It’s been an interesting first couple of weeks for the state of Texas and the Big 12 conference as a whole on both sides of the win/loss spectrum. Houston opened the year with a resounding and emphatic upset victory over a top five opponent in Oklahoma and Texas pulled off a big upset over Notre Dame a year after being absolutely dominated by the Fighting Irish in South Bend.
While the Sooners got back on track against Tulsa with another big matchup with Ohio State on the horizon, the Big 12 took it on the chin in other matchups around the country. TCU suffered a defeat against Arkansas in overtime after struggling with FCS opponent South Dakota State, Oklahoma State lost in excruciating fashion against Central Michigan on a play that should have never happened, Texas Tech showed that defense is still optional in Lubbock as they allowed 68 points in their loss against Arizona State, and Iowa State is off to a rough start to the season with losses to Northern Iowa and blowout loss to rival Iowa.
Two weeks into the season only Baylor, Texas, and West Virginia hold unblemished records and the Big 12 looks to be more wide open than it ever has been. Oklahoma entered the season as a top five team and the favorite to win the conference, but they are now potentially looking at two losses within the first three weeks of the season and have to follow up their matchup with the Buckeyes with games against TCU and Texas. TCU was another trendy pick coming into the season with Kenny Hill taking over for Trevone Boykin, but they have struggled early out of the gates in out-of-conference play.
Even though it’s still early in the season and teams are certain to improve as the year progresses, it is safe to say most Big 12 teams are not off to the start that many predicted. While many predicted Oklahoma or TCU to take home the Big 12 this season, Texas may be on the verge of throwing a monkey wrench into all of those predictions by kicking off the season with a win over Notre Dame and potentially jump starting the dormant powerhouse program, which has long been in a slumber. The Longhorns are hitting the road this week to take on Cal on the West coast, as they try to return the favor after the Bears came into Austin last year and came out victorious after a special teams disaster.
Another team that can’t be ignored in all of this is Baylor. Despite an offseason full of distractions with former head coach Art Briles getting fired amid a very ugly scandal and several talented recruits opting to not take their talents to Waco, the Bears have opened the season with two straight victories, though they have not come against the stiffest competition they will see this season, Northwestern State and SMU. While there was a lot of turnover both on the roster and on the coaching staff in Waco, it is still obvious that there is offensive talent on the roster and that they are going to be able to put up some points on the teams they face in 2016. While depth is certainly thin at some key positions, the Bears should still be able to compete within the conference with teams showing signs of weakness early on.
Conference play within the Big 12 is shaping up to be must see TV, as the conference looks to be up for grabs. It is going to be interesting to see if Oklahoma can rebound for its early season loss to Houston, and it will also be interesting to see if Texas can continue to build upon its early season momentum heading into conference play. I could see this playing out in a variety of ways as the season progresses and that only adds to the intrigue of how the conference will end up playing out. Buckle up your seatbelts boys and girls, it is certain to be an interesting ride to December.
