1. Oklahoma
Photo via Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports
The Sooners played a far inferior opponent, but dominated form start to finish in a 56-7 victory. Arguably their biggest test of the season awaits this weekend when OU travels to Columbus to take on Ohio State in a game with serious playoff implications.
2. Oklahoma State
Photo via Alonzo Adams, USA TODAY Sports
Like their in-state counterpart, Oklahoma State handled a lesser Tulsa squad on opening night, 59-24. Mason Rudolph and his talented group of receivers showed flashes of greatness. Once thought to be a considerable matchup, Pitt went to overtime with Youngstown State, meaning Oklahoma State may not face a worthy opponent until Big 12 play begins.
3. West Virginia
Photo via Derik Hamilton- USA Today Sports
The Mountaineers had the toughest game of any Big 12 opener, and fell to No. 21 ranked Virginia Tech in a neutral site game at FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins. After settling in at QB, Florida transfer Will Grier flashed some serious talent. Despite the close loss, the Mountaineers looked pretty solid overall.
4. Kansas State
Sep 17, 2016; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats defensive end Jordan Willis (75) carries the American flag onto the field before the start of a game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Like much of the conference, the Wildcats began the season against an FCS opponent. KSU handled Central Arkansas 55-19. Quarterback Jesse Ertz tossed for 333 yards on just 16 attempts. KSU also got contributions from their special teams units, as D.J. Reed returned a punt for a touchdown and a kickoff for 96 yards.
5. TCU
Photo By Justin Ford USA Today Sports
TCU pitched the only Big 12 shutout of opening week, beating Jackson State 63-0. It’s hard to gather much from such a lopsided matchup, but the Horned Frogs travel to Fayetteville this week to take on Arkansas, which should be a much more revealing game.
6. Texas Tech
Sep 3, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Nic Shimonek (16) prepares to throw a pass in the second half against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Raiders defeated Eastern Washington 56-10 in their home opener. Since 2011, EW had beaten two Power 5 opponents and lost to three times by one possession. While Texas Tech played well on Saturday, they’ll still need to show signs of improvement against better opponents. They’re on bye this week, then finish out non-conference play with Arizona State at home and Houston on the road.
7. Iowa State
Photo via Reese Strickland, USA Today Sports
After falling to Northern Iowa in the opener last season, Iowa State exacted their revenge on Saturday with a 42-24 victory. Next, they face Iowa for the CyHawk Trophy and a chance to show they’re improved from a year ago and serious about bowl contention in 2017.
8. Kansas
Gary Rohman-USA TODAY Sports
The Jayhawks are 1-0 after a steady win over Southeast Missouri State, providing Kansas with some momentum as they round out non-conference play against Central Michigan and Ohio. Both are relatively winnable games for a KU team trying to show signs of being more competitive this year.
9. Texas
John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports
After starting the season ranked in the top 25, Texas floundered as one of just two Big 12 schools to open the season against a Power 5 opponent. A win would have signaled a strong start to the Tom Herman era, but instead the loss will cast doubt on Texas’ ability to compete with USC in the non-conference as well as the top half of the Big 12 this year.
10. Baylor
Photo via Gordon DeLoach, TexasHSFootball.com
Baylor has been hurting as a program since the firing of Art Briles, and it may have hit rock bottom in terms of on the field performance on Saturday, falling to Liberty. It was by far the easiest game on the Bears’ 2017 schedule, and bowl eligibility now appears to be a steep uphill climb barring a ton of mid-season improvement.
