With another exciting week of Big 12 Football in the books, storylines around the league continue to write themselves.
For some teams, success was inevitable, but for others, changes may need to happen sooner rather than later at some key positions.
Three teams are under the microscope ahead of Week 7: Oklahoma State and Kansas, which both suffered losses, and Houston, which pulled off an incredible win over TCU.
Oklahoma State continued their tough streak with yet another blowout loss in Week 7. Playing host to Neal Brown and the West Virginia Mountaineers, the team collapsed to a 38-14 loss. Kansas, as improbable as it may seem, blew another lead in the fourth quarter vs. Arizona State to drop to 1-5 overall.
Should the trio of teams consider making a change at the quarterback position, whether it be a long-term solution or a short-term boost?
HOUSTON – ALREADY DONE
After a statement win on Friday night, Willie Fritz gave the keys to the car to sophomore quarterback Zeon Chriss, and the results spoke for themselves. After failing to score a single point over the first two weeks of conference play under Donovan Smith, Chriss completely revolutionized Houston’s offense.
The Louisana native went 15-18 for 181 yards and a score and added 11 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Smith, on the other hand, did not have a great start in 2024. The veteran signal-caller has thrown for 694 yards and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 2-5. The writing is on the wall at Houston, and the team should continue to roll with Chriss.
KANSAS – MAYBE
It’s wise to express caution when approaching the quarterback situation at Kansas, as junior quarterback Jalon Daniels isn’t the only reason for the team’s losing streak. He’s actually coming off his best performance of the season in the Jayhawks’ 35-32 loss to Arizona State, accounting for 274 yards and three touchdowns.
However, Kansas keeps finding ways to lose heartbreaking games. Not only does the team have a +15 scoring differential to go along with a 1-5 record, but the team has led late in the fourth quarter of every game on their schedule and failed to get the job done. At face value, the issues don’t fall on Daniels, as the issues suffered in Lawrence feel loosely tied back to coaching, but if the team decides to make a change and go with Cole Ballard, doing so with a 1-5 and 0-3 record in conference play wouldn’t be the most shocking decision.
OKLAHOMA STATE – YES
Barring any unforeseen drastic changes to the Big 12 standing sheet, Oklahoma State’s 0-3 record in conference play has effectively crushed their title hopes and shocked the nation. After being picked to finish third in the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll earlier this offseason, the season has been vastly different than many expected.
The offensive line, heralded as one of the nation’s best, has been awful. Ollie Gordon looks so out of place that the ESPN2 broadcasters recommended that he sit out the rest of the year until the NFL draft, and Alan Bowman has been Alan Bowman.
Despite being one of the nation’s leaders in passing yards with 1,653, the veteran quarterback has struggled to take care of the football. Bowman has thrown an interception every week of the season, with six in his last three outings. While sophomore passer Garret Rangel may be the next man up when called upon, one question many in the league are wondering is, where is Zane Flores?
With an 0-3 record and Bowman in his last season of eligibility, it’s time for Gundy to make the change and look toward Oklahoma State’s football future.
