Big 12 Football Power Rankings, Week 3: Oklahoma makes early statement
By Phil Poling
Big 12 football was a mixed bag in Week 2, with plenty of upsets and surprises. Here is our first Big 12 power rankings of the 2020 season.
Although we didn’t get the big, non-conference games that were originally scheduled for Big 12 teams to start the 2020 football season — Oklahoma-Tennessee, Texas-LSU, West Virginia-Florida State, TCU-California, Texas Tech-Arizona — it was still a wild weekend.
Some teams are now wishing they kept those Power Five teams on the schedule, though, as it’s obvious their replacement games didn’t end the way they’d hoped.
Predictably, we saw a bunch of scoring. Two Big 12 teams scored at least 50 points. Another posted 48. Two more notched at least 30. But there were also a couple stinkers, and that’s where we’ll start our Big 12 power rankings.
Iowa State Cyclones. 10. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 1-0. Last Week: N/A. player. 837
It was a disastrous performance by Matt Campbell’s Iowa State Cyclones in their season-opener against Louisiana. The Ragin’ Cajuns of the Sun Belt dominated the No. 23 Cyclones, beating their host 31-14 in Ames at Jack Trice Stadium.
Quarterback Brock Purdy was abysmal, completing just 16-of-35 pass attempts for 145 yards with an interception. He did manage 35 rushing yards on seven carries, but his passing yards per attempt (4.1) was lower than his yards per carry (5). That is — not good.
The Ragin’ Cajuns are no slouch, don’t get me wrong. But the Cyclones should’ve handled business. Running back Breece Hall did his part, adding 103 yards and one score on the ground, but the Cyclones couldn’t do the little things right.
In particular, their special teams just wasn’t up to par.
Iowa State surrendered two scores on special teams — a 95-yard kickoff and an 83-yard punt return. Good teams don’t let that happen, and that’s how Campbell and the Cyclones ended up in the No. 10 spot.