Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway battled through an ankle injury during Saturday’s heartbreaking 17-16 loss to Auburn, and head coach Dave Aranda provided an update on his quarterback following the game.

“It’s an ankle sprain as far as I know,” Aranda said.

Lagway suffered the injury during the first half and was noticeably limited afterward, at one point needing assistance from teammates as he made his way to the locker room. Despite the injury, DJ Lagway remained in the game and nearly led Baylor to a dramatic comeback victory.

Dave Aranda acknowledged that the injury forced Baylor to adjust its offensive game plan, particularly when it came to utilizing Lagway’s ability as a runner.

“There were a fair number of runs in this game that were called, but with him getting hurt, it cut that down,” Aranda said. “I thought that DJ playing through pain and pushing off was tremendous and inspiring.”

Lagway finished his Baylor debut completing 27 of 54 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

His biggest moment came on Baylor’s final possession. With the Bears trailing 17-10, Lagway helped lead a 14-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a five-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Freeman with nine seconds remaining.

Baylor elected to go for the win rather than kick the extra point for overtime, but Lagway’s completion to Matthew Klopfenstein on the two-point conversion attempt was stopped inches short of the goal line.

While Baylor begins the season 0-1, Lagway’s status will now be worth monitoring ahead of next week’s home opener against Prairie View A&M.

The good news for the Bears is that Lagway was able to finish Saturday’s game despite the injury. How his ankle responds in the coming days will be the bigger question.

Baylor had a chance to force overtime against Auburn on Saturday. But Dave Aranda wanted the win instead.

The gamble didn’t pay off, as Baylor’s two-point conversion attempt in the final seconds came up short, allowing Auburn to escape with a 17-16 win in Atlanta.

Baylor entered the fourth quarter trailing 10-7 before a field goal tied the game at 10. Auburn responded with a late touchdown to regain a 17-10 advantage, setting up Baylor’s final opportunity.

The Bears drove down the field and found the end zone in the closing seconds to pull within 17-16, after DJ Lagway connected with Gavin Freeman on a 6-yard touchdown. Rather than kick the extra point and take their chances in overtime, Aranda kept his offense on the field for a two-point conversion and the win.

Baylor couldn’t convert, as Lagway’s pass was caught by tight end Matthew Klopfenstein, but he was tackled at the goal line just short by Eric Winters, bringing a dramatic season opener to a crushing end.

The loss will sting even more considering the opportunities Baylor had throughout the afternoon.

Baylor vs. Auburn Recap

The Bears’ defense did its part, holding an Auburn offense that ran for more than 300 yards against Baylor in last season’s matchup to a much more manageable performance on Saturday. Baylor also intercepted Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown twice in the first half, including once deep in Bears territory.

But Baylor’s offense had its own issues. Quarterback DJ Lagway injured his right ankle and the Bears struggled to establish the running game, and Baylor turned the ball over twice while also coming up empty on a fourth-down opportunity inside the Auburn 20 during the third quarter.

Ultimately, though, this game will be remembered for Aranda’s decision in the final seconds.

There’s certainly an argument for being aggressive. Baylor was in Atlanta against an SEC opponent and had a chance to end the game with one successful play.

Aranda took his shot.

It didn’t work.

The Bears now begin the 2026 season 0-1 after losing to Auburn for a second consecutive year. Last season, the Tigers went into Waco and beat Baylor 38-24 behind 307 rushing yards.

This year’s loss was much closer, and potentially much more painful. Aranda entered the season on the hot seat, but Saturday’s loss, if it gives his team a confidence boost, could be a sign of things to come. But if the “what if” leaves this team looking in the rearview mirror, the season could unravel quickly.

Baylor is back home in Week 2 to take on Prairie View A&M on Saturday, September 7th, with a 7:00 p.m. kick off.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys began the 2026 season with a shocking defeat at the hands of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, losing the game 24-10, despite being a 13.5-point favorite entering the contest. It was the Cowboys coaching debut of Eric Morris, who replaced Mike Gundy, who was fired during the 2025 season. And the start could not have gone worse for Morris & Co., as the Cowboys lost to Tulsa for a second-straight season.

The Pokes were pushed around much of the afternoon by Tulsa, and never led the game, where the field temperature top 150 degrees. Oklahoma State’s new star quarterback Drew Mestemaker was pedestrian in his Cowboys debut, finished 29/49 for 241 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. As for the other highly-touted incoming transfers, running back Caleb Hawkins finished with 18 carries for 79 yards, while wide receiver Wyatt Young had eight catches for 84 yards.

Defensively, the Cowboys didn’t get much push up front, finishing with 0 sacks and just four tackles for loss against Tulsa, who had touchdown drives of 75 yards in the second quarter and then 59 yards in the third quarter, before the final nail in the coffin came from running back Damari Alston who ran it in from 29 yards out with 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter to put the Golden Hurricane up two touchdowns.

The Cowboys entered the season as a dark horse for many in the Big 12 in 2026, and while league play has not begun yet, there’s no doubt that many are going to be selling the Pokes after this season opener. However, it doesn’t get easier from here, as the Cowboys will host No. 2 Oregon next Saturday in Stillwater for their home opener.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders will begin the 2026 season without a pair of defensive starters on Saturday night against Abilene Christian.

Safety Brenden Jordan and EDGE Trey White will both be unavailable for the season opener, according to a Texas Tech Athletics release. Jordan will miss each of the Red Raiders’ first two games due to what the program described as “non-injury related reasons,” while White remains unavailable after dealing with a knee injury suffered during fall camp.

Jordan’s absence is notable for a Texas Tech defense replacing several key pieces from last year’s Big 12 Championship team.

The senior started all 14 games for the Red Raiders in 2025 and finished fifth on the team with 59 tackles. He also recorded two tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Jordan played 794 defensive snaps last season, the third-most on the Texas Tech defense, while earning an 82.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Malik Esquerra will make his first career start in Jordan’s place and will line up alongside Peyton Morgan at safety.

Meanwhile, Ansel Nedore will replace White at the field-side EDGE position, while Miami (Ohio) transfer Adam Trick moves to the DOG position. Head coach Joey McGuire previously described White as “week-to-week” following his knee injury.

Texas Tech will also be without several other players Saturday, including linebacker Kaegan Ash, offensive lineman Ren Brown, EDGE LaDamion Guyton, cornerback Ashton Hampton and wide receivers Quintaelyn Joyner and Kai Powell.

The No. 12 Red Raiders kick off against Abilene Christian at 6 p.m. CT before traveling to Oregon State next weekend. Jordan’s two-game absence means he will also miss that matchup.

Houston and Oregon State were in the middle of a one-score game on Saturday afternoon, but ESPN apparently had somewhere else it wanted to be.

With Houston leading Oregon State 26-20 and roughly nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, ESPN left the game and moved the remainder of the action to ESPNews in order to show the kickoff of Texas vs. Texas State.

The decision immediately drew criticism, including from college sports columnist John Canzano.

It’s certainly not the kind of decision that will sit well with Big 12 fans. And if you missed it, here’s what it looked like.

Houston is in its fourth season as a member of the Big 12 Conference, while ESPN is one of the league’s primary media partners. The Big 12’s current media rights agreement with ESPN and FOX runs through the 2030-31 academic year.

Meanwhile, Texas departed the Big 12 for the SEC following the 2023-24 academic year.

It’s understandable that ESPN wanted to get to the start of a Texas game, given the Longhorns’ national profile and audience. But leaving a competitive Houston-Oregon State game with nearly an entire quarter still remaining is going to raise eyebrows around the Big 12.

For Big 12 fans watching Houston on Saturday, ESPN’s programming decision certainly won’t do anything to quiet the conversation that ESPN is not the ideal TV partner for the Big 12 Conference.

After West Virginia took care of Coastal Carolina on Saturday, the TNT Sports studio crew turned its attention to the Big 12, and Takeo Spikes made a bold prediction for the conference in 2026.

“This will be the year the Big 12 gets two teams in the College Football Playoff,” Spikes said.

And he already has his two teams picked out: Texas Tech and BYU.

Spikes pointed specifically to BYU’s schedule as one reason he believes the Cougars can break through and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.

“The reason why, BYU lost two times last year to Texas Tech,” Spikes said. “They don’t even play Texas Tech this year.”

BYU’s two losses to the Red Raiders last season proved costly, with Texas Tech getting the better of the Cougars in both the regular season and Big 12 Championship Game. But with the two teams avoiding each other during the 2026 regular season, Spikes sees a path for both programs to build playoff-worthy résumés.

The rest of the panel noted that BYU’s game against Notre Dame could be a major measuring stick for the Cougars and, potentially, the Big 12 as a whole when the College Football Playoff selection committee begins comparing teams later this fall.

Victor Cruz Responds With a Different Big 12 Team

But former NFL wide receiver Victor Cruz had another Big 12 team on his mind.

“I like Utah,” Cruz said. “I like Devon Dampier. I like them returning 55% of their production from last year.”

When asked whether he had concerns about Utah transitioning from longtime head coach Kyle Whittingham to Morgan Scalley, Cruz quickly pushed back.

“Is the coach playing in the games?” Cruz responded.

Cruz did acknowledge some questions surrounding Utah’s offense, including continuity and whether the Utes can maintain their confidence throughout the season. But ultimately, he doubled down on his belief in Dampier’s ability to overcome those concerns and keep Utah in the Big 12 race.

The conversation was notable for a conference that has spent much of the College Football Playoff era fighting the perception that it lacks the depth, and national respect, of the Big Ten and SEC.

Last season, Texas Tech and BYU established themselves among the Big 12’s top programs. Now, Spikes believes the conference is positioned to turn that strength at the top into something it has yet to accomplish in the 12-team playoff era: multiple CFP bids.

And if Cruz is right about Utah, the Big 12 could have another serious contender joining that conversation as the season unfolds.

West Virginia came away with a 31-24 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday, but head coach Rich Rodriguez was far from satisfied with what he saw from his team.

In fact, Rich Rodriguez had one particularly strong word to describe the Mountaineers’ performance after halftime: embarrassing.

“The first half we played pretty well. The second half, we stunk,” Rodriguez said after the game to ESPN. “The penalties, we gave up long drives, lost contain, the offense wasn’t moving the ball, so we’ve got a lot to work on. I’m proud of the guys, and the way they came out, but the second half was embarrassing. We’ll get that fixed.”

Rodriguez added, “The first half, we played and executed like we’re capable of. We’ll learn from this and get better.”

It was a brutally candid assessment from Rodriguez despite West Virginia walking away with the victory. Cam Cook had a 72-yard run on the first play from scrimmage and then scored a touchdown from 3 yards out. Later in the first quarter it was a 49-yard touchdown strike from Michael Hawkins to Armoni Weaver to make it 14-0. Before halftime, it was Cam Cook from one yard out to help WVU lead 24-0 at halftime.

West Virginia vs. Coastal Carolina Second Half

However, in the second half, West Virginia was outscored 24-3 and gave up over 300 yards in the final 30 minutes. Coastal Carolina had an opportunity to recover an onside kick in the final 30 seconds to try and get one final chance to tie the game. Hence, Rich Rod’s brutal assessment. That’s clearly what bothered Rodriguez most as he evaluates where his team stands early in the season.

For West Virginia, the good news is obvious: a win is a win, and Rodriguez’s team showed stretches of the type of football he believes the Mountaineers are capable of playing.

But the second-half performance also gave the coaching staff plenty to work on moving forward.

Rodriguez has never been one to sugarcoat things, and Saturday was another example. Rather than simply celebrating a seven-point victory, he immediately pointed toward the penalties, defensive breakdowns and offensive struggles that allowed Coastal Carolina to hang around.

West Virginia got the result it wanted on Saturday.

The performance, however, wasn’t nearly good enough for Rodriguez, particularly after halftime. West Virginia is now 24-3 in season openers since 2000. The Mountaineers are home to play UT Martin in Week 2 with a 12:00 p.m. ET kick off.

Oklahoma State and Tulsa are dealing with some absolutely brutal conditions for Saturday’s in-state showdown.

Ahead of the Cowboys’ matchup with the Golden Hurricane, Tulsa sideline reporter Jeremie Poplin shared a video from the field showing just how hot the playing surface had become before the game even kicked off.

“It’s only 153 on the turf before Noon,” Poplin wrote while showing a temperature gun registering the scorching conditions.

Yes, 153 degrees.

And as we approached kick off, it got north of 160 degrees.

The extreme turf temperature quickly caught the attention of fans on social media, with some questioning the decision to play the game during the afternoon in Oklahoma.

Of course, the temperature of an artificial playing surface can be significantly hotter than the actual air temperature when it sits under direct sunlight. But regardless of the difference, a 153-degree reading gives you a pretty good idea of what players on both sidelines were dealing with on Saturday.

The conditions are especially notable considering players are competing in full pads and helmets for several hours, with the heat coming both from above and off the playing surface.

Hot Temperatures Across College Football

Now the heat wave that is hitting much of the Midwest is also scorching fields across the country, including Indiana, as the defending National Champions are hosting North Texas. The field temperature is also a reported 150+ degrees. This has led many to continue to push for natural-field surfaces, which has long been a discussion for college and pro football.

It’s notable that with the World Cup in the USA this summer, the stadiums used that had turf fields imported grass fields to comply with FIFA standards.

Oklahoma State and Tulsa entered Saturday looking for an important early-season victory, but dealing with the conditions became another factor for both programs.

And while September football in Oklahoma isn’t exactly known for cool temperatures, seeing a thermometer register 153 degrees on the field before noon is still enough to make just about anyone thankful they’re watching this one from somewhere with air conditioning.

West Virginia suffered a concerning injury during Saturday’s game against Coastal Carolina, as defensive lineman Darius Wiley was carted off the field.

Wiley went down during the Mountaineers’ season opener and required the cart to leave the field. The extent of the injury was not immediately known. The injury took place on a play where WVU had forced a fumble vs. Coastal Carolina.

The injury is particularly concerning for West Virginia considering Wiley entered the 2026 season as one of the more intriguing additions to the Mountaineers’ defensive front.

The 6-foot-6, 268-pound redshirt sophomore arrived in Morgantown after a standout season at Hutchinson Community College. Wiley earned First-Team NJCAA Division I All-American honors in 2025 and was named the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Wiley was a dominant presence for Hutchinson, leading the nation with 20 tackles for loss while adding nine sacks and 57 total tackles. He helped the Blue Dragons finish 11-1 and reach the NJCAA national championship game while playing for one of the country’s top junior college defenses.

West Virginia brought Wiley in as part of Rich Rodriguez’s efforts to bolster the Mountaineers’ defense heading into his second season back in Morgantown.

Now, the immediate concern is Wiley’s health.

There was no official diagnosis available immediately following the injury. West Virginia will likely provide additional information on Wiley’s status following Saturday’s game against Coastal Carolina.

Heartland College Sports will provide an update when more information becomes available.

Baylor’s defense has suffered a major blow before taking the field against Auburn.

Senior safety Jacob Redding will miss Saturday’s game against Auburn and the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering a torn ACL, according to SicEm365.

Redding attempted to play through the knee injury late in fall camp while wearing a large brace, but ultimately required surgery, ending his senior season before it could begin.

It’s a tough loss for the Bears, as Redding was selected as one of Baylor’s single-digit jersey honorees and was expected to play a significant role in defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman’s first season in Waco.

The former walk-on emerged as one of the few bright spots on Baylor’s defense in 2025. Redding appeared in 11 games, making nine starts while finishing with 53 tackles, three interceptions, two pass breakups and 0.5 tackles for loss.

He also finished as Baylor’s highest-graded defender by PFF, earning a 75.2 overall defensive grade. Redding received an 81.4 grade against the run, an 80.0 tackling grade and a 69.8 mark in coverage.

Baylor’s Defensive Options to Replace Redding

Fortunately for Baylor, safety is one position where the Bears have some experienced options.

Northwestern transfer Devin Turner is expected to play a major role after recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last spring. Former Kansas State safeties Colby McCalister and Daniel Cobbs have also worked at multiple spots in the secondary and could see their responsibilities increase without Redding.

Veterans Tyler Turner and Micah Gifford provide additional depth.

Still, replacing Redding won’t be easy. Baylor enters a critical season needing significant improvement defensively, and losing one of its most dependable and experienced players before the opener is a significant setback for the Bears.