2015 IN REVIEW

Baylor Bears

Final record: 10-3. The Bears entered the 2015 season with title aspirations after being snubbed from the 2014 College Football Playoff field. Despite losing star quarterback Seth Russell to a midseason neck injury, the Bears rolled to an 8-0 record. A loss to eventual Big XII champion Oklahoma started the Bears on a 1-3 stretch to close out the regular season before rushing for over 600 yards in a 49-38 win over North Carolina in the Citrus Bowl.

Iowa State Cyclones

Final record: 3-9. Following a season- opening win over FCS foe Northern Iowa, the Cyclones went on to lose nine of their last 11 games, with only a 38-13 win over winless Kansas and a 24-0 win over Texas. The Cyclones closed the season on a four-game losing streak, including a 30-6 road loss to West Virginia in their season finale.

Kansas Jayhawks

Final record: 0-12. David Beaty’s first season on the job was one to forget, as the Jayhawks went winless on the season, including a 41-38 home loss to FCS foe South Dakota State in their season opener.

Kansas State Wildcats

Final record: 6-7. After a triple- overtime 39-33 home win over Louisiana Tech moved Kansas State to a 3-0 record, the Wildcats went on to lose their next six games, four against ranked teams, including a pair of seven point losses to teams ranked No. 2 at the time (TCU in week five and Baylor in week nine). A 38-35 home win over Iowa State broke the slump and propelled the Wildcats to a three-game winning streak that pushed them to a bowl game. They ended the season with a 45-24 loss to Arkansas in the Libery Bowl.

Oklahoma Sooners

Final record: 11-2. The Sooners sat at No. 10 in the polls with a 4-0 record heading into the Red River Showdown against Texas. A 24-17 upset at the hands of the Longhorns was the Sooners’ only misstep of the regular season, as they won their next 11, including three straight against then-No. 4 Baylor, then-No. 11 TCU and then-No. 9 Oklahoma State. A year after the Big XII had two teams snubbed by the College Football Playoff committee, Oklahoma was chosen as the fourth seed, falling to No. 1 Clemson in the first round.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Final record: 10-3. The Cowboys started the season 10-0 including a 49-29 home win over then-No. 5 TCU en route to a No. 4 ranking. The Cowboys were among the Big XII teams with a brutal final stretch as they ended the regular season with a 45-35 home loss to then-No. 10 Baylor and a 58-23 home loss to then-No. 5 Oklahoma in the Bedlam Series. After finishing second in the Big XII, the Cowboys were invited to the Sugar Bowl, where they lost 48-20 to Ole Miss.

TCU Horned Frogs

Final record: 11-2. The Horned Frogs picked up where they left off in 2014, scoring less than 40 points only once en route to an 8-0 start. They were dismantled in a 49-29 road loss to then-No. 12 Oklahoma State. After bouncing back with a win over Kansas, the Horned Frogs fell a point short after going for the two-point conversion in the final minute against then-No. 7 Oklahoma. After a double overtime 28-21 win over then-No. 7 Baylor, the Horned Frogs closed the season with a thrilling, triple- overtime, comeback 47-41 win over Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.

Texas Longhorns

Final record: 5-7. After a 1-4 start left some fans questioning Charlie Strong as a head coach, the Longhorns pulled the upset in a 24-17 win over Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. The Longhorns split their final six games including a 23-17 win over then-No. 12 Baylor, but fell just short of bowl eligibility.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Final record: 7-6. The Red Raiders started off 5-2 with their only losses coming to top five teams (TCU and Baylor). They followed with a three-game losing streak before closing the regular season with back-to-back wins, including a 48-45 thriller over Texas on Thanksgiving night. The Red Raiders took a beating in their final game, taking a 56-27 loss at the hands of LSU in the Texas Bowl.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Final record: 8-5. After a 3-0 start pushed the Mountaineers into the polls, they went on to drop their next four, all to ranked opponents (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and TCU), before winning four of their last five regular season games. The Mountaineers finished their season with a 43-42 win over Arizona State in the Cactus Bowl.