16. UCF Knights (1-0)
The UCF Knights take the bottom spot for week 2 power rankings after a 17-10 win against Jax State. The Knights' offense struggled a ton, only scoring 3 points outside the fourth quarter. Starting quarterback Tayven Jackson showed promise, completing 17 of his 24 passes for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Knights play North Carolina A&T in a big bounce-back game for their offense.
15. West Virginia Mountaineers (1-0)
In Rich Rodriguez's return to Power 4 football, they took on the Robert Morris Colonials, blowing them out 45-3, scoring 21 fourth-quarter points. Rodriguez spent last season coaching for Jax State, leading them to a 9-4 record, which ended in a loss to Ohio University in the Staffdna Cure Bowl. West Virginia takes on the Ohio Bobcats in a revenge game for Rodriguez and some of his transfer players. The two universities are just 150 miles apart; the game takes place in Athens, Ohio, right on the border with West Virginia. Be sure to check out this game on ESPNU this Saturday afternoon.
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-0)
Coming fresh off a 3-9 season (0-9 in Big 12) in Mike Gundy's 21st season as the Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach. They opened their week one matchup playing the Skyhawks from UT Martin, winning 27-7. The Cowboys brought in 40 transfers this season, the second most in the Big 12 this season. Gundy looks to bring the Cowboys back to national relevance, a place they were at just a couple of years ago. The Cowboys travel to Eugene to play the No. 6-ranked Oregon Ducks this week, a game they are a 28.5 point underdog in. Gundy has the opportunity to make some noise this week, but his roster might be a little too young.
13. Arizona Wildcats (1-0)
The Arizona Wildcats were largely picked to finish in the bottom 3 spots of the Big 12 this season, but after a 40-6 win against a solid Hawaii team, which beat Stanford in Week 0, they jumped up to No. 13. Running back Quincy Craig was the star for the Wildcats in their blowout win, rushing for 125 yards on 7 carries, averaging 17.9 yards per carry. The Wildcats face Weber State, who lost to James Madison 45-10 last week. This should be an easy and comfortable win.
12. Houston Cougars (1-0)
The Houston Cougars are many people's picks as the dark horse to make the Big 12 Championship Game. The Cougars won 4 games last season, 3 of them coming in Big-12 play. They had 29 players transfer out, and brought in 31 transfers. Willie Fritz clicked the reset button and it seemed to work in their 27-0 win against Stephen F. Austin. Houston takes on Rice next week, an in-state opponent who is going into their second season as a part of the American Conference. Rice could cause some trouble for the Cougars, this being a key game in deciding what this team can acheive this year.
11. Colorado Buffaloes (0-1)
The Colorado Buffaloes lost the most talent from last year to this year out of all the teams in the Big 12. They reloaded with a Transfer Portal class that ranked No.5 in the conference, bringing in 31 new players. In their home opening game, the Buffaloes lost 27-20 to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, never really being able to put together two good drives in a row. Colorado plays Delaware this weekend, and is favored by -24.5, this being Delaware's first season as an FBS team. This should serve as a tune-up game before Colorado starts Big 12 conference play in week three.
10. Kansas State Wildcats (1-1)
After a 3-point loss to the Iowa State Cyclones in Dublin, Ireland, during week zero, the Kansas State Wildcats took on the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, an FCS opponent. North Dakota led 21-17 at halftime, but Kansas State would go on to win 38-35. Win or lose, this is a wake-up game for the Wildcats. They take on the Army Black Knights this week and are favored by 17.5 points, something that definitely seems a little off in definitely another potential loss for the Wildcats.
9. Cincinnati Bearcats (0-1)
The Cincinnati Bearcats come in at No. 9 in the Big 12. After a 20-17 loss to a solid Nebraska squad, where they only passed for 69 yards, there is a lot of room for improvement. The Bearcats need someone besides Brendan Sorsby to step up and make the big chunk plays. If that is Jeff Caldwell, Tawee Walker, Caleb Goodie, or Joe Royer-- it doesn't matter. This team has a lot of potential to make a run for the Big 12 Championship.
8. BYU Cougars (1-0)
The BYU Cougars played the Portland State Vikings in week one, blowing them out 69-0. BYU only passed for 138 yards with 3 different quarterbacks throwing passes. They ran for 468 yards, the largest single-game total for the Cougars since 2002. BYU will be more reliant on its run game with true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier being named the starter. BYU has the offensive talent to make some noise once conference games start.
7. Baylor Bears (0-1)
Baylor lost their season opener to Auburn, 38-24. Sawyer Robertson looked extremely promising, passing for 417 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Kole Wilson caught 8 balls for 134 yards. If Baylor can figure out their front seven on the defensive side, they are going to be a very dangerous team in the Big 12.
6. Kansas Jayhawks (2-0)
The Kansas Jayhawks have played two games so far, beating Fresno State 31-7 in week zero and beating Wagner 46-7 in week one. Jalon Daniels has looked great so far, combining for 456 passing yards, 7 passing touchdowns, 67 rushing yards, and one interception.
5. Utah Utes (1-0)
The Utah Utes played a high-profile game week one against former Pac-12 rival, UCLA. The Utes completely shut down Nico Iamaleava, beating the Bruins by a final score of 43-10. Devon Dampier, transfer quarterback from New Mexico, passed for 206 yards, ran for 87 yards, and was responsible for 3 touchdowns. Dampier looks as advertised and maybe better, the Utes could be a dark horse for a playoff contender.
4. TCU Horned Frogs (1-0)
The TCU Horned Frogs spoiled Bill Belichick's debut game as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. they didn't just spoil the night; they embarrassed them in the process, winning 48-14. Josh Hoover passed for 284 yards and 2 touchdowns, Kevorian Barnes ran for 113 and a touchdown, and Jordan Dwyer had 9 receptions for 136 yards and one touchdown.
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-0)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders spent the most money of anyone in college football this offseason. They have college football's No. 1 transfer portal class, bringing in 21 new players. They opened the season by playing an FCS opponent, Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Red Raiders would win very comfortably, 67-7, scoring 47 points in the first half. Behren Moron passed for 200 yards, Cameron Dickey ran for 90 yards, and Reggie Vigil had 56 yards. The Texas Tech offense had 610 total yards and proved why they deserve to be in the national conversation.
2. Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0)
Last season's Big 12 Champions, Arizona State, opened up with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, winning 38-19. Sam Leavitt dominated the game, passing for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns. He added 73 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. We also saw a healthy Jordan Tyson for the first time in months. Tyson caught 12 balls for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Sun Devils take on Mississippi State next week on ESPN as the national game for Saturday night. The Sun Devils are the real deal and could win the division for the second straight season.
1. Iowa State Cyclones (2-0)
The Cyclones have the advantage here with more game on tape, beating Kansas State in week zero and now South Dakota in week one. The Coyotes lost 55-7. Rocco Becht passed for 278 yards and 3 touchdowns on 19/20 passing. Aiden Flora returned two punts for a total of 117 yards, and the Cyclone Defense had three pass deflections and four tackles for a loss. The Cyclones play the Iowa Hawkeyes in Fox's Big Noon Kickoff game this week. The Hawkeyes are 3.5-point underdogs coming fresh off a 34-7 win against UAlbany. The Cyclones have another big resume game this week. Don't be surprised if they double or triple the spread line.