The next seven weeks will expose the psychological makeup of Big 12 football teams.
The league has a bit of everything – teams that will find out if they can handle success (Missouri, Baylor); others at a crossroads, searching for what they might become (Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Kansas State), and those simply trying to keep their heads on straight (Iowa State, Kansas, Colorado).
How each handles its emotions will determine who is in Kansas City, Mo., for the title game, who goes to bowls and who goes home for the winter.
Missouri is 6-0 for the first time since 1973.
“For me, it’s pretty simple, the season’s only half over, it’s not real complex,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said Monday on the Big 12 teleconference. “But I have to, with the leadership with my staff and the leadership on the football team, make sure that we keep our priorities in order.”
Baylor coach Guy Morriss is kicking himself over three nonconference losses.
“I do it all the time, that’s just the nature of a coach,” he said. “We could be sitting here bowl- eligible had we done what I thought we were going to be able to do.”
Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops is trying to rally his players for the stretch run after a 28-10 loss to Texas and a 3-2 start.
“That was only our first Big 12 game,” Stoops said. “We have seven Big 12 games ahead, and the players understand that.”
Little fanfare for star
If Jon Cornish played for, well, anyone but Kansas, he would be one of the most celebrated running backs in the nation. But playing for the Jayhawks has relegated the senior’s performances to near obscurity.
To help shed some light on the situation, here are some start- ling statistics.
Cornish ranks second in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation with an average of 118.3 yards rushing per game. He’s averaged 136.5 yards in two Big 12 games. His best attribute may be his ability to keep most everything positive. Cornish rarely loses yards.
“He doesn’t go down very often on the first hit,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “If you give him a seam, he has the ability to make people miss in space. Jon’s done a great job.”
McCoy maturing
It’s been a long haul for Texas redshirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy since he fizzled in the wake of a powerful Ohio State defense early in the season.
That night in Austin, McCoy was 19-of-32 for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a quarterback rating of 103.9. Since then, he has completed 76.6 percent of his passes for 622 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception (196.3 rating).
The difference?
“We think it’s been confidence,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “He’s matured so much. The confidence that he has gained to sit in there and hold the ball and get the ball deep is much more advanced now than it was in the second game of the year.”
CU-OU time set
Colorado’s Oct. 21 game at Oklahoma will start at 5 p.m. and be televised by Fox Sports Net.
Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
