The Big XII finished the weekend 6-3 (assuming Baylor finishes off SMU). That wouldn't normally be a "good" weekend of OOC play except two of the loses came against quality competition in fairly close games. Iowa State was the lone dud in what otherwise was a solid opening week for the conference. Here's a rundown of how the weekend played out (minus OU):
North Dakota State 34
Iowa State 14
I understand that NDSU is the 3 time FCS national champion, and a very good team that knocked off a decent KSU team last year...but c'mon...at least last year it took a 4th quarter TD by NDSU to beat KSU by 3. Iowa State didn't even put up an effort to be proud of, going scoreless in the second half. Mangino's 'potent' offense managed a whopping 253 yards total offense, while the Cyclone defense allowed 503 yards and 34 points. It's going to be a long year in Ames.
Next up for ISU: Kansas State
Alabama 33
West Virginia 23
There's plenty of discussion on the board about this game, so I'll just add that even though WVU kept it competitive, their defense did allow over 500 yards. Bama isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut, so that could present an issue down the line for the Mountaineers.
Next up for WVU: Towson
Florida State 37
Oklahoma State 31
Like the WVU/Bama game, there's plenty of discussion elsewhere, but also like WVU I'll add that the Pokes allowed almost 500 yards in offense. It's going to be interesting to see how the OSU defense plays in conference play, but I think it's going to be a struggle against the top of the conference.
Next up for OSU: Missouri State
Kansas State 55
Stephen F Austin 16
Although the competition was weak, the Cats did exactly what they were supposed to do, win. KSU put up 478 yards of offense (238 passing/240 rushing) in a balanced performance. A little surprising is the yards the KSU defense allowed (294, 225 passing), but what really stood out is that KSU only committed 3 penalties. That's an unheard of stat for an opening game. Kansas State hasn't gotten much media attention, but they are quietly off to a good start and could be a dark horse.
Next up for KSU: Iowa State
Texas 38
North Texas 7
I didn't watch one second of this game, and haven't seen any replays so I don't know exactly what to think. A win is a win, and I'm sure horn fans are happy to have it. The one statistic that stood out to me was the total yards allowed by Texas (94). I don't know much about North Texas, and don't think they are going to light up the scoreboard weekly, but allowing under 100 yards total offense is impressive regardless of the opponent. North Texas only completed 3 passes (on 17 attempts) for 15 yards. It may, or may not, mean the Texas defense is for real, but it's certainly an impressive start for Strong and the horns.
Next up for Texas: BYU
TCU 48
Samford 14
There's a lot of unknowns about TCU this year, but they certainly opened the season with a solid performance. Treyvon Boykin is back at QB, and played a great game (320 yards, 3 TDs). Like many of the season opening opponents of lesser notiriaty, I don't know anything about Samford, so it's worth considering the opponent when looking at the final stats, but you can't ask for much more in an opening game. It remains to be seen if the loss of Devonte Fields will cripple the TCU defense, but for one game at least, the TCU defense played well (allowing 148 total yards).
Next up for TCU: Minnesota
Baylor 45
SMU 0
Pretty much what we expected from Baylor. One interesting takeaway from this game is the injury to Bryce Petty. Initially, it was being referred to as a "bruise". Now, it seems to have evolved to a fracture of some sort in his back. He's listed as day-to-day, but if it's anything to do with a back injury, I doubt he plays Saturday.
Next up for Baylor: Northwestern State (ridiculous)
Texas Tech 42
Central Arkansas 35
Tech trailed for most of the first half before getting a little breathing room in the third quarter. I think it's safe to say there are issues with Tech's defense this year, as the mighty Central Arkansas Bears were able to pull within one score late in the game. The Red Raiders racket up a ton of offensive yards, but surrendered 406 yards on defense. I don't think Tech will be undefeated for very long this year, and it's possible they drop a game before conference play even starts.
Next up for Tech: UTEP
Off this week: Kansas