The first full Saturday of college football gave the Big 12 a little bit of everything: one upset, a few comfortable blowouts, and a couple of teams that left Week 1 with more questions than answers.
The league’s lone shocker came in Stillwater, where Tulsa beat Oklahoma State 24-10 to kick off the Eric Morris era. That result has the Cowboys looking at the possibility of an 0-2 start with Oregon coming up next.
West Virginia also survived a scare, holding off Coastal Carolina 31-24 after building a 24-0 halftime lead. Baylor’s opener was shaky too, as the Bears managed only 16 points in a 17-16 loss to Auburn.
There was plenty of scoreboard noise elsewhere across the conference. Utah rolled past Idaho 66-14.
UCF blasted Bethune-Cookman 73-6. Colorado edged Georgia Tech 14-13.
Kansas handled Long Island 51-6. Texas Tech beat Abilene Christian 33-10.
BYU cruised to a 63-7 win over Utah Tech. Houston knocked off Oregon State 33-20.
Iowa State beat Southeast Missouri 38-10. Cincinnati topped Boston College 34-15.
Kansas State blew out Nicholls 71-3. Arizona beat Northern Arizona 35-7, and Arizona State thumped Morgan State 70-7.
With that first weekend in the books, the Big 12 power rankings look like this: Texas Tech at No. 1, followed by BYU, Houston, Arizona, Utah, TCU, Kansas State, Arizona State, UCF, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Kansas, Colorado, and Iowa State at No. 16.
The biggest mover among the teams near the top is Texas Tech, which sits alone at No. 1 after the opening weekend. BYU comes in at No. 2, with Houston at No. 3 and Arizona at No.
- Utah checks in at No. 5, while TCU holds No.
- Kansas State is No.
7, Arizona State No. 8, UCF No.
9, Cincinnati No. 10, West Virginia No.
11, Oklahoma State No. 12, Baylor No.
13, Kansas No. 14, Colorado No. 15, and Iowa State No.
Next weekend brings a packed schedule, and it opens with Oregon at Oklahoma State at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN/Disney+.
Arizona State visits Texas A&M at noon on ABC, while Washington State heads to Kansas State on TNT. UT Martin travels to West Virginia at 1 p.m.
ET on ESPN+, and Arizona meets BYU in the week’s only conference game at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.
Other Big 12 games include Weber State at Colorado, UCF at Pitt, Southern at Houston, Western Carolina at Cincinnati, Texas Tech at Oregon State, Iowa State at Iowa, Prairie View A&M at Baylor, Grambling at TCU, and Arkansas at Utah.
That Arizona-BYU matchup is the one to circle. Arizona is being viewed as a dark-horse contender in the league, and a win in Provo would send the Wildcats soaring in the rankings and, more importantly, into the AP Top 25.
In Other News...
WVU Snap Counts Exposed One Trust Issue Fans Will Notice
West Virginias latest snap counts offered a clear look at how the staff is sorting out its rotation, and the picture was pretty straightforward on offense. The starting offensive line never came off the field, while 21 players saw action on that side of the ball, a sign the Mountaineers are still leaning heavily on their first group even as they work through the early part of the season.
The defense was more fluid, with 30 players getting in the game and the rotation shaped in part by the injury to defensive lineman Darius Wiley. Even so, the distribution of snaps suggests there are still roles up for grabs, and the way those defensive reps continue to settle will tell a lot about which players the staff trusts most when the games tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Offensive Grades Just Clarified Who Drove The Coastal Carolina Win
Pro Football Focus latest game grades offered a clearer look at how West Virginia pieced together its win over Coastal Carolina, and the offensive numbers pointed straight toward a balanced effort. Michael Hawkins earned the top grade on the unit at 79.5, a sign he was efficient in the role he was asked to play, while the Mountaineers also got meaningful support from their running backs and offensive line.
The grading breakdown also showed how much the context of the game mattered, with Hawkins performance tied closely to the way the offense was called and executed around him. Armoni Weaver-Bomar also showed up well in the charting, though his grade came on limited snaps, leaving a few interesting questions about which offensive pieces might carry more weight going forward. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Already Has A Few Early Problem Spots Fans Will Notice
West Virginias latest game offered an early look at where the Mountaineers are already getting steady play and where the rough edges still show up. The Pro Football Focus grades point to a few bright spots, with quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. and defensive lineman Nate Gabriel standing out among the better performers as both sides of the ball were put under the microscope.
Carsten Casady at right tackle and tight end Ryan Ward were among the lower-graded players, which is the kind of detail that tends to matter when a team is still sorting out its identity. For a WVU staff trying to build consistency, those evaluations can be just as useful as the positives, since they hint at which spots are stabilizing and which ones may need attention before the tests get tougher. [Read more 🡒]