The Big 12 closed out another slate of college football games in Week 3. Who maneuvered around in the latest rankings?
Another weekend of Big 12 football closed with activity for most of its teams. Conference play started, with a close matchup between Oklahoma and Iowa State, while Texas dominated USC in the second half of their home-at-home series.
Outside of those games, big offensive performances ruled the day, including over 60 points from Texas Tech and another high-end display from Oklahoma State. So the Big 12 offenses are back in full swing and look better than ever.
However, how did all this action impact the latest conference rankings for Week 4? Let’s take a look:
Iowa State, like the 2017 matchup, played Oklahoma close. Unlike that game, they did not find a win, losing at home, 37-27. It was also without their quarterback, Kyle Kempt, who missed the game with an injury.
However, Zeb Noland stepped in and provided 360 passing yards and two touchdowns to keep the Cyclones competitive. David Montgomery added 82 yards and one score of his own on the ground.
The schedule will shift to a non-conference game against Akron, so look for Iowa State to find its first win of the season and try to find momentum after a canceled game and a 0-2 start.
Kansas football won just one game in the 2017 season. Through three weeks in 2018, they have a 2-1 record and do not sit in last place in the Big 12. So their pre-conference schedule placement has them in a rare position.
The Jayhawks had a cupcake schedule to start the season, however, with games against Nicholls State, Central Michigan and Rutgers. A surprise loss to Nicholls State kept them from a should-be 3-0 record, and they toppled the lowly Scarlet Knights, who also sit near the bottom of the Power Five.
It won’t be easy to keep this up, though, starting with Baylor on Saturday, Sept. 22 and consecutive matchups against Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Can Kansas sneak a win in any of these games?