Big 12 Football: Week 2 Power Rankings

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With Week Two of the Big 12 Football calendar in the books, it’s time for another round of conference power rankings.

With insane offensive numbers, upsets, dominance, robbery and some lingering question marks, Week Two for Big 12 football certainly delivered, despite a collective softer schedule than Week One.

So with non-conference match-ups almost in the books, it’s time to look at each team through a more critical lens.

Disclaimer:

The following power rankings are based on observations for weeks 1-2, while forecasting playoff implications; there are no additional factors, so expect these rankings to change a lot this season based off how powerfully these teams are performing.

For those keeping track, here are my Big 12 Power Rankings for Week One.

Sep 10, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Joel Lanning (7) is tackled by Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King (14) at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

10. Iowa State Cyclones

With a 42-3 loss against in-state rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, Iowa State is now 0-2 to start the season. This has to be alarming for Cyclones’ fans, because before Saturday’s blowout, there were consecutive close games between the Hawkeyes that at least provided some glimmer of entertainment.

Unfortunately, there are way too many issues for Iowa State at this point, but offensively, it starts with the o-line. Junior quarterback Joel Lanning was 8/20 for 86-yards and an interception–his third for the year, with as many touchdowns. If that stat alone isn’t cause for major concern for head coach Matt Campbell, it should be. This is going to be a very long season.

Next Game:

Next: 9. Kansas Jayhawks

Sep 10, 2016; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Ryan Willis (13) is sacked by Ohio Bobcats defensive lineman Tarell Basham (93) in the second half at Memorial Stadium. Ohio won 37-21. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

9. Kansas Jayhawks

Not much stock was put into Kansas’ week one victory over Rhode Island, which is unfortunate because many thought it would translate into some ferocity against Ohio, that would hopefully turn into another win. That wasn’t the case, as Kansas lost 27-31, and exploited several fundamental gaps at the same time.

With two fumbled punt returns, a safety, an interception, and just short of 14 minutes of total possession, head coach David Beaty is probably looking for answers, too. The Jayhawks were ineffective in the red zone and converted on ZERO of its eight third-down conversion attempts. Kansas was visibly exhausted, which is on the conditioning staff. But if this level of play continues, Big 12 teams are going to have exhibition games all season–and might even make some of the worst in-conference defenses look decent.

Next Game:

Next: 8. Kansas State Wildcats

September 2, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Kansas State Wildcats wide receiver Isaiah Zuber (7) catches a touchdown pass against Stanford Cardinal safety Justin Reid (8) during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

8. Kansas State Wildcats

There isn’t much to say about Kansas State this week. The Wildcats had an early bye after a tough road loss to Stanford in Week One.

Side Note: I’m still not too sure who thinks bye weeks this early on are a good thing, but knock it off.

Next Game:

Next: 7. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Sep 10, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Devin Lauderdale (6) is tackled by the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

7. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech might have beat the Arizona State Sun Devils soundly in the 2014 Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Calif., however, the rematch against ASU in Tempe, Ariz. was a different story. Despite a 55-68 loss for the Red Raiders, Pat Mahomes and the offense were up to its usual high-flying selves, and despite the score differential, the team as a whole didn’t look gassed, even in the heat. That’s a huge credit to the strength and conditioning staff–whose mission this offseason was to get the team ready to give it 120 percent through all four quarters, and beyond.

ASU head coach Todd Graham said in Monday’s press conference that defensive backs ran for about four miles on Saturday covering the Air Raid.

With that much offense, Mahomes is definitely on a lot of Heisman radars, and his numbers are self-explanatory as to why: 68/96 for 1,023-yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions in the air, and 21 carries for 101-yards, and three touchdowns rushing.

An all-too-familiar red flag for Texas Tech lies within the defense, which is unfortunate because given how much faith has been placed in second-year defensive coordinator David Gibbs, defensive issues shouldn’t be this problematic–especially given what his units accomplished at Houston.

Penalties were also an issue (again) on Saturday, so all things considered, I hope to see all business from Tech from here on out, but it’s college football, so the needle could move either way.

Next Game:

Next: 6. TCU Horned Frogs

Sep 10, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Kenny Hill (7) runs for a touchdown during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

6. TCU Horned Frogs

TCU started the season with a nice victory against the San Diego State Aztecs, and were looking to build on that momentum headed into its home game against Arkansas.

Unfortunately for Gary Patterson’s team, that momentum racked up some insane statistics against the Razorbacks, but a game-winning touchdown by Arkansas in double overtime sealed the victory.

TCU quarterback Kenny Hill threw for 377-yards and a touchdown compared to Arkansas’ 223-yards passing for three touchdowns. But TCU dominated on the ground with 195-yards rushing for four touchdowns–compared to just one rushing TD by Arkansas.

What this says headed into conference play for TCU is that given how Big 12 teams have been playing, patience and cleaning up some fundamental mistakes could be all that stands in its way of competing for the conference title.

Next Game:

Next: 5. Oklahoma Sooners

Sep 10, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Joe Mixon (25) runs the ball against Louisiana Monroe Warhawks safety Wesley Thompson (6) during the second quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

5. Oklahoma Sooners

I get there isn’t much a team can do when its scheduling is predetermined years in advance. But perhaps years ago, the Sooners thought that in 2016, scheduling Houston followed by ULM would be great case victories for the futuristic playoff committee.

The Sooners started as everyone’s conference favorites–with some predicting another playoff run. But with a Week One loss against Houston, many projected the Sooners to come back and dominate in Week Two; which they did, but against ULM.

With 670 total yards of offense for the Sooners, and quarterback Baker Mayfield averaging 10.1-yards-per-pass, the offense is anything but lethargic. One stat to pay attention to in the Sooners 59-17 victory, however, is the time of possession. Oklahoma and ULM held on to the football at a near dead even split, so moving into conference play, Bob Stoops’ team needs to make sure its dominating the TOP to ensure quarterbacks like Texas’ freshmen Shane Buechele and Texas Tech’s Pat Mahomes are staying off the field.

Next Game:

Next: 4. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Sep 10, 2016; Stillwater, OK, USA; Central Michigan Chippewas wide receiver Jesse Kroll (88) passes the ball to Central Michigan Chippewas wide receiver Corey Willis (8) during the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. Central Michigan won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys

By the time these Week Two rankings get published, the college football world will still be talking about how Oklahoma State was essentially robbed of a win against Central Michigan on Saturday. But were the Cowboys really, actually “robbed” of a win? The rulebooks say yes, and as such the officiating crew that gave CMU an untimed down when the game should have been over has been suspended. This is why Oklahoma State is ranked this high, but the statistics from that game do, in fact, favor CMU over the No. 22-ranked Cowboys.

The game should have ended giving Oklahoma State a 27-24 victory. But the Chippewas overpowered Oklahoma State on both time of possession (35:27-24:33), and in total yardage: 418 to the Cowboys’ 338-yards. CMU is a good team, but that’s why a win was imperative for the Cowboys to stay in playoff discussion.

Many missed opportunities led to the ultimate loss, but OSU has to tighten up as the season progresses, or else expect CMU’s Hail Mary/lateral to be one of many humiliating/disappointing moments in the Cowboys’ season.

Next Game:

Next: 3. West Virginia Mountaineers

Sep 10, 2016; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Kennedy McKoy (4) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Youngstown State Penguins at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

3. West Virginia Mountaineers

I know some of you are wondering why West Virginia is ranked this high, but to be fair, it’s hard to deny the three undefeated teams in the Big 12 anything less than top ranking real estate. The Mountaineers have wins over Missouri, and Youngstown State, but this week against BYU will be a test, as the first two games were played at home.

Led by quarterback Skyler Howard, WVU amassed 624-yards of offense, but on the flip side, defensive coordinator Tony Gibson called the effort, “embarrassing” following its win over Youngstown State.

Like all Big 12 teams, defensive improvements aren’t optional, and if you’re a WVU fan, expect to see a gritty BYU team show up in Maryland on Saturday.

Next Game:

Next: 2. Baylor Bears

Sep 10, 2016; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears cornerback Tion Wright (3) and Southern Methodist Mustangs wide receiver Xavier Castille (2) fight for the ball in the end zone during the second half at McLane Stadium. The Bears defeated the Mustangs 40-13. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

2. Baylor Bears

Unlike most of the Big 12 this weekend, Baylor’s secondary came up big against SMU on Saturday with three total interceptions–two by safety Orion Stewart alone. With quarterback Seth Russell starting the game off balance and lethargic, Baylor was bailed out on multiple defensive plays, which contributed greatly to the momentum shift after the half–when both Baylor and SMU were tied at 6-6 apiece.

Russell and the offense haven’t been playing its best football thus far, but one more non-conference game against Rice to start the football weekend on Friday should provide one more much needed dress rehearsal.

Moving forward, Baylor’s depth will be pushed to its brink, so this is the time in the season where Bears’ fans should prepare for anything to happen.

Next Game:

Next: 1. Texas Longhorns

Sep 10, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Jerrod Heard (13) catches a touchdown pass over University of Texas at El Paso Miners strong safety Devin Cockerel (27) during the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

1. Texas Longhorns

Defensive coordinator Vance Bedford has been the difference-maker for the Texas Longhorns, so far. Coming in at No. 50 in the nation, the Texas defense averages 4.76-yards-per-play and 326-yards-per-game. That might seem like a lot, but allowing just seven touchdowns against Notre Dame and UTEP (which has been problematic in the past for Big 12 teams) combined is pretty substantial.

Texas begins a tough road schedule on Saturday against Cal, but it won’t be an easy task–especially against former Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb, who transferred to Cal as a graduate. The Cal offense ranks No. 2 in the country in total passing yards (just behind Texas Tech) at 586.5-yards-per-game, and Webb ranks No. 2 in the nation in total passing with 963-yards in the air through just two games. And if you guessed Tech QB Pat Mahomes is the No. 1 quarterback in the country, you’d be correct.

Perhaps Cal will give the Longhorns a taste of what to expect on Nov. 5 in Lubbock. But having skyrocketed into the Top-25 at No. 11, head coach Charlie Strong has a tall order of expectations on his plate, as Horns’ fans will get restless if this momentum doesn’t continue.

Next Game:

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