College Football – Ranking the Region

Week 12

• 1. No. 4 TCU (10-0) – The Horned Frogs smothering defensive performance was one of the few college football bright spots in the state of Texas in Week 11. TCU sold out to limit Texas’ ability to run the football and, in doing so, forced Quinn Ewers into second and third and long throughout the game. The Horned Frogs have a direct path to the College Football Playoff if they win out.

• 2. No. 6 LSU (9-2) – Coming off the enormous roller coaster win, it was to be expected that the 11 a.m. kickoff on a frozen field in Arkansas could be a letdown spot. Enter Freshman LB Harold Perkins. The Tigers’ all-world freshman had four tackles for loss and four sacks to almost single-handedly will his team to victory. LSU will now face UAB and last-place Texas A&M before the SEC Championship game showdown against Georgia.

• 3. Texas (6-4) – TCU brought a very simple game plan into Austin, forcing Quinn Ewers to beat them. The Horned Frogs frustrated Texas all night, and the few opportunities they did have were met with a combination of drops and off-target throws. The four losses by Texas this year all come in frustrating fashion for Longhorn fans in a season that will be defined by “what if’s.” There is certainly improvement from year one under Sark, but this felt like a team that could have very easily made a Big 12 Championship appearance. Instead, they will have to settle for the Texas Bowl or something similar.

• 4. No. 21 Tulane (8-2)–  The key all week for Tulane against UCF was who would be at QB for the Knights. John Rhys Plumlee played, and his 176 yards and two TDs on the ground were the difference as UCF jumped out to a lead that Tulane couldn’t make up. The good news for Tulane is that if they win out, they will likely face UCF again in the conference championship. The bad news is that it requires wins against a hot SMU club and a road trip to Cincinnati.

• 5. Baylor (6-4) – In maybe the most surprising result of the weekend, Baylor got absolutely pantsed by Kansas State at home during a blackout game to the tune of a 31-3 final score. Baylor totaled just over 300 yards of total offense along with two turnovers, and the loss ends the hopes for a Big 12 Championship Game appearance. The new opportunity for Baylor is to play spoiler this week against TCU and dash the Horned Frogs’ playoff hopes.

• 6. Texas Tech (5-5) – Saturday’s 43-28 win over Kansas could be the most important of the season for Tech when all is said and done. In a fight to get to a bowl in year one under Joey McGuire, the win over Kansas sets up a path to bowl eligibility, as the Red Raiders need just one more victory over either Iowa State or Oklahoma to achieve bowl eligibility.

• 7. UTSA (8-2) –The Roadrunners forced Louisiana Tech to turn the ball over five times on their way to a 51-7 rout of the Bulldogs. UTSA has been the dominant team in Conference USA all season and now faces Rice in a rivalry game with an opportunity to keep the Owls from bowl eligibility. Wins over Rice and UTEP would ensure UTSA hosts the CUSA Championship Game once again.

• 8. SMU (6-4) – After a sluggish non-conference, SMU has now won three in a row in conference to claim bowl eligibility. SMU totaled over 550 yards of total offense against South Florida in a 41-23 win over the Bulls. The Ponies now have a primetime game against Tulane with an opportunity to play spoiler against the Green Wave and spoil their AAC championship dreams.

• 9. Texas A&M (3-7) – The Fighting Texas A&M Aggies are now dead last in the SEC, behind Vanderbilt (who beat Kentucky on the road this week). A&M’s loss to Auburn ensured the Aggies will miss the postseason. Next up is UMass.

• 10. Houston (6-4) – It took more late-game heroics from QB Clayton Tune, but Houston escaped with a 43-36 win over Temple at home. The defensive issues for Houston continued as the Owls passed for nearly 500 yards. Houston clinched bowl eligibility but now faces one of the top passing offenses in the conference on the road at East Carolina.

• 11. North Texas (6-5) – Aside from their 21-point second-quarter explosion, the Mean Green struggled to find momentum on offense falling 41-21 to UAB on the road. UNT now has the rare late November bye week before wrapping up their regular season at home against Rice.

• 12. Rice (5-5) – Rice moved to dead last in all of FBS football with 17 interceptions on the season. The Owls turned the ball over six times on their way to a 45-10 loss at Western Kentucky. The Owls need a win against either UTSA at home or on the road at North Texas to become bowl eligible.

• 13. UTEP (4-6) – UTEP was on a late-season bye last week. UTEP needs to win their next two against FIU and at UTSA to become bowl eligible.

• 14. Texas State (3-7) – Texas State dropped their fourth game in a row, 38-21, against South Alabama. The question now becomes, was there enough shown this season to bring back head coach Jake Spavital?