The Big 12 spent Week 1 piling up wins, but the betting market still isn’t eager to hand out much credit.
That’s the message from the opening numbers for Week 2, where several conference teams are lined up as sizable underdogs in games that carry plenty of attention. And this isn’t just the league’s usual suspects taking heat. Some of the Big 12’s better early showings still didn’t move the needle much with oddsmakers.
Kansas, fresh off a 51-6 win over LIU, opened as a 6.5-point home underdog to Missouri in Friday night’s Border Showdown. Missouri, for its part, beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14.
Arizona State got the same cold reception. The Sun Devils blasted Morgan State 70-7 in their opener, then opened as a 14.5-point underdog at Texas A&M.
Iowa State is in a similar spot after beating Southeast Missouri 38-10. The Cyclones opened as a 13.5-point road underdog against Iowa in the Cy-Hawk game.
And then there’s Oklahoma State, where the number is especially loud. After the Cowboys’ 24-10 loss to Tulsa in Eric Morris’ debut, the opening line for their home date with Oregon landed around Oregon -20.5, roughly a three-touchdown spread. That number has already started to move even further toward the Ducks.
UCF also drew a tough number on the road, opening as more than a touchdown underdog at Pitt after a 73-6 win over Bethune-Cookman.
The full Week 2 opening board reflects the same theme across the league: Missouri at Kansas, Missouri -6.5;
Oregon at Oklahoma State, Oregon -20.5; Arizona State at Texas A&M, Texas A&M -14.5;
Washington State at Kansas State, Kansas State -16.5; UT Martin at West Virginia, No Line;
Arizona at BYU, BYU -7; UCF at Pitt, Pitt -8.5;
Weber State at Colorado, No Line; Western Carolina at Cincinnati, No Line;
Southern at Houston, No Line; Iowa State at Iowa, Iowa -13.5;
Texas Tech at Oregon State, Texas Tech -27.5; Prairie View A&M at Baylor, No Line;
Grambling State at TCU, No Line; Arkansas at Utah, Utah -11.5.
There are a few Big 12 teams that got better treatment. Utah opened as a double-digit favorite at home against Arkansas after its 66-14 win over Idaho. Texas Tech is a huge favorite at Oregon State, and BYU is favored by about a touchdown over Arizona in the first Big 12 conference game of the season.
Still, the bigger picture is clear: the league now has a chance to back up that 13-2 Week 1 mark with something more convincing. Kansas against Missouri, Arizona State against Texas A&M, and Iowa State against Iowa all stand out as the kind of non-conference tests that can change how the Big 12 is viewed when résumés are being stacked up later in the season.
If those teams come through, the conference gets real ammunition. If not, Week 1’s hot start won’t carry nearly as much weight.
Vegas has made its first call. Now the Big 12 has to answer.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State's New Era Already Has Fans Talking For The Wrong Reasons
Oklahoma States overhaul under Eric Morris already has plenty of attention around it, starting with the arrival of Rajesh Murti, who became the youngest general manager in Power Four history at 24. The Cowboys brought in Murti as part of a new-look setup alongside Morris, hoping the fresh structure would help reshape the program and move it into a new era after a rocky start.
Instead, the early conversation has veered away from football and toward social media chatter around Murti, who drew notice after an Instagram like set off speculation online. There is no verified information about his personal life, but the episode is the kind of off-field distraction that can follow a young, high-profile hire, especially when a program is already under the microscope in the opening stretch of a reset. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Trust Test At Key Spots Before Oregon
After Oklahoma States Week 1 loss to Tulsa, the staff used the film session to start separating who helped themselves from who left questions hanging. Running back Hawkins and offensive lineman Torgeson came out of it in better shape, giving the Cowboys at least a few bright spots to build around as they turn the page toward Oregon. The process matters now because early-season roles are rarely fixed, and the Cowboys need cleaner answers at a handful of important spots.
Page, Mestemaker and Johnson did not leave the opener with the same kind of momentum, and that puts a little more pressure on the next round of decisions. Oklahoma State is heading into a tougher matchup with Oregon knowing the evaluation is not just about correcting mistakes, but about deciding which players can be trusted when the schedule tightens and the margins get thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Brutal Oregon Test After A Damaging Start
Last falls meeting between Oregon and Oklahoma State turned lopsided quickly, and the rematch already carries a different kind of unease for the Cowboys. Both teams arrive with questions after Week 1, but the early alarm bells have sounded louder in Stillwater after Oklahoma States rough opening and Oregons far more uneasy-than-expected win over Boise State.
For Oklahoma State, the task now is less about revenge than about stabilization, because the matchup is coming at a time when confidence is already shaky and outside skepticism is easy to find. Oregons side of the equation is not spotless either, which is why this game feels more like a stress test than a simple measuring stick, and it leaves plenty of room for debate about how much either team can be trusted when the ball kicks off. [Read more 🡒]