Welcome to Tuesday Takes, where I give you three takes from the Big 12. It was a jam-packed week full of exciting news, but here are three things that have my attention going into week two.
After what Oklahoma State showed in its embarrassing 24-10 loss to Tulsa, the Cowboys are hard to trust right now. Drew Mestemaker looked rattled, the offensive line struggled, and the run game didn’t offer much help.
Outside of one or two players on that offense, Oklahoma State looked rough across the board. Scoring only ten points against Tulsa in front of a crowd mostly wearing orange is one thing; doing it while Oregon squeaked by Boise State at home is another.
That’s why there’s a real sense Dan Lanning will want to make a statement to the rest of the country, and Oklahoma State may end up paying for it.
On the other end of the spectrum, Cutter Boley has already forced his way into the conversation at Arizona State. Entering the season, there were plenty of new faces to sort through, and with Sam Leavitt in Baton Rouge, Kenny Dillingham turned to the Kentucky transfer to handle the job.
His numbers at Kentucky last season were enough to make anyone hesitate, but Saturday changed the tone fast. Boley threw six touchdown passes and nearly 400 yards against Morgan State, and he looked clean doing it.
The opponent matters, sure, but the talent showed up. Dillingham has a track record of finding quarterbacks, and after that performance, Boley looks like someone who could finish as a top five quarterback in the Big 12.
And then there’s UCF, which feels like it has a real shot to go into Pittsburgh and leave with a win. The Knights’ run game was excellent in week one, and while we didn’t see much of new starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III, he made the most of his limited action.
UCF goes in as a touchdown underdog, but Pitt is still a bit of a mystery in this spot. The Panthers usually lean on a ground-heavy style and don’t often light up the scoreboard, so this has the feel of a physical game from start to finish.
If it comes down to a playmaking moment, Barnett could be the difference in what would amount to his coming-out party. Call me crazy, but I’ll take the Knights taking down Pitt this weekend.
In Other News...
UCF Defense Faces Its First Real Test Against Pitt
UCFs opener offered plenty to like on defense, even if the real examination is still ahead. The Knights held Bethune-Cookman to 181 total yards, a clean first step for coordinator Alex Grinchs unit as it tries to establish a tougher identity early in the season. The upcoming trip brings a much sharper measuring stick, with Pittsburgh arriving behind one of the countrys most productive passing attacks and a quarterback who has already shown he can punish mistakes.
Grinch has pointed to the experience in his secondary as a key reason for optimism, and this matchup will ask that group to do more than just tackle and stay in position. It will require disciplined coverage, consistent rush from the front, and the kind of composure that keeps a hot passing game from turning into a runaway script. For UCF, this is the kind of night that can tell you whether that opener was a promising start or just a preview. [Read more 🡒]
Former UCF Forward Jamichael Stillwell Faces A New Twist In Eligibility Fight
Jamichael Stillwells route to Texas Tech has hit another roadblock, adding a fresh layer to an eligibility fight that has already stretched well past the usual offseason movement. The former UCF forward had been moving forward under a preliminary injunction that gave him temporary eligibility, a development that briefly put his next chapter back on track after leaving Orlando.
Now the NCAA has secured a legal stay that pauses that eligibility, leaving Stillwells playing status unsettled while the case continues to work its way through the system. For UCF fans watching a former player try to keep his career alive at a new school, it is another reminder that the final word in this dispute is still out there somewhere. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Faces An Early Road Test That Could Define This Start
UCF gets no breathing room after its season-opening win over Bethune-Cookman, with a road trip to Pittsburgh next up and a chance to see early just how sturdy this start can be. The Panthers are coming off a win of their own, so the matchup brings together two unbeaten teams trying to turn opening-week momentum into something more meaningful before the schedule tightens.
Pittsburghs offense has already shown it can stress a defense, which makes this a useful measuring stick for the Knights as they leave home for the first time. The broadcast setup and both teams upcoming schedules are in place, but for UCF the bigger question is whether it can handle the jump in class and leave with its early-season confidence intact. [Read more 🡒]