The college football season is back and Week 2 was a huge slate of non-conference match ups for the Big 12. The Big 12 was facing teams out of the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, along with a top-notch independent team match up. These are the games that determine the perceived quality of a conference, fair or not. And for the Big 12, there were some ups, but also lots of downs. So with that, let’s take a look at the top five takeaways from Week 2 in the Big 12 Conference.
Power 4 + Independent Competition
The Big 12 Conference had several games on Saturday against Power 4 competition. And overall, the league went 3-4. BYU beat Stanford, Baylor handled SMU, Iowa State got by Iowa, but it was Oklahoma State falling to Oregon, Arizona State coming up short vs. Mississippi State, Kansas losing to Missouri and K-State falling to Army.
To make matters worse, in two of their losses, Arizona State and Kansas State, the Big 12 team was favored to win. And in the case of Oklahoma State, it was the worst loss of Mike Gundy‘s coaching career. And then there’s Kansas, who blew a 15-point first-half lead. So not only did the Big 12 go under .500 against Power 4 teams (plus Army), it’s how they ended up losing these games that hurts that much more.
Oh, and I didn’t even mention West Virginia’s loss to Ohio. No good for the league there either.
Arizona State Stings the Most
Arizona State had this one vs. Mississippi State in the bag after an incredibly impressive drive to put the Sun Devils up by three with under two minutes left. But on the final MSU drive of the game, a blown coverage by ASU allowed the Bulldogs to re-take the lead and win the game. Here’s what it looked like.
Why ASU DC Brian Ward chose to dial up that pressure in that spot, I’ll never understand. The only thing that could result in your defense getting beat there is a blown coverage and/or being too aggressive. That’s what happened. The Sun Devils had mostly kept their safeties back and had protection on the back end. But, on the play that won the game for the Bulldogs, it was ASU bringing pressure that didn’t get there that cost Arizona State, and the Big 12, in a major way on Saturday night.
Mike Gundy’s Mess
There were some back and forth words between Mike Gundy and Oregon coach Dan Lanning this week over NIL spending. And then, Lanning took no prisoners on Saturday, as the Ducks hammered the Cowgirls, sorry, Cowboys, 69-3. This was not only the worst loss of the Mike Gundy era, but the worst loss for the program since 2000, when it lost to Texas Tech 58-0. It was absolutely embarrassing. Oklahoma State looked like an FCS team. They looked small on both lines, Zane Flores never got anything going at quarterback, and their defense gave up 312 yards and five rushing touchdowns.
I don’t want to react overly emotionally to a game like this. But it was hideous for Gundy and the Cowboys. And this game shows you how far the Pokes are from competing at a national level. They aren’t even close. And it’s not clear they will be at all close to compete at a high-end Big 12 level any time soon. Mike Gundy has done amazing things for Oklahoma State football. He, along with investments from T. Boone Pickens, put them on the map. He is forever a legend in Stillwater, no matter what happens from here on out.
Nothing is happening in the short-term, but if this season goes how it looks like it might in Stillwater, a long-term conversation needs to happen. But right now, emotions are running high. Just like this story with Mike Gundy’s son ripping an OSU reporter.
Cy-Hawk Never Disappoints
The Cy-Hawk rivalry, won on Saturday by Iowa State 16-13, continues to be one of the best in college football. This game has now been decided by one score for four-straight seasons and in six of the last eight meetings between these two teams. Iowa State has now won this series for two seasons in a row for the first time since 2012, and its their first time in 14 years the Cyclones won this game in Ames.
Matt Campbell spent his first few seasons in Ames with some folks wondering when, or if, he would get over the proverbial “Iowa hump”. Well, not only has he gotten over it, but he’s won two straight and three of the last four. Oh, and the Iowa State Cyclones are off to an impressive 3-0 start as they get set for Arkansas State next week on the road.
Welcome Back, Border War
Overall, the hype around the Border War game, and leading up to it, met the moment. It was clear how much this game meant to those inside the stadium, and the coaching staffs and players seemed to embrace the history of this rivalry that was on a 14-year hiatus. Sports Illustrated described the rivalry as the oldest (Division I) rivalry west of the Mississippi River in 2011.
And if you need an example, a Missouri fan was brought onto the field to kick a 45-yard field goal for a chance to win $25,000. Instead, the fan pulled up his shirt to reveal “F KU” on his chest and kicked the ball at the Kansas sideline. Here’s the video.
While Missouri won 42-31, these two teams will play again next fall, and then again in 2031 and 2032. But to the powers that be across both universities, these rivalries are what separate college football from the rest of sports. Let’s lean into them.
