Big 12 football keeps delivering chaos, and Week 4 is already stirring up plenty of hot takes. One Saturday was enough to send the conversation in a few wild directions, from a quarterback suddenly looking like a star to a team that went from conference booster to conference headache in a hurry.
Start with West Virginia, because Michael Hawkins Jr. just put himself in the center of the league conversation. In the Mountaineers’ 38-27 upset win over Virginia, Hawkins put together the kind of line that turns heads fast: 190 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and no interceptions, plus 18 carries for 123 yards and three more scores on the ground. He also led all FBS quarterbacks in fantasy points over the weekend and finished as the second-highest-scoring player overall behind Duke running back Nate Sheppard.
That’s the kind of performance that forces people to pay attention, even if Hawkins still isn’t getting the national spotlight. If he keeps producing like this and West Virginia keeps stacking wins, the attention will follow soon enough. For now, though, the Big 12 community has a front-row seat to one of the biggest early surprises in the country.
On the other end of the spectrum sits Colorado, and things have gone from encouraging to ugly in a hurry. The Buffaloes gave the conference a lift in Week 1 with a road win at Georgia Tech, which made it easy to believe they might be much improved this season.
That hope took a heavy hit in Chicago, where Northwestern rolled to a 41-7 win over Colorado. After that result, the Buffaloes don’t look like a team helping the Big 12’s image right now.
And the schedule isn’t about to get friendlier. Big 12 play is here, and the road ahead looks rough. Maybe Colorado can scratch out one or two conference wins, but after getting blown out by Northwestern, this team is carrying the label of an embarrassment for now.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, keeps sitting in the middle of the conference conversation after a tense 28-26 win over Houston. It’s easy to look at that result and jump straight to the idea that the Red Raiders are the class of the league.
They did beat a ranked opponent, after all. But the way it played out - right down to the final seconds and without covering the spread - might give people a reason to slow down before declaring Texas Tech a Big 12 juggernaut.
The Red Raiders get a break from conference play next, with Sam Houston State coming to town before Big 12 action resumes at the start of October.
There’s still plenty to watch this weekend, and a few games stand out right away.
Oklahoma State’s trip to West Virginia has suddenly become one of the most interesting matchups on the board. What looked like a routine late-September game before the season now has real energy after West Virginia’s upset of Virginia and Oklahoma State’s strong start, which includes a win over Oregon a few weeks ago and a 59-0 rout of Murray State last weekend. Both offenses are scoring at a high level, and this one has the makings of a major Big 12 shootout.
Kansas State and Cincinnati bring a different kind of pressure. Both teams are 3-0 in non-conference play, and now they meet with a chance to set the tone in league play.
Kansas State is making its first road trip of the season and is a slight favorite, but neither side impressed much last weekend. A win here could shape the direction of either season.
Then there’s No. 15 Utah at Iowa State, which looks like it could be a grinder.
Utah has given up 24 points through three games, while Iowa State has allowed 30. The Cyclones have already shown they’re better than many expected, even after a close loss to in-state rival Iowa, and Utah has looked every bit like a Big 12 title contender early on.
The Utes need a win in Ames to stay on that path toward the Big 12 title game, while an Iowa State upset would shake up the conference picture in a big way.
Another big weekend in the Big 12 is coming, and it already feels like it could change the conversation again.
In Other News...
WVU's Biggest Home Night In Years Comes With Real Stakes
West Virginia is getting one of those home nights that can define a season, and there is more riding on it than atmosphere alone. Milan Puskar Stadium is set for a major prime-time setting, and the Mountaineers are trying to turn a strong start into something bigger by staying perfect through the opening stretch and putting themselves back into the AP Top 25 conversation.
Rich Rodriguez has pointed to the energy around the program and the value of protecting home field, which makes this one feel less like just another September game and more like a measuring stick. For a team still trying to prove its early momentum is real, a night game in front of that crowd offers a chance to keep building and a reminder that the next step has to happen where West Virginia is supposed to be toughest to beat. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Injury Outlook Suddenly Looks Better Heading Into Oklahoma State
West Virginias injury picture is starting to clear up just in time for a trip to Oklahoma State, and that matters for a team that took a few hits in the recent game against Virginia. Rich Rodriguez said Nick Krahe will be limited in practice but is expected to play, while Jaden Bray is dealing with a hip bruise and should be back soon. The outlook is also encouraging for Ball, who is expected to play after being knocked out, giving the Mountaineers a little more stability as they try to manage the week.
There is even more room for optimism at running back, where Martavious Boswell and Talley are expected to be available. On the perimeter, Prince Strachan should see his role grow after being used sparingly last week, which could give West Virginia another option as it heads into a matchup that can use every healthy body it can get. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Knows Exactly What Awaits West Virginia Under The Lights
Oklahoma State is heading into one of the more charged environments in the Big 12, with Eric Morris already framing the trip to Morgantown as the kind of test that can turn a game on its head after dark. Morris had plenty of respect for what Rich Rodriguez is building at West Virginia, and he singled out quarterback Mike Hawkins as a dynamic presence in an offense that has grown noticeably since last season. For the Mountaineers, that is the sort of public praise that usually comes with a warning label.
The challenge for the Cowboys, Morris said, is not just the crowd or the setting, but staying clean with communication and tackling against a run game that can punish any lapse. West Virginia has shown enough improvement to make opponents prepare differently, and under the lights at home the margin for error gets even thinner. It is the kind of matchup where the details matter from the first snap, and Oklahoma State clearly knows it is walking into a place that rewards precision more than bravado. [Read more 🡒]