The Big 12 spent Week 2 doing what it does best: producing chaos, noise and just enough evidence to let everybody talk themselves into a wild conclusion. A few of those takes are already begging to be walked back. Others at least have some early receipts.
Start with Oklahoma State, because that one is impossible to ignore. Going from the worst team in the Big 12 to a national title contender would be the kind of leap that borders on absurd, and that’s exactly why the Cowboys’ 39-31 win over No.
6 Oregon turned so many heads. The early-season ugliness from Week 1 wasn’t the real version of this team, and most sane observers knew that.
Still, few expected Oklahoma State to walk into its first home game of the season and absolutely control a national title contender from start to finish. The final score made it look tighter than it really was.
With that win, the Cowboys are no longer stuck in the basement of the Big 12 power picture, and now the conversation shifts to bigger things: a conference title push and maybe even a path toward the College Football Playoff.
Kansas State is making noise on the other side of the ball, too, and maybe even louder. Last week’s buzz was about the Wildcats having the best offense in the Big 12.
This week, the case got even stronger because they backed it up by putting 34 points on a Washington State defense that was supposed to be sturdy. But the defense may be the more eye-opening part.
Kansas State held the Cougars to seven points on offense, and through two games the Wildcats have given up only 10 total points. The early schedule could be flattering them a bit, sure, but right now this looks like a team that can claim the best offense and the best defense in the league.
That’s a dangerous combination if it holds up.
Iowa State, meanwhile, doesn’t quite fit the same overreaction mold. The Cyclones nearly took down Iowa in the Cy-Hawk game, but rivalry games have a way of flattening out expectations.
Records and projections tend to go out the window in those spots. Iowa State lost on a last-second field goal to a Top 25 Iowa team, and that result felt like one that could have gone either way regardless of how good people think this roster is.
The Cyclones should handle Bowling Green, which comes in 0-2 with a loss to Tarleton State and a blowout defeat at Nebraska. But the Big 12 is where the real test lies, and wins there figure to be hard to find for Iowa State.
So no, this one doesn’t really sell me on the idea that the Cyclones are better than expected.
Now the league turns to Week 3, and there are a few games with real weight attached.
No. 22 Houston at No.
13 Texas Tech has the feel of something that could grow into a real Big 12 rivalry if both programs keep living in the Top 25. For now, it’s just a massive early-season conference matchup with plenty on the line.
By late Friday night, we should know a lot more about where both teams actually stand before the Saturday slate begins.
Arizona State and Kansas are taking their conference matchup overseas, and that alone makes it stand out. The game will be played in London at Wembley Stadium, the first college football game ever held there.
Both teams are coming off losses to SEC opponents last weekend, with Arizona State falling at Texas A&M and Kansas dropping its rivalry game at home to Missouri. This is a clean chance for one of them to reset and open Big 12 play at 1-0.
It also has the look of a game that could get up and down quickly. Kickoff is set for 11:00 AM on FS1.
Then there’s West Virginia at No. 25 Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, a matchup that has plenty of intrigue with both teams sitting at 2-0.
Virginia has looked dominant in both of its games so far, while West Virginia showed its best early in the first half against Coastal before letting things tighten up late. The Mountaineers then handled UT Martin last weekend to get ready for this one.
The line has moved from Virginia being a 10.5-point favorite when books opened to 8.5 points by midweek. If West Virginia pulls the upset on the road in a rivalry game, the Mountaineers could be knocking on the Top 25 next week.
In Other News...
Arizona State Brings A Big 12 Problem Kansas Can't Ignore
The Jayhawks head to Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday for a matchup with Arizona State in the inaugural Union Jack Classic, a historic setting for the first college football game ever played at the venue. For Kansas, it is more than a novelty trip. It is an early test against a Sun Devils team that has already shown enough through two games to look like a real Big 12 issue, with head coach Kenny Dillingham bringing an aggressive edge and a defense up front that can make life difficult.
Arizona State also has enough on the perimeter to stress a Kansas defense that will have to stay sharp from the opening series. The Sun Devils have playmakers in the passing game and a quarterback in Cutter Boley who has already put together a productive start, which means this is not the kind of overseas showcase where the Jayhawks can afford a slow beginning. If Kansas wants to leave London with momentum instead of questions, it will have to deal with a team that looks built to keep this one uncomfortable deep into Saturday. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans Wanted After Missouri
Kansas came out of the Missouri loss with more than a sour taste, as the coaching staff spent part of the week sorting through what went wrong and what needs to look cleaner going forward. A big piece of that conversation centered on Isaiah Marshall, whose development remains a priority, along with the broader need for the offense and the team as a whole to show more consistency as the schedule tightens up.
Arizona State is next, and the early read from the Kansas side is that this is no ordinary bounce-back spot. The staff pointed to the Sun Devils talent, a strong coaching setup and a few players who can tilt the game quickly, which makes the margin for error feel small before kickoff even arrives. A prediction was already laid down on the game, and it leans toward Arizona State, which only adds to the sense that Kansas is heading into a tougher test than many fans probably wanted right after the Missouri game. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Depth Test Ahead Of Crucial Arizona State Game
Kansas heads into its matchup with Arizona State already dealing with a thin margin for error, and the injury report only adds to the uncertainty. Linebacker Bam Crouch, wide receiver Cam Pickett and tight end Carson Bruhn are all listed as questionable, leaving the Jayhawks to sort through depth issues on both sides of the ball as they prepare for a crucial conference game.
The quarterback situation is even more precarious, with Cole Ballard doubtful because of a shoulder injury. If he cannot go, freshman Chase Jenkins would likely be next in line, a scenario that would put even more pressure on Kansas to manage the game cleanly while navigating an offense already short on healthy options. [Read more 🡒]