College football conference power rankings, Week 1: Big Ten or SEC?

The Big 12, like the Big Ten, didn’t have any teams in action over the weekend. The first big test of the year for the league comes Friday night as Oklahoma State travels to Oregon State.

The Beavers have been down in recent years, so that’s a game the Cowboys should win and it won’t be a great look if they lose in the Northwest. Oklahoma and new quarterback Jalen Hurts will take on Houston Sunday in a game that could feature lots of points.

The Sooners should impress though and with Hurts running the show, Lincoln Riley’s offense shouldn’t skip a beat. Texas joins Oklahoma in the top 10. The Sooners enter the season ranked fourth, while the Longhorns come in at No. 10.

Texas won the Red River Shootout in 2018 but fell to the Sooners in the Big 12 title game before upsetting Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger turned into a college football darling at the end of last season and joins Hurts as a legitimate Heisman contender.

Iowa State also has a strong team and starts the season ranked 21st but will host a pesky Northern Iowa club that is generally among the best the FCS has to offer.

Texas and Oklahoma both have a chance at the playoff but after that, the pickings look pretty slim in the Big 12.