By Laken Litman
FOX Sports activities School Soccer Author
Guess who sits atop the Huge 12 standings proper now? Right here’s a touch: it’s not Oklahoma, Oklahoma State or reigning convention champion Baylor. It’s not Texas, both.
Surrender? It’s Kansas.
You learn that proper. Two weeks into the season, the Jayhawks are 2-0, 1-0 in league play.
As a fast apart, there has solely been one convention sport performed thus far, and it was between Kansas and West Virginia. The Jayhawks went to Morgantown and left with a 55-42 win in additional time due to Cobee Bryant’s interception return for a landing.
KU is 2-0 for the primary time in a decade, presently leads the nation in scoring offense (55.5 factors per sport) and coach Lance Leipold’s identify has been circulated in conversations about who will exchange the not too long ago fired Scott Frost at Nebraska.
In a time of transition for the league — the place Texas and Oklahoma have one foot out the door and new commissioner Brett Yormark is navigating convention growth and TV rights offers — is it too daring to say that the Huge 12 seems fairly good proper now?
There’s parity in a league that isn’t the SEC or Huge Ten, and proper now it appears that evidently the Huge 12 title is up for grabs.
No. 6 Oklahoma seems the steadiest of the bunch, however that’s as a result of the Sooners haven’t had an excellent take a look at but. Heading into this weekend’s nostalgic street matchup in opposition to outdated Huge Eight rival Nebraska (Saturday, midday ET, FOX and the FOX Sports activities App) received’t present an excessive amount of perception both. Particularly not after Frost was fired after final week's unspeakable loss to Georgia Southern.
New OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been regular, finishing greater than 70% of his passes with 5 touchdowns and no interceptions in simple wins over UTEP and Kent State, and his prime goal Marvin Mims has been electrical. First-year head coach Brent Venables appears to have corrected issues after the Cale Gundy incident throughout fall camp that compelled the longtime assistant coach to resign. And his protection has solely allowed one landing thus far this season.
Oklahoma’s report of six consecutive Huge 12 championships was snapped final yr, thanks to 2 common season losses to eventual champion Baylor and runner-up Oklahoma State. Whereas it is a rebuilding yr with so many new faces, OU hasn’t given a cause to suppose it received’t be contending for a convention title in December.
Interview with Oklahoma coach Brent Venables
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables joins Joel Klatt to speak concerning the Sooners' sturdy begin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby's affect.
In the meantime, No. 21 Texas is lastly exhibiting progress — and after a loss, no much less. The Longhorns appear like a formidable contender after practically pulling off an unthinkable upset of No. 1 Alabama final week. Steve Sarkisian’s group was an injured beginning quarterback, bobbled landing and missed sack away from beating the Crimson Tide in Austin. However as Sarkisian reminded everyone after the sport, that one-point loss has no affect on the group’s purpose, which is to win the Huge 12.
"We’ve bought 10 extra common season video games to play," Sarkisian stated Saturday. "Our season shall be outlined on how we play all through the whole thing of the season. And that subsequent step comes subsequent Saturday so we do not have numerous time for ‘poor me’s’ and ‘woe me’s.’ I do not suppose we'll. Our group can maintain their head excessive with the best way they performed and we’ll get again to work and hopefully come out on prime subsequent Saturday."
Texas simply has to hope sufficient star gamers can keep wholesome. Quinn Ewers left Saturday’s sport with a sprained clavicle and could possibly be out via the Oct. 8 sport at Oklahoma. Backup quarterback Hudson Card completed the sport with a banged-up ankle. Working again Bijan Robinson has a dinged-up shoulder and cornerback D’Shawn Jamison additionally has an ankle harm.
Texas' takeaways from loss to No. 1 Alabama
Joel Klatt shares his takeaways from Texas' shut loss to Alabama, together with the protection rising to the event, and what the lack of QB Quinn Ewers means shifting ahead.
Elsewhere …
— Iowa State beat its largest rival Iowa for the primary time within the Matt Campbell period final week. The Cyclones wanted a 21-play, 99-yard drive that spanned practically 12 minutes to tug off a 10-7 victory, however it was a breakthrough win nonetheless.
— Texas Tech is giving off good vibes underneath first-year head coach Joey McGuire. The Crimson Raiders are 2-0 after hanging 63 factors on Murray State in Week 1 after which edging out soon-to-be convention foe Houston in double additional time. We’ll study extra about this group Saturday when it hits the street to No. 16 N.C. State.
— Kansas State pounded Missouri 40-12, prompting coach Chris Klieman to say he thinks the Wildcats "generally is a actually good group."
— Reigning convention champion Baylor misplaced to future convention opponent No. 12 BYU on the street in double-overtime. Whereas the Bears stumbled and had 14 penalties, there’s no cause to imagine they received’t win 9 or 10 video games and attempt to defend their league title. The No. 17 Bears play Texas State on Saturday at midday ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports activities App.
— After which there was Kansas, which made the fireplace underneath Mountaineers’ coach Neal Brown’s seat even hotter. The Jayhawks have Houston on the street this week earlier than internet hosting an undefeated Duke group.
Sure, it’s early, however issues are shaping up for an intriguing title race right here within the Huge 12.
Learn extra:
- Oklahoma vs. new-look Nebraska and extra we're watching in Week 3
- How Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel and different switch QBs are becoming on this season
- Joel Klatt's prime 10 rankings
- CFB Week 3 by the numbers
- Key matchups NFL scouts are watching in Week 3
- Panic time at Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama and extra?
- Learn how to guess Oklahoma-Nebraska
- Can new Huskers coach make an affect?
- On the prime of faculty soccer, a well-recognized scene
Laken Litman covers faculty soccer, faculty basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA Right now and The Indianapolis Star. She is the writer of "Robust Like a Girl," printed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Comply with her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
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