Big 12 football tiers: Where OU, Oklahoma State rank entering conference play
The Big 12 didn’t exactly sprint through the finish of non-conference play. There were stumbles abound, none more humiliating than OSU’s 33-7 home loss to South Alabama.
Then there was Cincinnati, set to host OU on Saturday in the Bearcats’ Big 12 debut, falling to Miami (Ohio) for the first time since 2005. Cincinnati’s 16-game winning streak in the series was snapped.
In Columbia, Missouri, fans stormed the field after Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis drilled a 61-yard field goal — an SEC record — to beat old conference foe Kansas State 30-27. The Tigers are 3-0, but before beating Kansas State they hadn’t shown much bite, slipping past Middle Tennessee 23-19 the week prior.
Iowa State, in desperate need of an offensive reboot, lost at Ohio 10-7, and Baylor had its hands full, at least for a little while, against the Sharks of Long Island.
It wasn’t all bad, though. BYU got the Big 12 win of the weekend, beating Arkansas 38-31 on the road. Texas survived a tough Wyoming squad, Kansas avoided disaster at Nevada and OU rolled in Tulsa.
Meanwhile, TCU topped Houston 36-13 to open Big 12 play before it begins in earnest this weekend.
With that, let’s take a closer look at where the Big 12 stands entering a heavy slate of conference clashes. It’s tier time, inspired by some of football’s finest rants.
More: Oklahoma State football report card: Schooled by South Alabama, Cowboys have work to do
Tier 1: “Playoffs?!?!”
Texas (3-0)
The Longhorns were the preseason favorites to win the league, and they’ve only strengthened their top-dog status through the first quarter of the season.
Texas had the Big 12’s marquee non-conference win, 34-24 at Alabama, and the ‘Horns showed some moxie in pulling away from Wyoming late.
Texas, in its Big 12 sendoff season, looks like a playoff-caliber squad.
Next up: at Baylor, 6:30 p.m. Saturday
More: Why Oklahoma State QB Gunnar Gundy earned an extra drive in Cowboys' loss to South Alabama
Tier 2: “We’re on to Cincinnati”
Oklahoma (3-0)
Like Bill Belichick and the 2014 Patriots, the Sooners are on to Cincinnati.
But unlike that Super Bowl-winning Patriot squad, no one knows how good this OU team is.
The Sooners weren’t tested against Arkansas State and Tulsa, and it’s anybody’s guess as to how that SMU win will look two months from now. But hey, easy schedule and all, OU hasn’t embarrassed itself. That counts for something in this wacky Big 12.
Next up: at Cincinnati, 11 a.m. Saturday
Kansas State (2-1)
OK, Kansas State doesn’t even play Cincinnati, but the Wildcats, like the Sooners, are set to face another Big 12 newcomer, also via the American Athletic Conference, in UCF.
So, close enough.
Was K-State’s loss at Missouri a bad one? Yes. But is anyone counting out the Wildcats to win the Big 12? Maybe, but that seems unwise.
Next up: vs. UCF, 7 p.m. Saturday
More: OU football intercepts most passes since 2003 & more stats from Sooners' win vs. Tulsa
Tier 3: “They are (better than?) who we thought they were”
BYU (3-0)
On a wild night in Fayetteville, BYU rallied to beat Arkansas 38-31. Arkansas isn’t Alabama, but the Cougars’ victory over the Razorbacks is second-best in the Big 12 behind the Longhorns winning in Tuscaloosa.
Quarterback Kedon Slovis is going to have to carry the Cougars, who are averaging 78 rushing yards per game — ranking 126th of 133 FBS teams.
Next up: at Kansas, 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Kansas (3-0)
Nevada, fresh off a 33-6 home loss to Idaho, gave the Jayhawks a scare. So it wasn’t an inspiring 31-24 Kansas win over the weekend, but it was a Kansas win. And it speaks to the job Lance Leipold has done in Lawrence that we’re even questioning the Jayhawks after a victory when for so long they were hard to come by.
The Jayhawks’ best win was home against Illinois, 34-23.
Kansas ranks 17th nationally in yards per game (500) and 21st in yards allowed per game (274).
Next up: vs. BYU, 2:30 p.m. Saturday
UCF (3-0)
Gus Malzahn’s squad has blah home wins against Kent State and Villanova, but UCF had a nice 18-16 win at Boise State in between.
Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee is expected to miss the next few weeks with a leg injury, so UCF will rely on South Florida transfer Timmy McClain as it enters conference play.
Next up: at Kansas State, 7 p.m. Saturday
More: OU football vs. Tulsa: Five takeaways from Oklahoma Sooners' win against Golden Hurricane
Tier 4: “Rat poison”
TCU (2-1)
The Horned Frogs should probably rank a tier above, but it’s more fitting to slide them here. Maybe TCU swallowed a little too much of Nick Saban’s rat poison coming off of their national title appearance.
In TCU’s defense, that home-opening loss to Colorado isn’t as bad as it looked at the time, and TCU handled business against Houston over the weekend.
Next up: vs. SMU, 11 a.m. Saturday
Texas Tech (1-2)
Texas Tech was picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason media poll. The Red Raiders even received four first-place votes.
But the hype train derailed in Laramie, Wyoming, before almost getting back on track with a gutsy 38-30 home loss to Oregon. For now, Tarleton State is Texas Tech’s lone win.
Next up: at West Virginia, 2:30 p.m. Saturday
More: Oklahoma State football: What to know about 2023 OSU Cowboys schedule, roster & more
Tier 5: “We need more dogs”
Baylor (1-2)
The Bears got off to a sour start with a home loss to Texas State. They played much better against Utah and then scrimmaged Long Island.
Does anyone know what to make of this team?
Next up: vs. Texas, 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Oklahoma State (2-1)
There was a cat in the house Saturday in Stillwater, as the Jaguars from South Alabama took a sledgehammer to OSU’s three-man quarterback experiment.
Meanwhile, OSU’s win at Arizona State was undercut by Fresno State, which shut out the Sun Devils 29-0. Yikes.
Next up: at Iowa State, 3 p.m. Saturday
West Virginia (2-1)
The Mountaineers are 2-1 and Neal Brown is still employed.
West Virginia was picked to finish last in the Big 12, and it very well might, but good on the Mountaineers for beating rival Pitt.
Next up: vs. Texas Tech, 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Cincinnati (2-1)
Like West Virginia, Cincinnati also beat Pitt. But then the Bearcats lost at home to Miami, the Ohio version.
Cincinnati was picked 13th in the Big 12 preseason poll, which seems about right.
Next up: vs. Oklahoma, 11 a.m. Saturday
More: OU football: What to know about the Oklahoma Sooners' 2023 schedule, roster and more
Tier 6: “Go play intramurals, brother”
Iowa State (1-2)
Losing in Athens, Georgia, is permissible. Not so much in Athens, Ohio, where the Bobcats beat the Cyclones 10-7.
Iowa State’s offense is somewhere south of awful.
Next up: vs. Oklahoma State, 3 p.m. Saturday
Houston (1-2)
The lesser of the Big 12’s Cougars lost to Rice.
Next up: vs. Sam Houston, 6 p.m. Saturday
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 football tiers: Where OU, OSU rank entering conference play
