This looked like the kind of weekend that can scramble a conference race in a hurry.
BYU entered the weekend fresh off a huge win over Notre Dame, but the Cougars were upset by UCF. Texas Tech, the defending Big 12 champions, also fell, losing to Cincinnati. With both of those teams knocked down, Utah is now the league’s only unbeaten squad.
That’s why the conversation has shifted so quickly to the Utes. Right now, they look like the class of the Big 12.
Still, the schedule is about to ask a lot of them. Utah gets Cincinnati this week, and the Bearcats have been solid.
After that comes BYU, which remains one of the top teams in the nation. November also brings No.
22 Arizona.
So yes, Utah has earned the label for now. But the rest of the season is going to decide whether that holds.
Elsewhere in the league, there’s a quarterback situation worth watching at Kansas State. Coach Collin Klein is calling Avery Johnson day to day going into this weekend’s matchup with Colorado and Deion Sanders. Johnson has been the starter for the last three years, but last week his 32-game streak was interrupted when Jacob Knuth stepped in.
If Johnson can’t play, the Wildcats would turn back to Knuth. The problem is Knuth is banged up too. Klein said he suffered an ankle injury in the loss to Arizona State.
That leaves Kansas State with real uncertainty under center, and the quarterback room hasn’t been fully healthy all season. It could also make for a rough start to the Klein era, after he took over for the resigned Chris Klieman.
On the field, 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 backed that approach up with another big performance. He posted his second straight game with 200-plus yards and four touchdowns, throwing for a season-high 293 yards and three scores while adding 35 rushing yards and one more touchdown.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Adds Intrigue To Kansas State's Biggest Road Test Yet
Colorados weekly press conference added a little extra texture to Kansas States biggest road test yet, with Deion Sanders taking a moment to acknowledge what the Wildcats are dealing with on the opposite sideline. Sanders spoke with respect about former Kansas State coach Chris Klieman and also had praise for Collin Klein, who is guiding the program in his first season as head coach. It was the kind of pregame chatter that matters because it underscores how much attention this matchup has drawn, even before kickoff.
Sanders own background and influence on college football are part of why his comments carry so much weight, but the focus in Manhattan is less on the sound bites than on the challenge ahead. Kansas State will face a Colorado team that knows how to command the spotlight, while Klein continues to put his stamp on the Wildcats in a transition year that already has some intrigue around it. With the game approaching, the conversation around this one is as much about coaching voices and program direction as it is about what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Just Put Colorados Biggest Problem In Focus Before K-State
Colorados special teams have taken a step forward, but the bigger issue around Deion Sanders program still sounds familiar: the Buffaloes keep hurting themselves with penalties and uneven play on offense, defense and special teams. Sanders said the group is improving in one area while still fighting the kind of consistency problems that can undo a team long before the opponent does, and he pointed to a broader need for better preparation as the schedule moves on.
For Kansas State, that kind of self-inflicted noise is the sort of thing worth watching closely. The Wildcats have their own reasons to stay locked in, but Sanders made it clear his team is still searching for cohesion and discipline, and he took responsibility for getting it there. With K-State up next, Colorados margin for error already looks thin, even if one part of the operation has started to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Has The Edge But Colorado Still Brings One Real Threat
Colorado comes into Halloween week in rough shape, carrying a five-game losing streak and sitting at the bottom of the Big 12 in Football Power Index. The numbers point firmly toward Kansas State when the teams meet on Oct. 31, especially with the Wildcats in a much better spot in the race for bowl eligibility. Kansas States profile is stronger across the board, and that alone makes this a game the Wildcats should expect to control.
Still, Colorado has one place where it can make Kansas State pay if things get loose. The Wildcats will need to be sharp around quarterback Avery Johnson and the run game led by Rodney Fields and Joe Jackson, because even a struggling opponent can hang around if it finds an opening. Colorados path to turning this into a real game is thin, but it exists, and that is enough to keep some attention on how Kansas State handles it. [Read more 🡒]