Texas lost to LSU but will the Longhorns drop much in the latest Big 12 power rankings?
Non-conference play does not usually produce memorable games. Power Five teams play low-FBS or FCS schools and dominate them for easy wins, for the most part. However, the Big 12’s Texas Longhorns took a different turn in the second full week of college football, playing and losing to LSU, 45-38. Aside from that, most of the conference’s teams played a weekend game and contributed to the minor shift in the power rankings entering Week 3.
Welcome back to college football, Les Miles. Coastal Carolina handed Kansas an ugly 12-7 loss, taking any excitement out of their Week 1 win, which happened in a narrow effort over Indiana State. Miles has his work cut out in Lawrence, so anyone expecting a quick, magical turnaround for the Jayhawks must temper expectations immediately.
West Virginia also has a rebuilding effort ahead, after switching their head coach and quarterback in the offseason. A 38-7 blowout loss to Missouri does not heal the wounds of the pieces lost and paints a much different picture to the competitive team the Mountaineers had in 2018. They have the ACC’s North Carolina State next on the schedule.
Kansas State took a marginal step forward from their Week 2 win over Bowling Green, 52-0. Their first two games have been soft, not resulting in a significant boost up the Big 12 power rankings, but a matchup with Mississippi State will provide a legitimate threat to their early, perfect record to open the season.
So far, so good for the new era of Texas Tech football. A 38-3 win over UTEP happened as expected. They have only allowed 13 points through two games this season and the offense looks proficient. A Pac-12 battle with Arizona looms, before barrelling into Norman to face Oklahoma and begin a rigorous path through the Big 12.
Another solid start for Baylor, who has some expectations in Matt Rhule’s third season. A 2-0 start against cupcake teams will help the final record. In-state opponent Rice will probably boost that record to another win, before an intriguing matchup against Iowa State to open Big 12 play.
Oklahoma State stands still after the thrashing of McNeese in Week 2, 56-14. They are still the clear No. 2 team in the state, and a matchup with Tulsa will look to fortify that. Afterward, it is on to Austin for Texas, which could create momentum for the Cowboys.
TCU did not play in Week 2, keeping their perfect 1-0 record intact. They have a Big Ten matchup ahead against Purdue, with another nonconference matchup to follow, before diving into Big 12 play later in September.
Iowa State also had the unusual bye week on Sept. 7. They narrowly escaped Northern Iowa, 29-26, in Week 1, but after taking last week off, hope to be ready for No. 19 Iowa. The Cyclones host their in-state rival to Ames with College GameDay in attendance.
Texas played the only meaningful game among the Big 12 teams, but against the SEC’s LSU. It was a two-touchdown game in the final minutes, so this final score might not indicate the on-field results. But they won’t be penalized in the Big 12 power rankings. However, it was a test for the Longhorns, facing an experienced quarterback in Joe Burrow and a standout defense that is likely superior to any Big 12 unit. The Burnt Orange will regroup, they just cannot fall too far behind this early in the season.
Lincoln Riley’s offenses are fantastic, right? He did wonders with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts looks like the never superstar he never seemed to be at Alabama. The sky’s the limit for the Sooners, who are, even in early September, on track for another Big 12 title.
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