It was a wild weekend across the college football landscape. The nation saw two top five teams fall in Oklahoma and Louisiana State. Plus the thrilling finish for the Texas Longhorns. There was plenty of fallout, including many now leaving both Texas and OU out of their College Football Playoff predictions.
With the win by Kansas State, how high would they jump after dropping their opener to Arkansas State? The Sooners looked unstoppable against Missouri State but a lackluster fourth quarter doomed their bid at an unbeaten season. ESPN weighed in with their weekly Power Rankings.
Picking a pecking order in this unusual season isn’t easy — even at the top. Texas barely survived the Red Raiders and needed a frenzied comeback, while Oklahoma was in full control of K-State … until it wasn’t. – Sam Kahn
- Texas Longhorns
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
- Kansas State Wildcats
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Baylor Bears
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- West Virginia Mountaineers
- Texas Christian Horned Frogs
- Kansas Jayhawks
ESPN wasn’t as kind to the Longhorns or the rest of Big 12 in their college football power rankings. In fact, no team was in the top 15 despite the Longhorns 2-0 start. They were listed behind five teams who haven’t even played a single game.
ESPN’s Chris Low ranked the Longhorns 17th overall.
If you’re looking for bright spots (and, yes, we’re being overly positive), Texas has erupted for 122 points in its first two games, and Sam Ehlinger has thrown 10 touchdown passes. But the Longhorns’ 63-56 overtime escape Saturday against Texas Tech after trailing 56-41 late in the fourth quarter raises all sorts of questions about a Texas defense that was absolutely shredded. The Longhorns are always going to have a shot as long as Ehlinger is at quarterback, and maybe this was just one of those ugly run-and-gun wins that are the norm in the Big 12. At least, that’s what they’re hoping on the Forty Acres.