After a wild opening weekend, Week 2 brings another loaded slate for the Big 12 with several high-profile non-conference matchups and the first league game of the 2026 season.
From Kansas getting its first real test against Missouri to Arizona State heading to Kyle Field, we’re about to learn a lot more about several teams across the conference. Here are my five biggest questions for the Big 12 heading into Week 2.
How Good is Kansas?
After back-to-back 5-7 seasons, there were plenty of questions about the Jayhawks coming into the 2026 season. Over the last couple of years, Kansas has dealt with a ton of roster turnover, and nothing has really seemed to click consistently on either side of the ball.
Now, with Andy Kotelnicki back as offensive coordinator, there seems to be renewed hope surrounding the offense. And with Isaiah Marshall at quarterback, it will be interesting to see what this new era looks like following Jalon Daniels’ departure from Lawrence.
While Missouri isn’t exactly the cream of the crop in the SEC, the Tigers should provide an excellent early test. If Kansas can knock off a ranked Missouri team in the Border War, we’ll have to start taking the Jayhawks a lot more seriously.
Will Oklahoma State Show Some Life?
All offseason long, we heard about how much better Oklahoma State’s offense was going to look compared to previous years. But after putting up just 10 points in a loss to Tulsa, it didn’t look like much had changed for the Cowboys.
As crazy as it sounds, I thought the defense actually looked better than the offense last week, when it was supposed to be the exact opposite.
Now Oklahoma State is a 20-plus-point underdog at home against Oregon, and after the Ducks’ near scare against Boise State last weekend, I have a feeling Dan Lanning will have his team ready to roll.
Nobody should expect Oklahoma State to suddenly light up Oregon, but the Cowboys need to show something offensively on Saturday. If Drew Mestemaker and this offense look as overwhelmed as they did against Tulsa, there are going to be some serious questions about where this season is headed in Stillwater.
Is Arizona State Over Sam Leavitt?
Earlier this week, I said Arizona State quarterback Cutter Boley could end up being a top-five quarterback in the Big 12 after watching him toss six touchdown passes in his debut in Tempe.
While losing Sam Leavitt was a major blow, especially after seeing what he did against Clemson, I can’t help but wonder if Boley can fill his shoes.
Kenny Dillingham is a quarterback whisperer, and if there’s a coach I trust when it comes to evaluating and developing quarterbacks, it’s Kenny.
But now Boley faces arguably his toughest test of the season as Arizona State heads to Kyle Field to take on an outstanding Texas A&M defense. If Cutter Boley goes into that environment and puts on a show, I think it’s safe to say Arizona State is going to be just fine without Sam Leavitt.
Can Iowa State Make It Three Straight Over Iowa?
It’s officially Cy-Hawk week in the great state of Iowa as the Cyclones travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes on Saturday night. But this won’t be your typical Cy-Hawk matchup from the last decade.
That’s because it’s now the Jimmy Rogers era in Ames, and Iowa State’s roster is filled with plenty of new faces. Of course, Kirk Ferentz is still roaming the sidelines for the Hawkeyes for what seems like the 50th year, but this Iowa team isn’t exactly what I would call a Big Ten title contender.
I know Iowa State is a heavy underdog, but the Cyclones are looking to beat Iowa for the third straight season for the first time since winning five in a row from 1998 through 2002.
Can Iowa State keep its recent dominance in the rivalry going, or will we see the Cyclones take a significant step back in 2026?
Is Arizona Ready to Challenge BYU?
It’s only the second weekend of September, but Big 12 conference play is already here as Arizona travels to Provo to take on BYU.
While the Cougars enter as the favorite, I’m fascinated to see whether Arizona can immediately establish itself as a legitimate factor in the Big 12 race. Noah Fifita gives the Wildcats an experienced quarterback capable of keeping them in a game like this, but winning in Provo is an entirely different challenge than what Arizona faced in Week 1.
We aren’t going to determine the Big 12 championship race on Saturday, but we’re going to learn something about both of these teams. If Arizona can go toe-to-toe with BYU on the road — or even pull off the upset — the Wildcats deserve to be taken seriously as a contender in this conference.
