Baylor running back Devin Chafin is one tough hombre.
What a weekend it was for Oklahoma true freshman running back Samaje Perine, who broke Melvin Gordon's week-old FBS single-game rushing record. There were a bunch of good reads on Perine's 427-yard rushing effort in the rain. The Tulsa World's Eric Bailey tracked down Greg Pruitt, who had previously held the OU single-game rushing record for 43 years. Pruitt didn't know his record had been broken until former Sooner coach Barry Switzer called to tell him. The Oklahoman, which ran the headline "Reign Man," had several articles on Perine, including this one from Jason Kersey on Perine's mother, and this one from Jenni Carlson on how Perine turned a miserable day in Norman into a memorable one.
After struggling offensively pretty much the entire season, Oklahoma State finally showed life in a 49-28 loss at Baylor. The difference was true freshman QB Mason Rudolph, who made his collegiate debut in Waco. Before the game, The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel wondered why Mike Gundy pulled Rudolph's redshirt in Week 13. After the game, Tramel was left wondering what took Gundy so long? I had the same thought watching the Cowboys, which looked completely different offensively after almost two wayward months. Why didn't Gundy give Rudolph a shot earlier in the season, when it became apparent the offense would be limited with Daxx Garman's immobility behind a shaky offensive line? The decision to start Rudolph so late squandered a season of his eligibility. But the decision to wait until now to do it could wind up costing 5-6 Oklahoma State a bowl trip.
The Austin American Statesman's Brian Davis conducted an interesting Q&A with Texas athletic director Steve Patterson. Among the topics Davis broached was if Patterson still wants to stage a Texas football game overseas (it sounds like he still does). Davis also asked whether Patterson would want to play Texas A&M if the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl sought to match up the old rivals. Patterson dodged the question, more or less. Seriously, why can't one person in power at either Texas or Texas A&M come out and admit he or she would like to see this game be played? What are both sides so afraid of? By the way, on a neutral site, I would pick the Longhorns to beat A&M. Texas should want to play this game. What better way to boost the Longhorns back to running the state again.
The Cyclones have become all too accustomed to heartache, the Ames Tribune's Bobby La Gesse writes. Including the 34-31 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, Iowa State has lost three Big 12 games by four points or less. The Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson added that the Tech loss underscored where the program is right now. Always one play away. The Cyclones have to figure out how to come up with that one final play. Otherwise, more heartache will lie ahead for a program already filled to the brim with it.
Kansas State is focused on fixing its running game for the backstretch after rushing for one yard last week at West Virginia, and 34 yards the week before that at TCU. The Manhattan Mercury's Joshua Kinder points out that the Wildcats haven't had a running back rush for more than 100 yards in a game all season. Not since Bill Snyder's first year in 1989 has K-State gone an entire season without a running back reaching 100 yards. The Wildcats are capable of upsetting Baylor in two weeks to grab at least a share of the Big 12 title. But to do it, they'll need to run the ball a lot better than they have of late.