Week 2 is already throwing the Big 12 into the deep end.
After a chaotic opening weekend, the conference gets a schedule packed with non-conference tests and even the first league game of the 2026 season. Kansas is stepping into its first real measuring stick against Missouri.
Arizona State is walking into Kyle Field. Iowa State and Arizona both have games that could say a lot about where they really stand.
And Oklahoma State, after a rough start, has to show some actual pulse.
Kansas is the biggest early curiosity because there’s still so much to sort out. The Jayhawks have gone 5-7 in back-to-back seasons, and roster churn has kept them from finding much consistency on either side of the ball.
This year brings a familiar face back into the mix with Andy Kotelnicki returning as offensive coordinator, and Isaiah Marshall now takes over at quarterback after Jalon Daniels’ departure from Lawrence. That setup gives Kansas a different look, but Missouri is a serious early barometer.
The Tigers may not be the SEC’s elite, but if Kansas can beat a ranked Missouri team in the Border War, the conversation around the Jayhawks changes fast.
Oklahoma State is in a different kind of spotlight. The offseason chatter centered on the Cowboys’ offense taking a big step forward, but the opener against Tulsa produced only 10 points and left more doubts than answers.
In a twist, the defense may have actually looked better than the unit that was supposed to carry the load. Now comes Oregon, with Oklahoma State installed as a 20-plus-point underdog at home.
The Ducks had their own scare against Boise State last weekend, so Dan Lanning should have his team locked in. No one is asking Oklahoma State to suddenly turn into a track meet machine, but it does need to show something on offense.
If Drew Mestemaker and the rest of that group look just as lost as they did against Tulsa, the questions in Stillwater are going to get louder in a hurry.
Arizona State presents a different kind of storyline. Earlier this week, Cutter Boley was mentioned as a quarterback who could wind up as one of the Big 12’s best after throwing six touchdown passes in his debut in Tempe.
That came after the Sun Devils lost Sam Leavitt, which was a major hit, especially considering what he did against Clemson. Still, Kenny Dillingham has a reputation as a quarterback developer, and Boley now gets one of the toughest tests possible: a trip to Kyle Field against a Texas A&M defense that is described as outstanding.
If Boley can handle that stage and play well, Arizona State’s quarterback transition starts looking a lot less scary.
Cy-Hawk week also brings one of the conference’s most interesting rivalry games. Iowa State heads to Iowa City looking for a third straight win over Iowa, something the Cyclones haven’t done since running off five in a row from 1998 through 2002.
This one has a different feel than the rivalry games of the last decade because the Jimmy Rogers era has begun in Ames and the roster is full of new pieces. Kirk Ferentz, meanwhile, is still on the sideline for Iowa, but this Hawkeyes team isn’t being treated like a Big Ten title contender.
Iowa State is a heavy underdog, but the chance to keep its recent run alive is right there.
Then there’s Arizona, which gets thrown straight into Big 12 play with a trip to Provo to face BYU. It’s only early September, but the conference race already gets a first look.
The Cougars are the favorite, yet the more interesting question is whether Arizona can show it belongs in the mix right away. Noah Fifita gives the Wildcats an experienced quarterback who can keep them competitive, but winning on the road against BYU is a different kind of challenge than what Arizona saw in Week 1.
The Big 12 championship picture won’t be decided on Saturday, but this game should reveal something real about both teams. If Arizona can hang with BYU, or even steal it, the Wildcats will have earned a place in the contender conversation.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Draft Hopes Ride On One Massive Oregon Showcase
The spotlight for Oklahoma States trip to Oregon is already bigger than a late-September nonconference game usually gets, and the NFL has made sure of that. More than 20 scouts, including two general managers, have requested credentials for the matchup, a clear sign the visiting locker room and the Ducks sideline both figure to be under a heavy pro-grade microscope with several draftable players on the field.
For the Cowboys, the game offers a chance to put more than just a result on tape. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker has draft potential, while wide receiver Wyatt Young has drawn attention as a possible NFL slot fit, but the standard only rises when the opponent brings prospects like Dante Moore, AMauri Washington and Jamari Johnson into the same conversation. Oklahoma State does not need a perfect afternoon to justify the buzz, but it does need a cleaner one if its own draft hopes are going to keep building. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Must Fix One Major Problem Before Oregon Arrives
Oklahoma State has spent the week staring straight at the same problem that showed up in last weeks loss to Tulsa: getting enough heat on the quarterback. That issue gets a lot bigger with No. 6 Oregon coming to Stillwater on Saturday, because the Ducks do what dangerous passing teams always do - make a defense pay if the rush never arrives and the secondary has to hold up too long.
Dante Moore is back on the schedule, and the Cowboys know exactly what kind of challenge he brings to the matchup. Oklahoma States defense has to find a way to disrupt him early and slow Oregons passing game, or the Ducks could settle into the kind of rhythm that has already hurt the Cowboys once before. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State May Catch Oregon At The Worst Possible Time
Oregon is already carrying the look of a team with plenty of firepower, and the Ducks may get another piece back just in time for their meeting with Oklahoma State on ESPN. Wide receiver Dakorien Moore has been talking up Iverson Hooks growth and the kind of impact he can have, while Dan Lanning has sounded upbeat about the receivers availability after he sat out the season opener.
For the Cowboys, that timing matters. Oregon is favored going in, and adding another receiver into the mix only makes an already difficult assignment more complicated for an Oklahoma State defense that will have to sort out the Ducks passing game on the road. The matchup was tough enough already, but it looks like the Ducks might be getting healthier at exactly the wrong time for the Cowboys. [Read more 🡒]