After a weekend that flipped the Big 12 on its head, Utah is the team standing alone at the top of the league - at least for the moment.
BYU and Texas Tech both took losses in conference play, with the Cougars falling to the UCF Knights after a huge win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Red Raiders getting knocked off by the Cincinnati Bearcats. That chaos has left the Utah Utes as the Big 12’s only unbeaten team.
So yes, the Utes look like the class of the league right now.
That comes with a catch, though. Utah’s path the rest of the way is anything but soft.
The Bearcats are up next, and they’ve been solid this season. After that comes BYU, which still ranks among the top teams in the nation.
The Utes also have No. 22 Arizona waiting in November.
For now, they wear the crown - but the schedule is going to force them to defend it.
There was plenty else moving around the league, too. Frost said he wants to ride the "hot hand" even though star transfer Alonza Barnett III, who won the job, is close to returning.
Jenkins delivered another big day, posting his second straight game with 200-plus yards and four touchdowns. He finished with a season-high 293 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, while also adding 35 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
At Kansas State, the quarterback picture remains cloudy. Coach Collin Klein said Avery Johnson is day to day heading into this weekend’s matchup with the Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders. Johnson missed last week, ending a 32-game streak, and Jacob Knuth stepped in.
If Johnson can’t play again, Knuth would get the call once more. But the Wildcats may not be any healthier there, because Klein also said Knuth suffered an ankle injury in the loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils.
That leaves Kansas State with major uncertainty at the most important position, and the injuries have been a season-long issue. For a team under Klein in his first year after taking over for the resigned Chris Klieman, it could turn into a rough finish if the quarterback room can’t get right.
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Colorados plan, at least in theory, is to keep Johnson bottled up in the pocket and force him to win with his arm. But Kansas State has been dealing with quarterback injuries beyond Johnson, and even if he is cleared to play, theres no guarantee hell look or play the same way he normally does. For a Colorado defense trying to steady itself in conference play, the difference between an injured Johnson and no Johnson at all could shape the whole afternoon. [Read more 🡒]