Thursday, November 3, 2022
Big 12 Power Rankings: OSU Plummets, Sooners on the rise Wyatt Phillips Staff Reporter
The Cowboys will look to rebound from a shutout loss against Kansas State with a road trip at Kansas this weekend.
Mackenzie Janish
Historic loss could decline morale of team the season? Such a loss can be a gut punch to a team at such an important stretch down the latter position of the year. The Cowboys were already thin heading into Saturday’s contest, missing two Daniel Allen key wide receivers in Braydon Staff Reporter Johnson and Jaden Bray, and starting running back Dominic For OSU, Saturday’s loss to Richardson. Even more injuries Kansas State was bad. Really bad. took place during Saturday’s game, most notably starting safety So bad that Mike Gundy, who is Jason Taylor II. currently in his 18th season as With the race for an appearOSU’s coach, suffered the worst ance in the Big 12 title game as loss of his coaching career. abutting as it already is, a loss The Cowboys fell to the alone can already produce a moWildcats 48-0. It was the first rale drop. time OSU had been shutout in Gundy has been coaching 13 years, dating back to its 2009 for long enough to where he’s 27-0 shutout loss to Oklahoma. been on the losing side of multiple So, how does a team, as injury blowout losses, but one not like plagued and beat up as OSU is, bounce back from such a devastat- Saturday. OSU’s upcoming game at ing loss in such a crucial point in
Kansas will be a defining moment for the Cowboys at this point in the season. How will OSU bounce back from such a distasteful loss? Unlike in past years, the Jayhawks aren’t a cupcake win. The surplus of parity in the Big 12 this season puts teams to a point where they have to be on their best performances every Saturday. In addition, the OSU defense didn’t only put forth a lackluster performance — it got exposed. Prior to K-State’s disfigurement of the Cowboys defense, the unit ranked No. 117 out of 131 FBS teams. The Cowboys surrendered a season-high 48 points in the loss. Will the Cowboys be mentally prepared for next weekend’s road contest against the Jayhawks? Only time will tell in less than a week. sports.ed@ocolly.com
This is the ninth edition of the Big 12 football power rankings from The O’Colly. Each week, The O’Colly will give a recap and preview of each Big 12 team and give reasoning as to why a team is ranked at a spot. No. 1 TCU (8-0) TCU continues to impress. After this week, the Horned Frogs improved to 8-0 and the only undefeated team left in the Big 12. TCU played one of its worst games yet, and still came out victorious against the Mountaineers on Saturday. Quarterback Max Duggan continues to put on a clinic every time he touches the field. TCU looks unstoppable so far. TCU is traveling to play Texas Tech this week in hopes of staying undefeated. No. 2 Kansas State (6-2) Kansas State showed why they should not be left out of the Big 12 Championship conversation this week. The Wildcats ran all over the Cowboys this weekend winning in a landslide, 48-0. Running back Deuce Vaughn had one of his best games this season. Kansas State stays at home again this week taking on Texas in a pivotal game for the Big 12. No. 3 Texas (5-3) Some may call me crazy for putting the Longhorns this high, but they have proved to be a solid football team. Coming off a bye this week is
big for Texas. The team needed a week to become healthier and fresher ahead of its game against Kansas State. Xavier Worthy and Quinn Ewers must have a great game this Saturday to continue to be competitive in Big 12 conference play. Texas has the talent to do so but it comes down to execution. No. 4 Baylor (5-3) The Bears beat down the Red Raiders this weekend in a game that was not close from the start. Baylor and its offense are finally starting to look elite. With pivotal games coming up, Baylor would have to win out to still be considered playing in the championship game. It is more than likely a six-win team will beat out Baylor, but there are positive things to look at for them soon. No. 5 Oklahoma State (6-2) OSU was crushed on Saturday 48-0. The largest shutout of a top-10 team ever. Kansas State now has the win over the Cowboys which will make a dramatic difference in conference standings. Quarterback Spencer Sanders left the game early with an apparent shoulder injury. No update has been given on what the quarterback suffered during the game. OSU must win out to be in the title game and have Kansas State lose at least one or two more games that they have remaining. No. 6 Oklahoma (5-3) The Sooners are finally finding their footing.
See Rankings on 3
Abby Cage OSU dropped to No. 5 in The O’Colly’s Big 12 power rankings after a 48-0 loss at Kansas State this past weekend.
OSU Latino students group celebrating Día de los Muertos
Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor Students of all backgrounds will be able to come together for a college student’s dream; Free food. OSU’s Latino Business Students Association will be hosting its annual Día de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 3 in the Keystone Lobby of the Spears School of Business starting at 4:30 p.m. Free tacos, face painting, an ofrenda — a tradi-
tional Mexican altar honoring those who have passed away — and a presentation for attendees will be available to celebrate the Hispanic holiday. “It’s one of our biggest events of the year,” said Kamryn Chapman, LBSA president and event organizer. “It’s an important cultural event, but also just a social event. People may get a feel of Día de los Muertos if they don’t know. That week we’re gonna put a box for people to write notes to their loved ones who have passed.” Chapman expressed the unification of Latino and non-Latino students at this event. Not only can Latino students from all majors come together to commemo-
rate the cultural day, but also for non-Latino people to learn more about the holiday. “I’m not Latina at all,” Chapman said. “My friend, Ava, brought me to a lot of LBSA events last year. One day she texted me and asked, ‘Do you want to be president of LBSA?’ And I said, ‘You know I’m not Latina, right?’ But since my major is international business in Spanish, I guess she thought I had an appreciation for the culture.” Ava Haddox, the president of LBSA and event organizer last year, noticed the success and knew it needed to continue. She then nominated Chapman to become her successor as president of LBSA, to ensure the group’s future so more Latino people
can find a home at OSU. “The impact that organizations like LBSA have on the Latino community is really something special,” Haddox said. “For me, I grew up hiding my culture that my parents told me to tell people we were Italian because being Latino in public is something bad. But that changed when I found a home within the Latino orgs here on campus. “I was given a home and a space to be myself, speak my language and celebrate being Puerto Rican. My story isn’t an isolated one. It really feels like a big family reunion when we are together.” news.ed@ocolly.com
File Photo Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.