Five Thoughts On The Big 12: Could OU Start 1-4?

That is a glorious photograph of No. 6, isn’t it? Just drink in the Week 1 goodness because the Big 12 looks like it’s going to be absolutely insane this year. Let’s take a look at five thoughts I had about the most beleaguered conference in the nation after Week 1.

1. Texas is a problem

I’m not prepared to say Texas is back, but that game on Sunday night against Notre Dame was not the most encouraging thing I’ve ever watched as an Oklahoma State fan. As a college football fan, it was outrageously good, but suddenly that defense looks a little scarier and the running backs (including Tyrone Swoopes) look a lot more lethal with a QB (Shane Buechele) who can legitimately throw it. We don’t have to worry about it for a month, but I’m already worried about it.

Tonight might have surpassed the Oklahoma State-Stanford 2012 Fiesta Bowl as the best game I've ever seen in person.

— David Ubben (@davidubben) September 5, 2016

Texas-ND doubled as a finalist for the Uni Playoffs. FSU-Ole Miss might end up making it at the end of the year as well depending on how they come out on Monday night.

[USATSI]

2. Oklahoma has a problem

The Houston loss wasn’t a terrible one, and I think said more about the Coogs than it did about OU. That’s back-to-back dubs over FSU and OU by Tom Herman and Co. If that doesn’t get you to the front of the line in the Big 12 expansion race I’m not sure what will.

But OU’s issues extend beyond the fact that it lost to an AAC team on Saturday afternoon in Houston and Baker Mayfield looked more like Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands then Johnny Football (shoutout to Scissorhands in OKC). Its next four games are against Louisiana Monroe, Ohio State, TCU and Texas. Gulp.

3. Kansas sort of charged the field against Rhode Island

Kansas finally put the ghost of Cuttino Mobley to bed with a 55-6 drubbing of Rhode Island (which I did not realize had a football team). Then it stormed the field and had to be told to leave by the PA “for the respect of the program.” I would rather lose to a FCS team like Iowa State did than be told to leave the field after a turf storming like Kansas did.

KU students on field but goalposts stay standing. pic.twitter.com/rO0QuWvnNx

— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) September 4, 2016

4. How long can Kansas State’s ways last?

Watching Kansas State play Stanford was like watching Stanford scrimmage itself without like 4-5 of its best athletes. I’ll never doubt the Manhattan Wizard (and I actually picked KSU to beat OSU this year), but without a dynamic QB, how good can Kansas State really be? I guess you could say the same about any Big 12 team, but KSU is more reliant on it than most because it has fewer horses than most other Big 12 teams.

Two other questions: How is KSU still a Nike school (they have Adidas written all over them!) and will college football even exist after Bill Snyder finally hangs up his pullovers? If so, what is the point?

Death, Taxes, Bill Snyder in his Alamo Bowl pullover pic.twitter.com/jQ2D53mSJp

— Born Salty (@cjzero) September 3, 2016

5. Who is the best team in Texas?

I’ve got it like this after Week 1:

1. Houston
2. Texas
3. Baylor
4. Texas A&M
5. TCU

Think about that. One of the two teams that received votes to win the Big 12 might be the fifth-best team in the state of Texas after the first week of games. Will they end up there after 11 more? I’m dubious about UT and A&M so I say no, but after Week 1 it’s hard to argue otherwise.

Here are your first Big 12 power rankings.

1. Texas
2. West Virginia
3. Baylor
4. Oklahoma State
5. Texas Tech
6. Oklahoma
7. Kansas State
8. Kansas (bumped two spots bc of the field storming)
9. TCU
10. Iowa State