With less significant blowouts and more high level competition, the Big 12 conference provided another exciting weekend in college football. Though it is still early to set any team’s reputation in stone, here is how the Big 12 is shaping up after week two.
Texas: Longhorns moves into top-four after beatdown of Bama
After failing to make real news in last week’s victory over Rice, the Longhorns are certainly getting their attention now after exploding for 21 points in the fourth quarter to stun Alabama 34-24. The Longhorns made things happen all night offensively on their 75 total plays for 454 yards. Texas relied heavily on the throwing of QB Quinn Ewers, who shined with 349 passing yards and three touchdowns while passing 24/38 in the night. Defensively, the Longhorns stopped similar production from the Crimson Tide’s QB Jalen Milroe, catching two interceptions and allowing only two touchdowns all night from Alabama. There is still a lot of work for Texas to do this season, but the team is establishing itself as a top team in the NCAA. The Longhorns jumped to No. 4 in the AP Poll.
Kansas: Jayhawks’ victory forces teams to take them seriously
The Kansas Jayhawks were impressive again in week two, but their full potential is still uncertain after their 34-23 upset over Illinois. Kansas held the Illini to just one touchdown in the first half compared to four of their own, and that was enough to keep them on top and undefeated on Friday.
Iowa State: Cyclones stay in the news for reasons unrelated to the football field
For the second week in a row, the Iowa State football team’s performance had very little to do with the story of their game. Unlike week one, though, the Cyclones fell short of victory against in-state rival Iowa 20-13. With 90 more passing yards than last week on 31 more pass attempts, redshirt freshman Rocco Becht did his best to lead the team offensively, going 23/44 for 203 passing yards, but it is clear the Cyclones have a lot of room to grow if they want to compete against the best teams in the NCAA. The team’s 10 point performance in the fourth quarter brought the game’s score closer in the end, but it was still a clear victory for the Big Ten’s Iowa Hawkeyes.
Baylor: Utah keeps the Bears winless
Where their defense failed in week one against Texas State, Baylor could not get it going offensively against 12th ranked Utah. Statistically, the two teams matched evenly, but a 3/11 3rd down efficiency compared to Utah’s 8/17 was a big part of what kept the game close enough for Utah to steal it away at the end. With a 14-0 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter, the Utes spoiled what could have been an exciting first victory for the Bears. The team still proved they can succeed this season, but they will have to start that transition in a big way against Long Island University next week.
BYU: Cougars stay undefeated with a bit more offensive production
BYU grabbed another victory this weekend, but the real test is still ahead for the Cougars. Nevertheless, in a 41-16 win over Southern Utah, the team continues to prove themselves worthy in their first season as Big 12 members. The Cougars led 27-3 in the first half before allowing a touchdown in each of the last two quarters from the Thunderbirds. They also showed much more offensive versatility than they had against Sam Houston, with their four passing touchdowns coming from four different receivers and QB Kedon Slovis scoring a touchdown on his only carry. How they will do against Arkansas next week is to be seen, but, as of now, there are few reasons to complain for BYU.
UCF: The Knights stay undefeated in a close one in Boise
After their domination of Kent State last week, UCF must feel relieved to be one of the eight undefeated teams in the Big 12 after barely taking down the Boise State Broncos 18-16. With one touchdown and four field goals in the game, the Knights were ahead of the Broncos on every major offensive category except for first downs and scoring, which allowed Boise State to stay ahead until the fourth quarter when UCF scored their only touchdown of the game. Boise State matched it, forcing Colton Boomer to make a 40 yard field goal, his fourth of the day, to gain UCF’s second win of the season.
WVU: Mountaineers do what they need to against Duquesne ahead of Backyard Brawl
West Virginia struggled at times defensively in their 56-17 victory against the Duquesne Dukes on Saturday night, but a weather delay in the second quarter seemed to rejuvenate the team enough to calm early worries. The Mountaineers definitely proved that offensive production was possible, as they did against the powerful Penn State defense in week one, scoring 28 points in the second quarter. What WVU’s reputation will be later in the season is yet to be made, though, and it will start next week against their rivals from Pittsburgh.
Kansas State: Wildcats take care of business, stay in top-15
Kansas State got the job done at home against Troy, 42-13. The team used less weapons this week than last, but they move into the third week of the season on a high note with a reputation to keep. The Wildcats play the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, who are also undefeated.
Oklahoma State: OSU stays undefeated but has a lot to prove
Scoring 27 points for the second week in a row, the Cowboys defeated against Arizona State 27-15, leaving a similar impression as they did in their first game of the season. The Cowboys continued to experiment with three different quarterbacks in this game, and consistency is definitely a point of concern for OSU. After trailing 15-10 in the first half, the Cowboys pulled away to pull out the victory and stay undefeated- a status they intend to keep next week against South Alabama.
Cincinnati: Bearcats survive Pitt on the road
After a spectacular offensive performance in week one, the Bearcats were brought down to earth this week against the Panthers. They took care of Pitt QB Phil Jurkovec in a convincing manner defensively, holding him to 10/32 throwing, and remained undefeated after the 27-21 victory. Pittsburgh scored 14 points compared to Cincinnati’s zero in the fourth quarter, but the Bearcats stayed on top and remain an adequate threat in the Big 12.
Texas Tech: Red Raiders perform well but can’t finish against Oregon
Playing the 13th-ranked Oregon Ducks, Texas Tech had their work cut out for them in their second game, and it proved to be a little too much as they fell 38-30. The team allowed 20 points in the fourth quarter and scored just three, allowing Oregon to take over and prevent the upset. While disappointing, this loss is less upsetting than their week one loss to Wyoming, but the Red Raiders have to stay on top of these exciting games going forward to move up in the conference.
Oklahoma: Sooners have a bit of a change of pace after week one
Oklahoma remains undefeated after two games thanks to a 28-11 win over Southern Methodist University. This comes off of a 73-point shutout of Arkansas State in week one. Outside of an exciting blocked punt by Oklahoma’s five-star freshman Peyton Bowen and some drama from off of the field, Oklahoma made a lot less noise in week two, but they remain a scary force in the Big 12 and will look to further that idea in week three against Tulsa. Oklahoma is ranked No. 19 in the latest AP Poll.
Houston: Cougars stay fall to 1-1 ahead of their first ever Big 12 game
With their first Big 12 victory last week, this week brought the Houston Cougars their first loss as members of the conference. The team fell to Rice 43-41 in a double overtime game. Though the Cougars had more production offensively than they had in week one, they allowed 401 passing yards from JT Daniels and the Rice Owls and three touchdowns in the first quarter. What Houston can pride themselves on from this game was their incredible comeback in the fourth quarter to force overtime, as they outscored Rice 21-0 in the final quarter after neither team scored in the third. After each team scored in the first overtime, the Owls outdid the Cougars 8-6 in the final overtime to stop the comeback. Houston plays TCU in the Big 12’s first conference game of the season next week, and has proven that they can keep things interesting as they look to regain a winning record.
TCU: Horned Frogs bounce back in major way against Nicholls State
After an upset loss against Colorado last week, TCU made up for the loss by taking down Nicholls State 41-6. Though it is still obvious that the Horned Frogs may not be the team they were projected to be before the season, the team played well overall. The team opened the game with a blocked punt in the first quarter leading to a touchdown, and they finished strong with 17 points in the fourth quarter, making it a consistent run of making up for their loss of last weekend. TCU will try to continue regaining their preseason status in their conference game against the Houston Cougars on Saturday night.
