Big 12 Update: A Forgettable Week 3

Let’s forget Week 3 of the 2023 college football season ever happened.

It was a lackluster weekend for the Big 12, as the conference went 8-4 in nonconference matchups and two teams kicked off their Big 12 seasons. Oklahoma State’s loss, which you can read about here, may have been the worst of Week 3 for the Big 12, but the Cowboys weren’t the only conference member to disappoint.

Here’s the Week 3 update of the Big 12.

Missouri 30, No. 15 Kansas State 27

It’s never fun to watch the defending Big 12 champion lose to a middle-of-the-pack SEC team, no matter how it happened.

Harrison Mevis drilled a 61-yard (!!) field goal as time expired to cinch the upset for old Big 12 member Missouri and send Tiger fans to midfield to celebrate. It seemed almost unnatural to watch a kicker line up on the opposite side of the midfield logo for a field goal, and even more unbelievable to witness the kicker nail it.

The upset was K-State’s first loss of the season before starting Big 12 play against conference newcomer UFC in the Little Apple.

Baylor 30, Long Island 7

Not much to say here, as Baylor handled a team it should have that before Saturday we thought those words were only followed by iced tea, never football.

The biggest news from this game was the fact it was Baylor’s first win of the season after losses to Texas State and Utah. The 1-2 Bears host Texas next to begin Big 12 play.

Ohio 10, Iowa State 7

Luckily for Oklahoma State, Iowa State is up next.

The Cyclones have looked abysmal so far, especially on offense. But at least they’ve reached 30 points this season in their only win against Northern Iowa.

Two turnovers were ultimately the difference in ISU’s 10-7 loss to Ohio. Expect a defensive battle between the Cowboys and Cyclones on Saturday in Ames.

Oklahoma 66, Tulsa 17

The worst-case scenario might be playing out: OU and Texas look to be the best teams in the Big 12 in their last seasons in the conference.

Tulsa gave up 43 to then-No. 8 Washington in Week 2, but OU upped that by 23 in T-Town. What a schedule so far for first-year TU coach Kevin Wilson.

Dillon Gabriel threw five touchdown passes, and Nic Anderson caught three of them. All three of Anderson’s catches were for touchdowns and 120 yards.

The Sooners are averaging nearly 56 points a game through their nonconference schedule. Cincinnati, which just gave up 31 to Miami (OH), is next to start OU’s final Big 12 journey.

UCF 48, Villanova 14

I didn’t know Villanova had a football team, but no matter what, UCF thumped it Saturday. And the newly added Knights might have the best shot at keeping OU or Texas out of Arlington.

UCF starts its first Big 12 slate Saturday against defending conference champion Kansas State on the road. This matchup will give us our first real idea of what the Knights will be this season in a Power Five conference for the first time.

Miami (OH) 31, Cincinnati 24

Ohio State isn’t the only team in the state of Ohio better than Cincinnati.

Miami (OH) needed an overtime to get it done, but gave in-state foe Cincinnati its first loss of the season.

Cincinnati hosts OU next for its first taste of the Big 12. Good luck, Bearcats.

Texas Tech 41, Tarleton State 3

Texas Tech needed this week to finally breathe and grab its first win of the season.

The Red Raiders started the season with losses to Wyoming and then-No. 13 Oregon, so no matter the opponent, this was an important game to end nonconference play. Next, Tech has West Virginia, which doesn’t look as bad as projected heading into this season.

BYU 38, Arkansas 31

It hasn’t always been pretty for BYU, but the Cougars finished a 3-0 nonconference slate with an exclamation point.

BYU battled, scoring the last 17 points of the game, to leave Fayetteville with a win over SEC foe Arkansas. That was after starting the game down 14-0 on the road and trailing by 10 in the third quarter.

This seems strange to write, but traveling to Lawrence for a date with 3-0 Kansas for the Cougars’ first Big 12 action could be BYU’s biggest test so far.

West Virginia 17, Pitt 6

West Virginia might not be bad like expected.

After losing to a really good Penn State team Week 1, the Mountaineers have won back-to-back games, including one against rival Pitt this weekend. WVU scored 10 points in the third quarter and kept Pitt off the board the entire second half to nab the rivalry win.

Week 4’s matchup between West Virginia and Texas Tech is pretty intriguing now.

No. 4 Texas 31, Wyoming 10

After handling Alabama a week ago, Texas actually struggled with Wyoming for a little bit this week.

This game was actually at 10 at the start of the fourth quarter before Texas put it away with 21 unanswered points in the final 14:12. Wyoming is no slouch, though, with a win against Texas Tech and suffering its first loss to Texas.

The rest of the season consists of rooting for Texas to fail now, though, with Baylor first up.

Kansas 31, Nevada 24

Will the new Big 12 be the Jayhawks’ for the taking when OU and Texas leave next year? Doesn’t seem like any of the other original members are wanting to take control.

Kansas, a football school, finished nonconference play 3-0 after a Devin Neal touchdown run with 6:20 left ultimately beat Nevada. The Jayhawks also have wins over Illinois and Missouri State.

Kansas has BYU next, and a win there could set up an undefeated matchup with Texas in Week 5 at Austin. *rubs hands together*

TCU 36, Houston 13

If this continues, a Big 12 schedule could make Dana Holgorsen spontaneously combust on the sideline.

TCU spoiled Houston’s Big 12 debut in Houston, scoring the last 17 points and the only points of the second half to put the game away.

TCU and Houston both finish up their nonconference schedules next week, as TCU hosts SMU and Houston has Sam Houston.