After three weeks, the Big 12 already feels like a league full of questions, and Week 4 is set up to answer a few of them in a hurry. With conference games on the board and a handful of tricky nonconference tests still looming, this weekend could tell us plenty about who’s real and who’s still pretending.
The most intriguing matchup on the slate might be the one in Morgantown, where Oklahoma State visits West Virginia in a game that could help define the conference’s sleeper race. The Cowboys came into the year with plenty of buzz around the talent Eric Morris brought in, but the Mountaineers have made their own noise by starting 3-0 for the first time in eight years.
That run got even louder after West Virginia knocked off a Top 25 Virginia team by double digits. Now both teams are chasing their first conference win, and the winner won’t just leave with momentum - it’ll have a strong argument as the Big 12’s true dark horse contender.
There’s also real pressure building in Colorado, where Deion Sanders is trying to reset things after last weekend’s ugly 41-7 loss to Northwestern. Sanders made it clear he was unhappy with how his team played and how some players responded afterward, pointing out that several players were laughing and smiling after the game.
He then said in a press conference earlier this week that he made roster changes by dismissing several players. The message was unmistakable: he was fired up and all business.
Whether that approach sharpens the Buffaloes or causes the whole thing to crack from within is the big question. For now, Colorado gets a fresh start with a trip to Waco to face Baylor on Saturday.
Houston is staring at a different kind of danger. The Cougars are a double-digit favorite, but the trip to Statesboro, Georgia, to face Georgia Southern has all the markings of a trap.
It’s an unusual setup for a Power Four team, especially this late in September, and Houston is coming off a heartbreaking loss at Texas Tech. Add in the fact that UCF is waiting next week for the conference home opener, and this has the feel of a game where a team can get caught looking ahead.
Houston may still be the better team, but it cannot afford to treat Georgia Southern like an afterthought.
Utah, meanwhile, has looked overwhelming through three games, rolling past Idaho, Arkansas, and Utah State while outscoring those opponents 142-24. That’s a dominant start on paper, and the Utes have looked every bit the part so far.
Still, the schedule hasn’t really challenged them yet, which leaves the obvious question hanging over them: how good are they, really? Saturday’s trip to Ames for a meeting with Iowa State should help answer that.
It’s a chance for Utah to show that the early blowouts mean something more than just a hot start.
Cincinnati also enters Week 4 with a lot to prove, even at 3-0. The Bearcats needed a miraculous comeback to get past Miami (Ohio) last weekend, and that kind of escape job doesn’t exactly settle nerves.
Things get harder now with Kansas State coming to town. A win would go a long way toward quieting doubts about Scott Satterfield, while a loss could change the tone around this season fast.
And the road ahead is brutal. Cincinnati still has home games against Kansas State, Texas Tech, Utah, and Colorado, plus trips to Arizona, West Virginia, Houston, Iowa State, and BYU.
One could make a strong case that the Bearcats drew the toughest conference schedule in the Big 12.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Heads To West Virginia With A Frontcourt Concern
Oklahoma States trip to West Virginia comes with a little more uncertainty than the Cowboys would like, thanks to the final player availability report released ahead of the Big 12 matchup. Nelson is out with a knee injury, leaving a clear hole in the frontcourt picture, while Chris Barnes, Bradyon Rigsby and Oscar Hammond are all expected to suit up.
The more encouraging part for Oklahoma State is that Hanson and Oates remain in the questionable column but are trending in the right direction. Both have been moving toward playing, which gives the Cowboys at least some hope of getting closer to full strength before a game that already carries plenty of weight in league play. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces Its Biggest Test Yet In Big 12 Skid
Oklahoma State is still trying to snap a conference drought that has stretched on for 1,036 days, but the mood around Stillwater has started to shift under new head coach Eric Morris. With a roster full of new faces, the Cowboys have shown enough signs of progress on both sides of the ball to make this week feel different from the last few stops in a long Big 12 skid.
West Virginia arrives unbeaten, so this is hardly a soft landing, but it also gives Oklahoma State a clear measuring stick for where this team stands right now. There is reason to think the Cowboys are moving in the right direction, especially with the defense and offense both looking improved, and this matchup feels like the kind of test that can say a lot about how close they are to turning the corner. [Read more 🡒]
Former Oklahoma State Star Is Chasing Rare Mets Rookie History
Carson Benges first full season in New York has quickly turned into the kind of debut that gets noticed well beyond Queens, and Oklahoma State fans have a reason to keep an eye on the rookie. The former Cowboys standout just reached his 20th home run of the season, adding another milestone to a year already packed with production at the plate and in the field, including a Mets rookie record for hits and a place in a very small group of MLB rookies to pile up 160 hits, 20 homers and 20 stolen bases.
Benge had already put himself in rare company by becoming the first Mets rookie since 1983 to post a 15-15 season, and the combination of power, speed and durability has kept his name in the conversation all year. His all-around value has only grown because of the way he has handled center field, where New York has leaned on him for more than just bat-to-ball skills, and the next milestone hanging out there gives this rookie run a little extra intrigue as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]