Beyond Oklahoma and Texas, the Big 12 is looking like a muddled mess
It’s obvious that Oklahoma and Texas have been the two best teams in the Big 12 this season. Trying to figure out the order behind them is a much, much tougher task.
The parity behind the two schools heading to the SEC next season has been evident on the field in a lot of ways through the first half of the 2023 season. And it was clear on social media too, as the Big 12’s tweet about the current AP Top 25 didn’t include anyone else.
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 22, 2023
Oklahoma leads the conference at 4-0 in Big 12 play thanks to its Red River win over the Longhorns. Texas is in a four-way tie for second (at 3-1) behind the Sooners and there’s another four-way tie for sixth at 2-2.
That group at 2-2 doesn't even include preseason darling Texas Tech or 2022 College Football Playoff participant TCU. Both teams are 2-3 in the conference.
The Big 12 standings are a bit of a mess. And if Week 8 was any indication, there could even be less clarity in the conference going forward.
Oklahoma hardly looked like a playoff team in its 31-29 home win over UCF. Close wins happen, so we’re not writing off OU by any means because of the win. But UCF is at the bottom of the conference at 0-4 and Oklahoma was a 17-point favorite. A road trip to Kansas in Week 9 could be very tough, especially if KU QB Jalon Daniels’ back doesn’t keep him on the sidelines. With or without Daniels, the Jayhawks look like the best team of the four that sit at 2-2 in the conference.
Texas fought to get a 31-24 win over Houston and lost QB Quinn Ewers to a right shoulder injury in the process. While Ewers could return at some point this season, the Longhorns suddenly look vulnerable unless Maalik Murphy and Arch Manning — yes, Manning could see the field soon — step in right away and play well.
Defending Big 12 champ Kansas State was the most dominant team in Week 8. The Wildcats absolutely throttled TCU in the teams' conference title game rematch. K-State had over 400 yards of offense in the first half of the 41-3 win over the Horned Frogs. Kansas State seems to have found something with a QB timeshare of Will Howard and freshman Avery Johnson.
After a game against Houston in Week 9, Kansas State heads to Austin in Week 10. With Ewers unlikely to play in that game, it’s not much of a stretch to see Kansas State getting a huge road win.
But KSU also needs some help from Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have reeled off three consecutive wins after their 48-34 victory at West Virginia in Week 8 and that streak started with a 29-21 home win over the Wildcats. Oklahoma State looked like it was in trouble after losses to South Alabama and Iowa State, but the Cowboys should be 6-2 heading into what could be the final Bedlam game of the near future in Week 10 at Oklahoma.
The Cyclones are also worth a mention in the Big 12 race, even though Iowa State sits at 4-3 overall thanks to non-conference losses to Iowa and Ohio. Iowa State has Baylor, Kansas and BYU ahead of a home game against Texas in Week 12.
Given the parity in the conference, it’s highly unlikely Iowa State goes 3-0 in that stretch. But if it does, the game against the Longhorns could be a de facto semifinal for the Big 12 title. Texas has lost its last two games against the Cyclones in Ames.
Buckle up. While Texas and Oklahoma are still the overwhelming favorites to meet each other again in December, a rematch is far from a guarantee. And it's anyone's guess who could usurp the Longhorns and Sooners if one or both falters.
