We’ve handed out all of our Big 12 postseason awards and all-conference honors to recognize the best players of the season. But what about the best performances? This one wasn’t easy to put together, but here’s our take on the 10 best offensive performances in the Big 12 for 2015. In the interest of spreading the love, no player appears on this list more than once.
1. TCU WR Josh Doctson vs. Texas Tech: Unstoppable. Doctson matched the Big 12 single-game record for receptions with 18 and added 267 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a 55-52 road win over the Red Raiders. Trevone Boykin just kept throwing it up for his go-to guy -- 21 targets in all -- and Doctson delivered again and again.
2. Baylor QB Seth Russell vs. West Virginia: Russell’s second-to-last start in a season cut short was a thing of beauty. Against a respectable Mountaineers defense, Russell threw for 380 yards and rushed for 160, accounting for six total TDs and making it all look too easy in a 62-38 blowout.
3. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield vs. Tulsa: Mayfield had more important victories, but this performance was just flat-out fun to watch and served as his reintroduction to the college football world. He sure looked like a Heisman candidate that afternoon, dropping 572 total yards (487 passing, 85 rushing) and six scores on Tulsa in a back-and-forth, 52-38 win.
4. TCU QB Trevone Boykin vs. Texas Tech: Hard to pick just one performance from Boykin -- we considered the dap-worthy showing against West Virginia -- but he was nails in the Horned Frogs’ last-second win in Lubbock, accounting for 527 total yards (not counting his clutch 2-point conversion catch). Yes, he needed a little luck to finish the job, but it’s better to be lucky and also very good.
5. Baylor WR Corey Coleman vs. West Virginia: This might need to be ranked a little higher out of respect for Coleman’s sheer dominance. It’s really not just the stats, though they were nice: 10 catches, 199 yards, three TDs. It’s how he did it. Coleman put on a clinic, filling up his highlight reel with nasty footwork and speed against WVU’s helpless corners.
6. Oklahoma WR Sterling Shepard vs. Baylor: Shepard shined in a rainy brawl in Waco, hauling in 14 catches for 177 yards and two important TDs in the Sooners’ 44-34 win to take control of the Big 12 title race. He made tough catches -- like his toe-tapping 39-yard score -- and terrific plays for Mayfield all night.
7. Texas Tech WR Jakeem Grant vs. Oklahoma State: Even in a losing effort, Grant was just ridiculous against the Cowboys. Thanks to a wild 90-yard catch and run and a 100-yard kick return TD, he racked up a healthy 323 all-purpose yards and a pair of scores. The always-underrated Grant reminded everybody he’s one of the Big 12’s premier playmakers that day.
8. Texas RB Chris Warren III vs. Texas Tech: In his first career start, the true freshman rumbled for 276 yards and four TDs on 25 carries. Not a bad performance considering he had no relief -- all of Texas’ other backs were injured -- and had never recorded more than five carries in a game before his big break.
9. Oklahoma State WR James Washington vs. TCU: If you still didn’t know about Washington, you found out on Nov. 7 when he torched the Horned Frogs. The sophomore picked a fine time for a huge day, hauling in TD catches of 74, 50 and 48 yards and finishing with 184 yards on five receptions in the Pokes’ huge 49-29 upset victory.
10. Texas Tech RB DeAndre Washington vs. Kansas State: Had to find a spot for Washington on this list, and his Senior Day performance was the best of his career. He put on a show for Tech fans, rushing for 248 yards and three TDs on a fairly healthy 9.2 yards per carry in a 59-44 win over K-State.
Honorable mention: Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes vs. Oklahoma State (526 total yards, 5 TDs); Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine vs. TCU (204 total yards, 1 TD); Texas QB Jerrod Heard vs. California (527 total yards, 3 TDs); Iowa State RB Mike Warren vs. Texas Tech (245 rushing yards); Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph vs. TCU (352 passing yards, 5 TDs)