There’s been a fair share of surprises through the first five weeks of the 2024 college football season, which certainly extends into the Big 12.
BYU’s 5-0 start jumps out as perhaps the most unpredictable story to this point, but it’s far from the only talking point we’ve had.
All but four teams in the Big 12 are active in Week 6 and there’s plenty on the line as we reach the halfway point of the 2024 season. Here’s a look at the top storylines for Big 12 football as we head into another pivotal slate of games.
Can the Pokes Stop The Bleeding Against WVU?
The last two weeks have not been kind to Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. After back-to-back losses to Utah and Kansas State — both considered frontrunners in the Big 12 — the Pokes are sitting at 0-2 in Big 12 play and behind the eight-ball in the Big 12 race. While the offense certainly isn’t playing inspiring football itself, the biggest issue that OSU has had to deal with this season is stopping the run.
In Big 12 play, Oklahoma State is allowing 275 rushing yards per game and is giving up a whopping 6.47 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Ollie Gordon has yet to eclipse the 100-yard mark against an FBS opponent this season and has 88 carries for 334 yards (3.8 ypc) on the year.
This week, the Pokes will welcome West Virginia (2-2) to Boone Pickens Stadium for a 3:00 p.m. CT kick on Saturday. Oklahoma State is currently favored by three points, but they welcome in a Mountaineers rushing attack that ranks sixth in the Big 12 — and top 50 nationally — with 181.5 yards per game. Considering two of their games have come against the No. 7 and No. 35 rush defenses in the country, that should sound alarms for the folks in Stillwater.
Was the Arizona Defense We Saw Last Week for Real?
After getting demolished by Kansas State in Week 3, it appeared that Arizona might be set up for failure in its first year in the Big 12. The schedule isn’t easy, and with how the defense looked against Avery Johnson and the ‘Cats, there wasn’t a ton of confidence in ‘Zona making a bunch of noise.
Then, Week 5 rolled around and Arizona went into Rice Eccles Stadium and dominated Utah in all facets of the game, and left with a 23-10 victory. The most impressive unit of the night was the Wildcats’ defense, which limited Utah to just 84 yards rushing (2.9 ypc), 6-of-15 on third down (0-for-4 on 4th), forced two turnovers, and recorded seven tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, and three sacks.
Now, to be fair, that came against Issac Wilson and not Cam Rising. But this week against Behren Morton and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Wildcats will have the chance to prove that they’ve figured out some things on that side of the ball. If they did, this Arizona team could be one to watch in the Big 12 race.
Can UCF Conquer The Swamp?
There probably wasn’t a team in the country that was more disappointed with their performance last week than the UCF Knights. After coming into their game against Colorado as a 15-point favorite, UCF was run off their own field in a 48-21 blowout.
With four turnovers and 80 yards in penalties, the Knights didn’t deserve to win that football game, and credit to Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes for taking advantage. The Knights found out quickly in 2023 that they aren’t in the AAC anymore. You can’t take a week off after a disappointing loss — there are no Temple’s (sorry, Owls) on the schedule.
However, the Knights’s first loss in 2024 comes just before a nonconference road trip, and it could be the perfect opportunity for them to build some confidence. UCF heads to Gainesville this week to take on Florida (2-2) and finds itself as a favorite in The Swamp. A win over the in-state SEC representative could set their season back on the right trajectory, but it’ll be a tall task with kickoff scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT.
Is KU in for a Scary Night in Tempe?
The season could not have started much worse for Lance Leipold and the Kansas Jayhawks. KU is 1-4 and in the midst of a four-game losing streak — most recently a 38-27 loss to TCU in front of a disappointed crowd at Arrowhead Stadium. Now, the Jayhawks hope to get back on track with a win over Arizona State, which was picked to finish second to last in the Preseason Big 12 Media Poll.
It should be an easy win, right? Nope. Arizona State comes into this game with a 3-1 record — and off a bye week — with renewed confidence about what it can do in 2024. The Sun Devils’ first taste of Big 12 football was a 30-22 loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock, but now, their fan base gets the chance to show its new league what they’re capable of with a 7:00 p.m. CT kick on ESPN2.
A win for ASU would move them to 4-1 and just two wins away from a bowl berth, which would be an incredible accomplishment given their expectations in 2024. Meanwhile, a loss would plummet Kansas to 1-5 and 0-3 in Big 12 play. There is one stat that not only stands out about this matchup but should scare the Rock Chalk faithful. The Sun Devils rank 12th nationally and second in the Big 12 with a +5 turnover margin, while Kansas ranks 108th nationally and 12th among Big 12 teams at -4. What could go wrong?
Can Iowa State Avoid the Letdown?
Iowa State is off to a 4-0 start in 2024, its best start since 2000, and is the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 heading into a matchup against a 2-3 Baylor squad. Additionally, the Cyclones are a heavy favorite heading into the game, with Baylor getting anywhere from 12.5 to 13.5 points on the road.
Baylor’s record is a bit deceiving, as the Bears have been very competitive in all three of its losses this season, losing by 11, 7 (in OT), and 6. This is a huge game for BU, too, as head coach Dave Aranda is starting to feel some serious pressure after his ninth Big 12 loss in the last two seasons.
There’s absolutely no reason why Baylor should go into Ames and win this weekend, but that’s exactly why this screams “trap game” to me. Matt Campbell’s team has been steady to this point, but getting to 5-0 would be a huge accomplishment for the program. In a vacuum, this is an easy win for the Cyclones, but we don’t play games in a vacuum, and Iowa State doesn’t do things the easy way. You’d better hang on tight for this one, folks.
