Here are some observations from the Big 12 action on Saturday:
1. Baylor is the real deal
Baylor's offense is just remarkable. If Art Briles really wanted to, the Bears could have and would have scored 100 points on a West Virginia defense that absolutely had no answers for this incredibly balanced spread.
Instead, Bryce Petty attempted only one pass in the second half and running back Lache Seastrunk didn't add to his 172 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
2. Cornerbacks on display in Norman
Jason Verrett of TCU and Aaron Colvin of Oklahoma will be hard to displace as the first-team All-Big-12 corners this season, as they ably showed in the Sooners' 20-17 win over the Horned Frogs.
Verrett had six tackles, two pass breakups, one-half tackle for loss and generally made life miserable for an OU passing attack that reverted to its poor early-season form, with quarterback Blake Bell completing 20 of 31 throws for 152 yards.
Colvin did the same to TCU's Trevone Boykin (16-of-20 passing for 166 yards), posting five tackles and one sack.
The likely successor to the crown is Zach Sanchez, OU's emerging redshirt freshman. Sanchez broke up four passes and had two tackles. To win the Big 12, OU will need Sanchez and Colvin to take away Baylor's deep ball.
3. Oklahoma State's offense has issues
The Oklahoma State defense gave its offense the ball at the Kansas State 22-, 6-, and 17-yard line and were repaid with 11 yards and three field goals. Sure, the Cowboys hung on for the 33-29 win when the defense came away with an interception to end the game, but this was the second-straight week where the OSU offense struggled.
Head coach Mike Gundy even replaced starting quarterback J.W. Walsh with Clint Chelf at the goal line in hopes of sparking the team. The bigger issue is a ground game that totaled 85 yards on 25 carries. After averaging 2.8 yards per carry in the loss at West Virginia last week, that 3.4 mark this week looks pretty darn good.
Barring significant improvement to establish the balance needed on that side of the ball, OSU isn't a factor in the Big 12 title race.
4. Daniel Sams takes over
Bill Snyder does what he does, and that means using a mobile quarterback to control time of possession and grind out yards. After starting junior college transfer Jake Waters -- the better pure passer -- early in the season, Kansas State handed the reins to redshirt sophomore Daniel Sams at Oklahoma State and nearly pulled off the upset with that familiar formula.
Sams ran for 118 yards and one touchdown and was 15-of-21 passing for 181 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. Take away the picks and it would have been easy to think Collin Klein had been granted another year of eligibility.
Sams won't be a panacea for K-State's offense –- he is still far too erratic on intermediate and deep throws –- but now Snyder can run the offense that feels most familiar.
5. Texas is in real trouble
Iowa State didn't play particularly well and Texas still needed a ton of breaks to escape with the 31-30 win Thursday night. How in the world are the Longhorns supposed to hang in there with superior teams like Oklahoma and Baylor to deliver head coach Mack Brown's stated goal of a Big 12 championship?
The UT defense still can't stop a running quarterback. The offense is handcuffed by the absence of quarterback David Ash -- already ruled out for next week's game against the Sooners -- and a game plan lacking a consistent identity. Johnathan Gray ran the ball well in the first quarter, so UT decided to let Case McCoy throw the ball 45 times, of course.
OU coach Bob Stoops has never been shy about taking it to UT in the Red River Rivalry, with 63-14, 65-13, 55-17 and 63-21 wins on his resume. With the chance to effectively end Brown's tenure, Stoops won't be shy about putting the dagger in if the opportunity presents itself.
6. Mike Davis has to be suspended for one game
Dock the UT wide receiver one half for his blatant cheap shot on ISU defensive back Deon Broomfield and one half for Davis' lame excuses on Twitter.
Update: The Big 12 delivered a gutless public reprimand of Davis instead. Hooray for player safety!
7. Iowa State has some overlooked gems
Sitting at 1-3 after the controversial loss to UT, the Cyclones are unlikely to make a bowl game this season. But that won't stop NFL scouts from keeping an eye on ISU the rest of the season to monitor some intriguing prospects.
Linebacker Jeremiah George was everywhere, posting 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss with 1.5 sacks, and one pass breakup vs. Texas. Running back Aaron Wimberly totaled 140 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns while showing some nice elusiveness.
8. Texas Tech holds it breath
Kansas had a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, before the Red Raiders ripped off 30 points in a 14:34 span as part of a 54-point scoring run for a 54-16 win, but that won't be the topic of conversation in Lubbock this week.
Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield suffered what the school termed a "twisted knee" on the final play of the third quarter, leaving Texas Tech with only one healthy signal-caller on the roster in backup Davis Webb.
After a slow start, Mayfield played well, showing the arm strength and mobility that allowed him to win the job in fall camp. Webb should be able to carry Texas Tech past Iowa State next week, but head coach Kliff Kingsbury needs Mayfield and/or sophomore Michael Brewer (back) to return soon simply to have sufficient depth at the position.
9. Kansas' Ben Heeney is the real deal
If you are talking about players on the Kansas roster capable of starting on any team in the country, you're probably discussing the basketball team. On the gridiron, however, linebacker Ben Heeney definitely fits the bill.
Heeney had 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and one interception against Texas Tech, almost single-handedly willing KU to that early advantage. The 6-foot, 230-pound junior seems to be everywhere against the run and has excellent range in pass coverage.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
