Week 9 is the latest a Big 12 team has experienced a shutout since Iowa State blanked Kansas in 2013. And before that, it hadn't happened that late in the season since November 2010.
Perhaps it's because, by then, you usually know who you are and what you're facing. You usually know what to game plan for. You play to your strengths and the opposing team's weaknesses, which have been clearly fleshed out in the eight weeks prior. No new wrinkles, no secrets.
Except nothing was "per the usual" going into to this installment of Iowa State-Texas.