbell, Iowa State (4-6, 1-6) – The Cyclones play host to Texas Tech: With five more turnovers in the 20-14 loss at Oklahoma State, Iowa State is -5 in the turnover ratio in the conference. They face the second-worst turnover ratio team in the league in Texas Tech (-6) Saturday. ISU must win its last two against the Red Raiders and at TCU to become bowl eligible. "Our inability to take care of the football cost us a football game today, and that's hard because you see the attitude, the effort, the investment, the fight of our kids," Campbell said.
Steve Sarkisian, Texas (6-4, 4-3) – The Longhorns play at Kansas: Texas second half issues stand out. It has been outscored 81-46 in the fourth and 48-9 in the second half – no touchdowns all field goals – of its last three games. But his players are sticking with him. “I haven’t lost any faith or belief in Sark,” RB Bijan Robinson said. “We trust in Coach Sark’s calls,” QB Quinn Ewers said. “Always gonna have faith in his calls. So, it’s whatever he wants to do.”
