The second week of Big 12 play taught us quite a bit about the teams in this conference.
Kansas State appears to have righted the ship after its meltdown in Provo, and it did so against a fading Oklahoma State squad. Utah desperately needs Cam Rising to get back on the field, Arizona seems to have found itself during the bye week, and Colorado’s thumping of UCF appears to mark them as a serious contender.
While we knew it would be nearly impossible to predict how the league would play out, some of the results we’ve seen have still been surprising. Models like ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) have been updated significantly, and on Monday, this is what things look like in the Big 12.
STOCK UP
COLORADO (No. 28) – ↑ 24
The Buffaloes went into Orlando and dog-walked UCF in front of their home crowd — and ESPN’s FPI was very impressed with the performance. After rising 24 spots, Colorado appears to have announced their arrival as a Big 12 contender in 2024.
ARIZONA (No. 44) – ↑ 18
Arizona is surging back in the right direction after a 23-10 win over Utah, which was more dominant than the score might indicate. The Wildcats were the more physical team this week, and that’s more than notable considering who they were facing.
KANSAS STATE (No. 20) – ↑ 12
It’s been a tale of two weeks for Kansas State, who was among the biggest fallers in last week’s FPI update. However, the Wildcats shook off their loss and rebounded with a 42-20 win over Oklahoma State. Now, the Cats are atop the Big 12 FPI standings and appear the team to beat.
STOCK DOWN
UCF (No. 31) – ↓ 15
After being the Big 12 darling of the FPI last week, UCF has crashed back down to earth following their loss to Colorado. The Knights plummeted 15 spots to No. 31 and have some things to work on defensively after giving up 48 to the Buffs at home.
UTAH (No. 36) – ↓ 14
The FPI wasn’t too high on Utah heading into this week (No. 22) and appears to have been justified in its reasoning after the Utes’ loss to Arizona at home. This team needs Cam Rising back in a bad way, and if he’s not healthy soon, it could cost them a chance at a Big 12 title.
KANSAS (No. 48) – ↓ 13
After what we’ve seen from KU through four weeks, 48th might still be too high. The Jayhawks appear to be snake-bit in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Jalon Daniels has been nowhere close to the level he needed to be for this team to have success, and right now, they don’t look like a bowl team.
OKLAHOMA STATE (No. 32) – ↓ 11
Oklahoma State was supposed to be a Big 12 contender again in 2024, but through five games, we just haven’t seen it. The offense is lethargic — at best — and the Pokes’ rush defense is a huge issue. There’s still hope to turn this thing around, but time is running out.
NOTABLE FPI MATCHUPS IN WEEK 6
Texas Tech (No. 52) at Arizona (No. 44)
After Arizona’s surge in the latest FPI, a matchup with Texas Tech could set the course for the remainder of the season for both teams. The Wildcats and Red Raiders rank 52nd and 54th in offensive efficiency, but Arizona’s defense (46th in D/EFF) appears to be working in the right direction while Texas Tech’s (110th) has bigger issues.
UCF (No. 31) at Florida (No. 47)
An in-state battle with all sorts of pride on the line, UCF and Florida both come into this game a bit disappointed in recent results. This Big 12 vs. SEC matchup could serve as a measuring stick for both programs, and could even have Billy Napier’s job riding on the outcome.
