Here is the latest Big 12 Conference sports news from The Associated Press
By AP
ATLANTA (AP) — As they prepare for Arizona State’s biggest game in nearly three decades, the guys who made it happen aren’t the least bit surprised to be rated a nearly two-touchdown underdog in the College Football Playoff. That’s a familiar position for the Sun Devils. They’ve been an underdog most of the season. Of the eight teams still vying for a national championship, there’s no bigger surprise than 11-2 Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago and were picked to finish dead last in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. Now, they’re getting ready to face Texas in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal game on New Year’s Day.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley is being reunited with Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia. Rodriguez announced he’s hired the 31-year-old Alley as the Mountaineers’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Rodriguez was hired for his second stint as West Virginia’s coach on Dec. 12. Under Rodriguez, Alley spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Jacksonville State. Alley was the youngest defensive coordinator in the Bowl Subdivision at Louisiana-Monroe in 2021 when Rodriguez was the Warhawks’ offensive coordinator. In Alley’s lone season at Oklahoma, the Sooners ranked fifth in the Southeastern Conference in total defense, allowing 318 yards per game.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — On the scoreboard, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders went out with a whimper at Colorado. But their lasting impact in Boulder — both on the field and off — was probably immeasurable. With two dynamic stars playing their final college game, the 20th-ranked Buffaloes were blown out 36-14 by No. 17 BYU in the Alamo Bowl. Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner and two-way sensation, caught four passes for a game-high 106 yards and a touchdown. The lockdown cornerback also made four solo tackles. Sanders, the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, was 16-of-23 passing for 208 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are both expected to be picked high in the NFL draft next spring.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Hailey Van Lith scored 17 points and Madison Connor made four 3-pointers and added 14 points to help No. 11 TCU beat Brown 79-47. Van Lith added five assists, five rebounds and three steals and Taylor Bigby scored 11 points for the Horned Frogs. TCU (13-1) has won four games in a row since an 82-54 loss to No. 3 South Carolina on Dec. 8 at the Coast to Coast Challenge. TCU led 34-25 at halftime, then Bigby hit a 3 to open the scoring in the third quarter and TCU led by double figures the rest of the way. The Horned Frogs outrebounded Brown 54-28, including 20-6 on the offensive glass which led to TCU outscoring the Bears 27-5 in second-chance points. Isabell Mauricio led Brown with 17 points.
