After a jam-packed week 2 of college football, teams are just beginning to show what they can do. Although four out of the top five ranked teams from last week remain unchanged, this was a pivotal week for college football. With only one game to play before conference games start, let’s take a look at the Week 2 Big 12 Power Rankings.
- 1. Oklahoma (#2): We are only two weeks into the season but one thing is clear: the Oklahoma Sooners are a force to be reckoned with this year. Last Saturday the Sooners took down the Ohio State Buckeyes in “The Horseshoe” with an impressive 31-16 victory. Baker Mayfield continued his Heisman campaign torching the Buckeye defense for 386 yards and 3 touchdowns on an efficient 27-35 passing. The Sooners hope to keep the ball rolling next week as they host Tulane (1-1).
- 2. Oklahoma State (#9): In last Friday’s matchup versus South Alabama, Oklahoma State shined blowing out the Jaguars 44-7. The South Alabama defense however, was able to hold OSU’s run game in check, as Running Back Justice Hill finished with only 27 yards on the ground. Fortunately for the Cowboys, Quarterback Mason Rudolph picked apart the Jaguar defense throwing for 335 yards and 3 touchdowns. Next week the Cowboys will head to Pittsburgh (1-1) to take on the Panthers in a game where they are once again double-digit favorites.
- 3. Kansas State (#18): Last week, KSU completely dismantled the Charlotte 49ers in 55-7 blowout. From the very start of the game it was clear that Charlotte didn’t belong on the same field as Kansas State. The Wildcat defense made quick work of a very weak offense, only allowing the 49ers to gain 168 yards on the game on top of snagging 2 defensive touchdown. Kansas State looks to keep their momentum going forward as they travel to Vanderbilt (2-0) Saturday.
- 4. West Virginia: The West Virginia Mountaineers bounced back this past Saturday, beating East Carolina 56-20. WVU Quarterback Will Grier threw all over the Pirate defense, recording 352 yards and 5 touchdowns. West Virginia also showed off their running game as Senior Back Justin Crawford ran for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. Next week the Mountaineers will take on Delaware State in a game that should be another blowout win.
- 5. TCU: The TCU Horned Frogs are on the rise. In last week’s matchup versus the Arkansas Razorbacks, TCU’s defense (ranked 23rd in the nation according to ESPN) again showed out only allowing Arkansas to score 7 points in a 28-7 win. This game was a ground and pound defensive battle—Exactly what TCU has excelled at thus far. Lead behind their three-headed rushing attack of Darius Anderson, Kyle Hicks, and Sewo Olonilua (combined for 164 yards and 4 touchdowns) ran all over the Razorback defense. Next week TCU will face off against SMU (2-0) in a game they are heavy favorites.
- 6. Texas: The Texas Longhorns picked up their first win of the year this past weekend defeating San Jose State 56-0. Freshman Sam Ehlinger got the start this week at Quarterback for the Longhorns and had a nice debut, throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown. Texas running back Chris Warren III carried the load for the Longhorns running for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns. Texas will look to continue to improve next week as they take on Sam Darnold and the No. 3 ranked USC Trojans (2-0) in a game where they are heavy underdogs.
- 7. Texas Tech: Not a whole lot to talk about here. Last week the Red Raiders were on bye. Next week Texas Tech will host Arizona State (1-1) in a game they are favored to win.
- 8. Iowa State: In last week’s overtime thriller, Iowa State was taken down by Iowa 44-41. This game turned out to be quite the battle against two evenly matched rivals. On the bright side for the Cyclones, Linebacker Marcel Spears Jr. was all over the field recording 17 total tackles on the day. Next week Iowa State will travel down to Akron to take on the Zips (1-1) in a game they are projected to win.
- 9. Baylor: Yes, I know UTSA got their first win over a power 5 team with their 17-10 win over Baylor last week. The only reason I am moving them up a spot to 9th is because KU looked that terrible, but we will get to that in a second. This loss to UTSA looks bad. Baylor’s Quarterback Anu Solomon looked particularly awful, passing for 121 yards on 10/26 passing with a QBR of 14.2. It’s official: Baylor football is taking a hard nose dive. Next week the Baylor Bears travel down to Durham, North Carolina to take on the Duke Blue Devils (2-0).
- 10. Kansas: The same issues just keep popping up for the Jayhawks and boy is it frustrating to watch. With star receiver Steven Sims Jr. out with an ankle injury the offense struggled mightily. The running game was once again not good enough. Junior Quarterback Peyton Bender had a rough game to say the least, completing 32/62 passes with zero touchdowns and 2 interceptions in an eventual 45-27 loss. What could go wrong, did go wrong this game for KU. Central Michigan Quarterback Shane Morris carved up the Jayhawk secondary for 467 yards and 5 touchdowns. Next week Kansas will look to bounce back as they travel down to Ohio to face the Bobcats (1-1) in a game they are slight underdogs.
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