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Big 12 Football 2018: Usual suspects top Week 1 Power Rankings

By Patrick Mayhorn

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 2: The Oklahoma Sooners take the field before playing the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. OU won 41-17. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 2: The Oklahoma Sooners take the field before playing the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. OU won 41-17. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

No surprise here. The Jayhawks stink, and they have for more than a decade now. David Beaty, who was thought of as a possible savior of the program because of his excellent recruiting has won three games in as many years. After the Jayhawks seemed to take a step forward in 2016, they reverted to just one win last year. That means that if they can’t pull it together in 2018, Beaty, especially with a new athletic director, will be out as coach.

That’s easier said than done. Beaty took the classic approach of signing a bunch of junior college players to try to win right away this season, but Kansas is still easily the worst talented team in the Big 12. They don’t do anything interesting or innovative, and there’s no reason to think they’ll be able to win a single Big 12 game, let alone enough to keep him employed.

There are some bright spots on this team, like receiver Steven Sims Jr. and running back Khalil Herbert, but this is a roster largely devoid of talent, and whoever the next coach is will have to start from scratch, just like all of his predecessors.

The other non-bowl team from the Big 12 last year, the Bears finished with the same record as Kansas, but they’re on a far different trajectory. Baylor had four one-possession losses, against Liberty, UTSA, West Virginia, and somehow, Oklahoma. For comparison, Kansas didn’t have a single one. Baylor also kept games against Duke, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Iowa State, meaning that they were blown out just three times. Kansas was blown out (three possessions or more) eight times.

Those opposing trajectories show the strongest on these rosters, and on the recruiting trail. Baylor’s 2018 class, considering their situation, was pretty awesome, as they landed six four-stars and finished 31st. Kansas finished 30 spots back, with one four-star. Baylor’s awful season was really a result of Matt Rhule’s new system, a massive lack of depth following the Briles scandal, and some tough losses late in games. Baylor was more talented than one win last year, and will show that this year, though I still don’t see them grabbing more than two conference wins (Kansas and an upset).

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