Big 12 Power Rankings: It's Oklahoma And Everyone Else
Remember when good teams were good and bad teams were bad? Yeah, that won't be the case in 2021. There have already been three upsets to kick off the season.
Oregon and the Pac-12 look tired of being disrespected for the past several seasons, so they took down LSU in Week 1 before marching to Columbus, Ohio to dismantle Ohio State. Clemson won't go undefeated, but Georgia and Alabama very well could until December.
Texas A&M survives as former Big 12 scare while USC needs to decide if they're going to be actual contenders this decade. Meanwhile, who would have thought that Notre me would need the closing seconds of a game at home to take down MAC-nation fan-favorite Toledo?
Better yet, did anyone see the end of the Florida State game? Mike Norvell might be on thinner ice than Willie Taggart was in 2019.
The Big 12 was boring outside of Texas' downfall to Arkansas and Iowa State being Iowa State. Still, both teams played Power 5 schools and kept things interesting in the first half. Is that enough to keep them in the top-five of our Big 12 rankings?
Here are Longhorns Country's Big 12 rankings entering Week 3, and there's no surprise at the top spot after Saturday night in Norman, Okla.
1. Oklahoma (2-0): They better have won outright against FCS Western Carolina. Spencer Rattler threw for five touchdowns and the Sooners' defense only allowed 178 total yards on the afternoon. That's 178 yards too many, but Oklahoma should prove their contender status against Nebraska next weekend.
2. TCU (2-0): Explain why the Horned Frogs shouldn't be considered here? They beat a Pac-12 California team and looked complete on offense. Max Duggan threw three touchdowns and Zach Evans rushed for 123 yards. Gary Patterson is making an early case of why sleeping on TCU is a bad idea.
3. West Virginia (1-1): Maryland might be good after a 62-0 win over Howard. The Mountaineers kept it close on their way to a loss, but rebound against FCS Long Island. Jarret Doege had three touchdowns and the game scored five times.
As for that secondary? The Sharks had under 100 yards of offense. Take me home on the country roads all the way to AT&T Stadium with performances like this on Saturdays.
4. Iowa State (1-1): The Cy-Hawk Trophy has been won by the Hawkeyes every season since 2015. Another year, another injury. Brock Purdy threw three interceptions, Breece Hall's 100-yard rushing record was broken and Iowa might be the team to beat in the Big 10.
The reason Iowa State gets a pass? The Hawkeyes now rank No. 5 in the AP Polls. This loss could look better over time.
5. Texas (1-1): Welcome to the SEC, Texas. Good thing this was just a test run and not permanent. On top of poor tackling, the lack of a pass rush, and poor run blocking, Texas couldn't find an offensive rhythm until the fourth quarter. At least Casey Thompson will make Week 3 interesting after his two-touchdown game.
6. Kansas State (2-0): Deuce Vaughn is going to be a problem for defensive lines. The 5'6" running back basically controlled the offense alone, recording 121 total yards and three touchdowns. The Wildcats might be higher next week, but Skylar Thompson and Will Howard both looked rough passing.
7. Oklahoma State (2-0): Spencer Sanders returned to pick up the win. That's about as positive as this recap gets. The Golden Hurricanes picked up more passing yards, more total yards, and won the time of possession. If they would have had one more drive, they could have won the game altogether.
8. Baylor (2-0): Dave Aranda is 2-0 after a dominant win against Texas Southern. Baylor's identity has to be controlling the ground game after a 419-yard, five-touchdown day. Still, the Bears allowed 161 yards rushing, so there's work to be done.
9. Texas Tech (2-0): Tyler Shough threw two interceptions and if not for Stephen F. Austin's inability to connect on third down (5 of 21), maybe the Lumberjacks get a win. Matt Wells very well could be 0-2 and the Red Raiders still have no clue what direction they're headed.
10. Kansas (1-1): At least the Jayhawks almost beat the spread? Little victories, people.
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