ESPN

This week's Power Rankings feature a new No. 1, as last week's No. 1 takes a tumble:

1. Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week 3): The Sooners take over the top spot after delivering the most impressive Big 12 win of the season. Notre Dame is not the same team as last season, but the Irish hadn't lost in South Bend since October of 2011. OU has been a different team since Blake Bell took over at quarterback, and Bell was fabulous Saturday, throwing for two touchdowns without a turnover while churning out first downs with his arm and his legs. The OU defense is clearly better, too, picking off QB Tommy Rees on Notre Dame's first two possessions, with linebacker Corey Nelson returning one for a touchdown. The Sooners were clearly a team overlooked in the preseason, and, after five weeks, are looking like a clear Big 12 favorite along with Baylor.

2. Baylor (3-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week 2): After the off week, the Bears' offense will get its first real challenge this weekend from West Virginia's defense that appears to be the most improved unit in the league. Baylor has been unstoppable so far, but the level of competition is about to undergo an uptick. Can the Bears keep it up? They've shown no signs they can't.

3. Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week 4): Despite having the week off, the Red Raiders move up a spot with Oklahoma State's loss. The big question in Lubbock is who will be starting at quarterback for Tech come Saturday against Kansas. Baker Mayfield? Davis Webb? Michael Brewer, who has been progressing well from the back injury? The Red Raiders have been solid defensively, and the skill talent is legit. If Tech can get better play from its quarterback, this team could be a handful -- even for OU and Baylor.

4. West Virginia (3-2, 1-1 Big 12, last week 8): What a difference a week makes. The Mountaineers produced the most impressive in-conference win of the season with a 30-21 victory over preseason favorite Oklahoma State. West Virginia's defense continues to play at a high level (Maryland's 37 points were somewhat of an anomaly because of West Virginia turnovers) and Clint Trickett sparked the offense with his energy and leadership. West Virginia's offense is still pretty limited, but at least it no longer looks completely inept with Trickett at quarterback. The Mountaineers can't score with Baylor this weekend, but maybe they can slow the Bears down? Nobody thought West Virginia could slow Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, either, though Baylor's offense is at another level. We'll see.

5. Texas (2-2, 1-0 Big 12, last week 5): The Longhorns have a couple of interesting games looming. Thursday, Texas travels to Iowa State, which looked much better offensively in a 38-21 win at Tulsa this past Thursday. Then, Texas gets surging Oklahoma in Dallas. This figures to be the defining two-game stretch of the season for the Longhorns. Win the next two, and the season -- as well as Mack Brown's status in Austin -- looks totally different than it did two weeks ago. The off week could not have come at a better time for the Longhorns, giving acting defensive coordinator Greg Robinson another week to acclimate to his defense and quarterback David Ash another week to recover from the head injury that knocked him out of the Ole Miss and Kansas State games.

6. TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12, last week 6): Did TCU's offense finally uncover an identity during a rainy fourth quarter against SMU? The Horned Frogs poured on 31 points in the final quarter and did it with some new faces, as Ty Slanina, Ja'Juan Story and Cameron Echols-Luper all factored into the scoring onslaught in the first real action of their TCU careers. The Horned Frogs can really turn their season around with a win in Norman this weekend. That won't be easy, though, if All-American cornerback Jason Verrett (shoulder) and defensive end Devonte Fields (foot) can't play.

7. Oklahoma State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12, last week 1): The Cowboys plummet six spots after an uninspiring performance in Morgantown. It was just one loss, but it was a loss that exposed weaknesses across the board. For the first time in seemingly forever, Oklahoma State's kicking game is awful. The Cowboys' secondary gave up 320 yards to a West Virginia passing attack that previously had been completely futile. And on the other side of the ball, when the Mountaineers dared QB J.W. Walsh to beat them deep, he couldn't do it. That allowed West Virginia to stuff the Cowboys' running game, which also doesn't appear to have that bell-cow running back Oklahoma State has been accustomed to featuring. The Cowboys are better than they looked at West Virginia -- but how much better?

8. Kansas State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12, last week 7): Bill Snyder maintains the Wildcats will stick with the two-quarterback system, which has yielded mixed results. K-State has moved the ball better when Daniel Sams has been in at quarterback. But when he's in, the Wildcats are virtually no threat to pass. Sams has 29 rushes and only four passing attempts. Is Sams really that poor of a passer? Maybe it's time for K-State to find out.

9. Iowa State (1-2, 0-0 Big 12, last week 10): It's hard to believe a center could make that much of a difference. But the return of Tom Farniok sure seemed to do wonders for Iowa State's offense, which finally got going in a 38-21 win at Tulsa. The Cyclones also finally involved running back Aaron Wimberly, who ignited the running game with Iowa State's first 100-yard performance in more than a year. With former blue-chip junior-college transfer E.J. Bibbs emerging now at tight end, QB Sam Richardson no longer appears to be on his own. Jack Trice will be rocking Thursday night for the Longhorns, as Iowa State has a chance to land a signature win to build off of for the rest of the season.

10. Kansas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week 9): The Jayhawks have a winning record but have been mostly unimpressive. Can they turn around the offense against Texas Tech? That will hinge almost entirely on quarterback Jake Heaps, who has talent but has been unable to find any rhythm so far with a collection of unproven wideouts. If the Jayhawks can be competitive this weekend, it will be a good sign they are moving in the right direction. If they get blasted, it could be a long season, especially with Iowa State and West Virginia seemingly having found their stride.

The Sooners notched a big nonconference road win for the Big 12, West Virginia’s defense came up big in an upset of Oklahoma State, and TCU finally found some offense against SMU.

What we learned about the Big 12 from Week 5:

The Sooners are a different team with Bell: This question has to be asked: How did Blake Bell not win the starting quarterback job during the preseason? Since taking over for Trevor Knight, Bell has been superb, leading the Sooners to a big 35-21 victory Saturday at Notre Dame. Bell completed 22 of 30 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns for a Total QBR of 79.1 (scale of 0 to 100), which almost certainly will go up once the strength of Notre Dame’s defense is factored into the equation. Bell also didn’t turn the ball over, as OU controlled the game from beginning to end. Save for a Nov. 7 showdown in Waco, the Sooners’ remaining slate doesn’t look nearly as daunting as it did a month ago. With Bell running the show at this level, OU is very capable of winning every game left on its schedule.

The West Virginia defense appears legit: The performance against Oklahoma State was the best by a West Virginia defense since joining the Big 12. The Mountaineers controlled the line of scrimmage to shut down OSU’s vaunted running game, and the secondary laid the lumber, knocking receivers Josh Stewart and Jhajuan Seales out of the game with big hits. The 21 points, in fact, were the fewest scored by a Cowboys offense in a loss since the 2009 Cotton Bowl. West Virginia did give up 37 to Maryland a week ago, but the six turnovers from the West Virginia offense had a lot to with that. In holding the Bedlam schools to a combined 37 points, Keith Patterson’s unit has now locked up, perennially, two of the Big 12’s highest-scoring offenses. The Mountaineers will get their shot at another on Saturday in Waco, and Baylor’s high-flying attack will provide the toughest test to date. But the West Virginia defense will give Baylor its toughest challenge yet as well.

Oklahoma State not the same offensively: The Cowboys have basically played two teams with a pulse and scored only 21 points both times. The Pokes seems to really be missing former coordinator Todd Monken and running back Joseph Randle, maybe even more than anybody thought they would. The Cowboys never found a flow offensively in Morgantown with Mike Yurcich’s play-calling, and Randle’s successor, Jeremy Smith, finished with just 1 yard on 15 carries. Given J.W. Walsh’s limitations throwing the ball downfield, it’s been awhile since an Oklahoma State offense had this many vulnerabilities.

TCU offense gains confidence with new faces: The Horned Frogs offense finally came alive late in the third quarter of a 48-17 win against SMU. And it came alive via plays from some new faces. True freshman Ty Slanina hauled in a 20-yard touchdown with four minutes left in the third quarter to break a 10-10 tie. On TCU’s next possession, former Florida transfer Ja'Juan Story took a 56-yard pass to the house to ignite the rout. Then freshman Cameron Echols-Luper returned a punt 51 yards to set up another touchdown. Going into the SMU game, Slanina, Story and Echols-Luper had a combined five touches through three games. The trio, however, figures to be a big part of the Horned Frogs' attack going forward, including next weekend in Norman.

OU at Baylor looking like the Big 12’s biggest game: With the Cowboys’ loss in Morgantown, OU-Baylor in Waco on Nov. 7 is looking more and more like the game of the year in the Big 12. Several other pivotal matchups remain (TCU-OU, the Red River Rivalry, Tech-OU, Baylor-OSU, Baylor-Tech, Bedlam). And there are still other teams (Tech, TCU, OSU, even Texas) that could play their way to the top of the conference title race. But as of today, OU-Baylor is looking like the game that will have more conference title implications than any other.

There's no crying in baseball, but I guess it's OK here.

• The Cyclones found their footing, and an offense, at Tulsa, according to the Ames Tribune's Bobby La Gesse. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register writes about how QB Sam Richardson overcame injuries to guide Iowa State to the 38-21 win. The paper's Bryce Miller explains how center Tom Farniok shored up the Cyclones offensive line.
• Saturday, Clint Trickett will become West Virginia's third starting quarterback already this season. The Charleston Daily Mail's Mike Casazza breaks it down. The Mountaineers are also ready to pick up the pace, writes Dave Hickman of the Charleston Gazette. Opposing defenses, meanwhile, have the blueprint for stopping the West Virginia offense, in the opinion of Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• The Sooners are expecting a big-time atmosphere in South Bend. The Oklahoma players talk about playing in big-time games. The Oklahoman's Jason Kersey breaks down the OU-Notre Dame matchups. The Dallas Morning News does the same.
• Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is getting the opportunity of a lifetime, writes The Oklahoman's Gina Mizell. Running back Jeremy Smith has been a reason for Oklahoma State's 3-0 start.
• Baylor coach Art Briles is hoping his book, “Looking Up: My Journey from Tragedy to Triumph," inspires. The Bears expect to get back tight end Jordan Najvar and running back Glasco Martin next week in their Big 12 opener against West Virginia. The Dallas Morning News compares the Baylor and Oregon offenses side-by-side.
• TCU is the best in the Big 12 when it comes to non-conference scheduling, according to The Oklahoman's Ryan Aber. The Horned Frogs need an offensive spark, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jimmy Burch and Stefan Stevenson. E.J. Holland of the Dallas Morning News predicts the Frogs will keep the Iron Skillet in Fort Worth.
• The Lawrence Journal-World's Matt Tait writes that the Kansas offensive line is trying to get tougher during its open week.
• A bye week on the schedule doesn’t mean Kansas State has taken it easy, either, according to Ken Corbitt of the Topeka Capital-Journal.
• Texas Tech is planning some reunions.
• Could there be crimson on the burnt orange side? The AP reports that Texas students have not claimed all their tickets for the Red River Rivalry.

You can't accuse Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard of mincing words:

• Cyclones linebacker Jeremiah George will be facing off against Tulsa QB Cody Green for a fourth time tonight, the Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson points out.
• Texas Tech's linebackers are bringing the hammer, writes the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's Don Williams.
• The Dallas Morning News analyzes Baylor's hot start to the season.
• It's been the same plan with worse results for West Virginia, writes the Charleston Gazette's Dave Hickman.
• Kansas State has many questions going into its open date, writes the Manhattan Mercury's Joel Jellison.
• Even after Texas' win over Kansas State, the Daily Texan lays out possible replacements for Mack Brown.
• Much has changed in Norman since the first time Bob Stoops faced Notre Dame, writes The Oklahoman's Jason Kersey.
• Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer is concerned about West Virginia's running backs and the way they catch the ball, according to The Oklahoman's Gina Mizell.
• Sophomore defensive back Derrick Kindred has been a versatile option for the TCU defense, writes Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Close victories haven’t resulted in momentum for the Jayhawks, writes the Kansas City Star's Blair Kerkhoff.

Show me don't tweet me:

• Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds tells the Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton he'll make the tough decision if he has to. But Dodds also says that Mack Brown is energized and everything is in place for the Longhorns to turn the corner.
• TCU hopes its running back duo can help spark a stagnant offense, writes the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Stefan Stevenson.
• Kansas is still tinkering with a faster tempo, according to the Lawrence Journal-World's Matt Tait.
• The Cyclones are preparing to make the season's first road trip a boom, writes Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register.
• Texas Tech picked up a commitment from a junior-college defensive tackle.
• Oklahoma center Gabe Ikard will have his hands full on Saturday, says The Oklahoman's Ryan Aber.
• The Mountaineers are hoping a looser attitude will help, according to the Charleston Gazette's Dave Hickman.
• The Tulsa World's Kelly Hines goes up close with Oklahoma State linebacker Caleb Lavey.
• The Bears are cruising, but they can't relax, writes Brice Cherry of the Waco Tribune-Herald.
• K-State is regrouping after its loss at Texas, report the Topeka Capital-Journal's Ken Corbitt.

Looking back at Week 4 in the Big 12:

Team of the week: Texas. Contrary to what Kansas State linebacker Tre Walker had suggested this past summer, the Longhorns didn’t lie down this time. Despite all the adversity they had faced the previous two weeks, the Longhorns prevailed over Kansas State 31-21, even after losing quarterback David Ash again because of concussion symptoms and linebacker Jordan Hicks to a season-ending Achilles rupture. Johnathan Gray was tremendous with 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns, backup quarterback Case McCoy managed the second half and the defense was solid in its second week with Greg Robinson as coordinator. Texas can only really salvage its season by beating Oklahoma in three weeks. But this was a solid performance for Texas to build from.

Disappointment of the week: West Virginia. In a 37-0 defeat to Maryland in Baltimore, the Mountaineers suffered their first shutout loss in 12 years and worst shutout loss in 38 seasons. The offense looks to be in complete disarray, as the Mountaineers completed just one pass to a receiver all game and had almost as many penalty yards as offensive yards in the first half. Coordinator Shannon Dawson said West Virginia needs to figure out an offensive identity. But what could that be? The Mountaineers can’t complete passes and can’t open lanes for running backs Dreamius Smith or Charles Sims, either. Things don’t get any easier. Conference favorite Oklahoma State travels to Morgantown, W.Va., this weekend.

Big (offensive) man on campus: Tyler Lockett. Even though his team lost to Texas, the Kansas State receiver had a spectacular performance. Lockett finished with 237 receiving yards on 13 catches and had a hand in all three of the Wildcats’ touchdown drives. Lockett had a 40-yard kickoff return, too, and almost single-handedly kept the Wildcats in the game in Austin. Lockett broke the K-State record of 214 receiving yards set by Jordy Nelson against Iowa State in 2007.

Big (defensive) man on campus: Jackson Jeffcoat. The Texas defensive end came up big in the fourth quarter against K-State. He had sacks on the Wildcats’ final two drives of the game, turning second downs into third-and-longs for K-State. Jeffcoat added five tackles, including two for loss, and a pair of quarterback hurries. With Hicks out for the season again, Jeffcoat will have to continue to elevate his game for the Longhorns defense to play the way it did Saturday.

Special-teams player of the week: Matthew Wyman. The sophomore kicker drilled a 52-yard field goal as time expired to lift Kansas to a 13-10 win over Louisiana Tech. It was the Jayhawks’ first victory over an FBS opponent in 23 games. Wyman tried to walk on to the team last year but didn’t make the cut. He tried again this year, succeeded and eventually won the starting job.

Play of the week: Down 17-7, Kansas State was on the move in Texas territory. But quarterback Jake Waters' option pitch bounced off the chest of running back John Hubert and into the arms of Texas defensive lineman Desmond Jackson to kill the drive. Six Johnathan Gray runs later, the Longhorns punched the ball into the end zone on the ensuing drive to extend their lead to 24-7.

Stat of the week: Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty leads the FBS with a 98.4 Total QBR and joins an elite and exclusive group of QBs who have produced a Total QBR of 95 or above (in the past 10 seasons with a minimum of 50 action) through their first three games. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that list includes Russell Wilson (2011), Marcus Mariota (2013), Taylor Martinez (2010), Andrew Luck (2010), Pat White (2006), Robert Griffin III (2011), Colt McCoy (2008) and Colin Kaepernick (2010).

Quote of the week: “Offensively we're as inept as we can possibly be in college football.” -- West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, after the 37-0 loss to Maryland

Texas moves back up in this week's Power Rankings, West Virginia moves back down and the top four remain steady:

1. Oklahoma State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12; last week: 1): When he was the coordinator in Stillwater, Dana Holgorsen recruited quarterback J.W. Walsh to Oklahoma State. This Saturday, Holgorsen's Mountaineers must deal with stopping Walsh, who’s been terrific since taking over the starting quarterback job in the opener. Walsh ranks sixth in the country in QBR and is a major reason why the Cowboys are three-touchdown favorites for their game in Morgantown.

2. Baylor (3-0, 0-0 Big 12; last week: 2): The Baylor-hasn’t-beaten-anybody argument only holds so much water. Who in the Big 12 has really beaten anybody? Oklahoma State over Mississippi State? Texas Tech over TCU? Oklahoma over West Virginia? The fact is, even against three doldrums, Baylor has been as impressive as any team in the league. This offense has a chance to be as prolific as the 2011 Oklahoma State Cowboys or the 2008 Oklahoma Sooners.

3. Oklahoma (3-0, 1-0 Big 12; last week: 3): After opening with three home victories, the Sooners will finally find out about their team during a road trip to South Bend, Ind., this weekend. They should find out a lot about quarterback Blake Bell, too -- he was marvelous after replacing Trevor Knight two weeks ago against Tulsa. But that was against Tulsa in Norman. This is Notre Dame in South Bend. If OU wins this game, people will begin to mention the under-the-radar Sooners as a possible dark horse national title contender.

4. Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12; last week: 4): The Texas Tech defense continues to play well, but the offense was sluggish again in a 33-7 victory over Texas State. Kliff Kingsbury has to decide whether he’s going to stick with Baker Mayfield as his starting quarterback or go with Davis Webb, who has made plays the last two weeks in relief of Mayfield. Kingsbury might secretly and anxiously be waiting on the return of Michael Brewer, who’s been injured since the summer with a bad back but is close to rejoining the team on the practice field.

5. Texas (2-2, 1-0 Big 12; last week: 8): After winning their Big 12 opener 31-21 over Kansas State, the Longhorns still have plenty to play for. But they are also beaten up. Linebacker Jordan Hicks is out for the season again with a ruptured Achilles tendon, quarterback David Ash continues to deal with concussion issues and offensive playmaker Daje Johnson remains out with an ankle injury. The game with Oklahoma (Oct. 12) looms, too. A victory in Dallas is about the only thing that can save Mack Brown’s job and completely reverse momentum in Austin.

6. TCU (1-2, 0-1 Big 12; last week: 5): Gary Patterson was not pleased with his team during the off week. Patterson told reporters last week the Horned Frogs were “feeling sorry for themselves” after the 20-10 loss at Tech. “If we don’t grow up,” Patterson said, “we’re not going to win any more ballgames.” The Frogs had better grow up quickly if they want to avoid letting this season turn into a catastrophe. TCU faces road trips at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in October.

7. Kansas State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12; last week: 7): Even though Texas had been a sieve stopping opposing quarterbacks on the ground, Bill Snyder elected to use Daniel Sams sparingly in Austin. Sams averaged 6 yards a carry but got only eight carries as Jake Waters again took the bulk of the snaps at quarterback. Even though wideout Tyler Lockett is having a monster season, the Wildcats with Waters behind center have been just average offensively, which is flirting with disaster in the Big 12. Especially when the defense is just average, too.

8. West Virginia (2-2, 0-1 Big 12; last week: 6): So much for the idea that the Mountaineers could just replace Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. West Virginia looked completely inept offensively in a 37-0 loss to Maryland, which is a good team, but not that good. The Mountaineers, who had one of the best passing attacks in the country last year, suddenly can’t pass. Quarterback Ford Childress threw for just 62 yards with two interceptions Saturday, not that Paul Millard fared any better in West Virginia’s first two games. Holgorsen said he’s sticking with Childress at quarterback, which is a sign the Mountaineers are building for the future. The present is not a pretty sight.

9. Kansas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12; last week: 9): With the bottom half of the Big 12 struggling so much, the Jayhawks have the opportunity to win a couple of games in the league. But Kansas has its own problems. An offense that was supposed to be improved actually has been worse so far this season. After scoring just a field goal over three quarters against Louisiana Tech, the Jayhawks had to scramble late to escape with a 13-10 win. Jake Heaps owns the worst Total QBR (32.2) in the league and the Kansas wide receivers so far have been a disappointment. There is some talent on Charlie Weis’ offense, especially in the backfield. But it has yet to manifest on the field.

10. Iowa State (0-2, 0-0 Big 12; last week: 10): The Cyclones have back-to-back Thursday night games on deck: at Tulsa and at home against Texas. If Iowa State can’t prevail in either, this will end up being the worst season of the Paul Rhoads era. The only way the Cyclones can avoid that fate is by conjuring something in the run game, which has been abysmal so far this season.

Iowa State, TCU, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were all off. But we still learned plenty about the Big 12 in Week 4:

1. Baylor can’t be stopped: What the Bears have accomplished in three nonconference games has been incredible. Sure, the nonconference slate was bad. But the numbers Baylor is putting up are absurd. Capped with the 70-7 win over Monroe, the Bears outscored their three nonconference opponents by a combined score of 209-23 -- the largest scoring differential in an opening three games, according to ESPN Stats & Information, by any FBS team of the past 10 seasons. The Bears lead the nation in scoring, Bryce Petty leads in the nation in QBR and running back Lache Seastrunk is averaging 11 yards per carry. This offense, obviously, faces tougher tests ahead. But Baylor has the look of an offense that will be scoring on everyone it faces.

2. West Virginia can’t score: How far the West Virginia offense has fallen since that 70-point outburst in the 2011 Orange Bowl. In the first half against Maryland, the West Virginia offensive effort was futile. West Virginia compiled 65 yards compared to 61 yards in penalties; the Mountaineers also had as many first downs (two) as interceptions in the first half, as Maryland jumped to a 30-0 halftime lead before coasting to the 37-0 victory in Baltimore. Coach Dana Holgorsen said afterward he’s sticking with Ford Childress at quarterback, but the quarterback can only do so much with the West Virginia offensive line and receivers. Had running backs Charles Sims and Dreamius Smith not transferred in, this offense would be completely hopeless -- assuming it isn’t already.

3. Texas proved it doesn’t always lie down: During Big 12 media days, Kansas State linebacker Tre Walker was quoted saying that “Texas laid down a little bit” in their game last season because “that’s what they do.” Despite tumbling in with a two-game losing streak, the Longhorns didn’t lie down Saturday, instead grinding out a 31-21 win over the Wildcats. Who knows what -- if anything -- the win will do for Mack Brown or the Longhorns’ season? At the least, the win offered a little respite for a team that’s had to endure nothing but negativity since the first week of the season.

4. The Kansas schools have issues offensively: Both Kansas and Kansas State should be better offensively than what they’ve showed. Despite having former blue-chipper Jake Heaps at quarterback and one of the league’s better running back tandems in Tony Pierson and James Sims, the Jayhawks needed 10 points in the fourth quarter to edge out Louisiana Tech, 13-10. Meanwhile, against a Texas defense that had been porous stopping the run, the Wildcats managed just 115 yards rushing on 38 carries. If not for wideout Tyler Lockett, K-State might not have scored the whole night. Both the Kansas and K-State offenses have good players. Just not good offenses at the moment.

5. Texas Tech is back to square one at QB: For the second straight game, Davis Webb replaced fellow true freshman Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Last week, it was due to injury. In Saturday’s sloppy 33-7 win over Texas State, it was due mostly to the offense remaining stagnant, though Mayfield did get shaken up after taking a shot to his back. Mayfield completed 13 of 18 passes for 122 yards and an interception before getting replaced. But Webb didn’t fare all that much better, going 19-of-43 passing for 310 yards and an interception. Webb also badly missed Jakeem Grant and Jace Amaro wide open in the end zone near the end of the game. Coach Kliff Kingsbury said both quarterbacks would play going forward, but he also noted the position “just has to get better.” It’s unclear how Kingsbury will use his quarterbacks, but Michael Brewer is getting closer to practicing again after sitting out the past several weeks with a back injury. Brewer, the projected starter going into the preseason, could ultimately become Kingsbury’s answer at quarterback once he returns.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State had the day off. So the two schools got a good look at the biggest threat to Bedlam deciding the Big 12 in December.

Baylor whitewashed yet another opponent Saturday, serving notice to the Oklahoma schools that this won’t just be a two-team race for the conference crown.

By annihilating Louisiana-Monroe 70-7, the Bears became the first FBS team to score at least 60 points in three consecutive games since the Sooners did it five times in a row in 2008. That Oklahoma team set a modern college football scoring record on its way to capturing the Big 12 title.

The Bears are quickly proving they too have a Big 12 championship-caliber offense.

Sure, Baylor has yet to face a quality opponent. Wofford, Buffalo and Monroe hardly comprise a challenging nonconference slate.

But it’s not who the Bears have beaten. It’s the way they’ve beaten them.

Through three games, Baylor has outscored its opponents by a combined score of 209-23 -- the largest scoring differential through the first three games by any FBS team in the last decade.

Buffalo’s defense gave Ohio State problems in Columbus. The Sooners struggled to move the ball against Monroe in Norman.

But in Waco, Buffalo and Monroe were fortunate Baylor didn’t drop off a hundred on them, because it probably could have.

The Bears are the first team to score 28 points in the first quarter in three consecutive games since the stat started being tracked in 1996. Against Monroe, they opened with five touchdowns, despite holding possession for just 2 minutes, 54 seconds.

And through just three games, Baylor has already totaled 24 touchdown drives of two minutes or less. Oregon, for context, led the FBS with 45 such drives last year.

“We've got good people,” coach Art Briles said after the Monroe shellacking. “We've got a good football team.”

The Bears might have more than just that.

Bryce Petty continues to look like the most complete quarterback in the league. He threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns before coming out of the game early in the third quarter again. So far this season, Petty is completing 75 percent of his passes, and leads the country with a Total QBR of 98.3.

“Not only this game, but every game [the mentality] is to attack first,” Petty said.

The Bears can attack in so many different ways, too.

Tevin Reese has thrived since taking over for Terrance Williams as the No. 1 receiver. But Reese has more support at wideout than Williams or Kendall Wright did. Antwan Goodley has at least 90 yards receiving in all three games, including 156 and two touchdowns Saturday. And Robbie Rhodes and Corey Coleman are two of the most dynamic freshman receivers in the league.

But the attack still goes through running back Lache Seastrunk, who has done nothing but augment his Heisman campaign. In just 38 carries, Seastrunk has rushed for 417 yards and six touchdowns, and is averaging almost 11 yards per carry. Seastrunk now has seven straight 100-yard rushing games, the nation’s longest active streak.

Factor in a line that features NFL talents like mammoth guard Cyril Richardson, and this is an offense that appears to be without a weakness.

"We don't match up with them very well -- but not very many people do,” Monroe coach Todd Berry said, two weeks after Buffalo coach Jeff Quinn claimed the Bears should be ranked in the top five.

“We got scalded.”

It hasn’t just been the Bears offense doing the scalding, either. Over a seven-game winning streak dating back to last year, Baylor’s defense is allowing an average of just 21 points a game. In the first quarter Saturday, Joe Williams and Terrell Burt picked off passes for Baylor touchdowns.

The Bears have had their issues defensively in the past. But since dismantling top-ranked Kansas State in Waco last November, Baylor has been a solid defensive unit that has also been very opportunistic.

“When you score defensive touchdowns and you have the ability to score from an offensive standpoint, which we do, and you combine those two things, you've got a chance to put some points on the board,” Briles said. “That's our mentality."

Thanks to an improved defense and a seemingly unstoppable offense, the Bears have the mentality of seriously contending for their first Big 12 title.

Baylor should be decent-to-heavy favorites in its next four games -- the toughest being an Oct. 12 road trip to Kansas State.

The Bears have never won in Manhattan. But K-State labored to move the chains Saturday night against a Texas defense that previously had been surrendering rushing totals at record levels.

Neither K-State, nor West Virginia (Oct. 5), Iowa State (Oct. 19) or Kansas (Oct. 26) seems capable at the moment of slowing down these Bears, who appear to be rolling on a collision course toward a Thursday night bout with Oklahoma in Waco on Nov. 7.

That showdown could go a long way in determining the Big 12 title, which even with the falls of TCU and Texas isn’t just about Bedlam. As the Oklahoma schools got to see Saturday, it’s about Briles’ high-flying bunch, too.

In today’s mailbag, Longhorns search for answers, Sooners hype up the Bellicopter and Red Raiders begin talking big after last week’s win over TCU.

To the bag:

Brian in Colorado writes: Texas has been trying to move toward becoming an SEC-style team, so what are the odds that Texas will have Mack Brown step down and then try and steal Kirby Smart from the Tide? Smart would be a perfect fit for a talented team that needs a younger coach to bring an energetic style.

Jake Trotter: Smart is a tremendous coordinator, but I imagine Texas will go after an established head coach first. Besides, Texas only tried to become an SEC-style team because of Brown.

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Josh in Oklahoma writes: Given Texas' inability to stop the option, how great would it be to see the BellDozer turn into the BellBone for OU-Texas?

JT: Great for who? Certainly not Texas. Then again, I’m not sure Blake Bell’s skill set is tailored for the read option. Bell is tough to tackle, but he doesn’t have the requisite quickness to operate the option, play in, play out. That’s one reason why Trevor Knight beat him out during the preseason. But if Bell throws like he did against Tulsa, he won’t need to run the option all that often, anyway.

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Ric in Moore, Okla., writes: My guess is Blake Bell will be a very average QB, and OU loses 3-4 games this season. Your thoughts?

JT: Bell showed me a lot in that Tulsa game. I think he’ll hold onto the job. I still don’t see OU winning more than 10 games, though.

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Nicholas in Houston writes: In the last chat, you said, "Bottom line, if Texas and OU aren't carrying their weight, the Big 12 is going to be viewed as a sub-par conference.” Do you think that if one non-OU-Texas team goes undefeated and another comes really close, would that Big 12 perception improve?

JT: Honestly, not really. Oklahoma State went 12-1 in 2011 and it didn’t do much for the conference’s perception nationally. The Cowboys still got left out of the national title game, even though really they were more deserving than Alabama on paper. Now, if OSU and Baylor won 10 games annually over the course of a decade, that would be something different. But the OU and Texas brands were built over the course of 70 years, and when their brands suffer, so does the Big 12. A great season here or there from the non-flagship schools does little to change that.

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John in Tulsa, Okla., writes: I know it's not the case for every team, but I'm wondering what the advantages and disadvantages are for having the defensive coordinator on field level. Logic would say that having the coordinator in the box would aid in reading the formations, personnel, tendencies and plays of the opposition. The only explanation I could come up with was that having the defensive coordinator on field level helps make adjustments real time instead of via headset. But how effective are the adjustments that are made at that point?

JT: John is correct -- offensive coordinators usually call plays from the box, while defensive coordinators often call plays from the sideline. Maybe it’s because offense is more analytical, and defense, more emotional? Also, offensive coordinators are on their own time to some degree when making adjustments, giving them time to relay calls from the box. Defenses are on the offense’s time, meaning defensive coordinators have just moments to holler in their adjustments before the snap.

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Jeff in Austin writes: The perception is that if UT, OU, or OSU were undefeated after the regular season they would likely play for the trophy in January. What would the likelihood of Baylor or Texas Tech playing for the national championship if they went undefeated while everyone else was at 12-1?

JT: Assuming the SEC filled one side of the title game, Baylor and Tech would probably need Oregon, Stanford, Clemson, Ohio State, Louisville, Florida State, UCLA, Michigan, Notre Dame and Miami to all go down. The Bears and Red Raiders, however, have never won a Big 12 title. Isn’t it a bit premature to be talking national title after three games?

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Ali in Fort Worth, Texas: What do you make of three Big 12 teams beginning conference play against West Virginia?

JT: I didn’t even realize this was the case until you brought it up. It should be an advantage for West Virginia in the Oklahoma State and Baylor games.

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Brian from the Apache forward operating base in Afghanistan writes: Jake, love the blog. If Mack Brown does lose his job what are you early thoughts on the man who would replace him? I mean, I would think Texas would warrant a big name guy for the job right?

JT: Given its proximity to high school talent and its infinite resources, Texas is probably the most attractive head-coaching job in college football. Stanford’s David Shaw was the name I kept hearing when I was in Austin last weekend. But don’t rule out Texas making a pitch to Nick Saban, either.

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Shelby in Big Spring, Texas, writes: How concerned should Raider Nation be that Tech's offense did not move the ball much during the TCU game? Scoring on the first and last possessions is a little unusual for Tech's offense? Also, yay or nay on the gray unis?

JT: I’m a fan of the gray uniforms. I’m not overly concerned. Despite its problems on the other side of the ball, TCU is still really good defensively. The one concern I might have is the Tech offensive line. Can they protect the quarterback? If so, the skill talent is there for this Tech offense to be prolific.

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P.J. in El Paso, Texas, writes: How much of UT’s woes can be attributed to lack of a top QB? It seems that the top teams in the Big 12 all boast pretty good QBs. Texas has top talent everywhere else.

JT: Quarterback is the least of Texas’ worries this season. Have you seen this defense? Even with Johnny Manziel back there, this Texas team would not be going anywhere.

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Clint in Houston writes: Looking back, Texas failed to recruit or offer a scholarship to some of the best QBs in the country. With Texas' shoddy QB play and comparatively horrible record since Colt McCoy, shouldn't Mack be let go for the program's lack of interest in Andrew Luck, RG3, Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston?

JT: This will ultimately be part of Brown’s undoing. But only part of it. Brown has also whiffed on coordinator hires, failed to forge offensive and defensive identities since the ’08-09 teams and struggled to recruit mentally tough players.

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SoonerPaintJob in Oklahoma City writes: After an impressive performance through the air, where do you see Bellicopter and company ending up by season’s end? Does it feel a little like 2000?

JT: I don’t see a Roy Williams on defense or a Josh Heupel on offense. So no, this doesn’t feel like 2000. Bell looked good against Tulsa, but it was against Tulsa. I’m nowhere near ready to proclaim this a team of destiny after home wins over Louisiana-Monroe, West Virginia and Tulsa.

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Jay in Midland, Texas, writes: Jake, you promised a revised ceiling for Texas Tech should they beat TCU. Time to get your Guns Up!! How do you see the conference shaking out, now that we are three weeks into the season?

JT: I still see the conference title being decided by OU, OSU and Baylor. But the Red Raiders are looming. If they slip past these next four games -- all winnable games -- to get to 7-0, I might be compelled to move them into the upper tier.

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Finkaboutit in Ames, Iowa, writes: The past two years Iowa State has had some talent on the offensive side of the ball, and we have not had any form of solid offense. Does ISU need to start looking for a new offensive coordinator?

JT: Why do Iowa State fans keep insisting the Cyclones have had talent on the offensive side of the ball? The last Iowa State offensive skill player to get drafted was Seneca Wallace 10 years ago. A different play-caller doesn’t change the fact that Iowa State is deft of playmakers offensively. The Cyclones’ offensive woes stem from mediocre recruiting more than anything else.

Instead of going to a game this weekend, I stopped by Waco, Texas, earlier in the week to check out Art Briles’ bunch in person.

Our guest picker this week is Roger Berman, a Red Raider who hails from Orange, Texas. Here is Roger’s guest picker submission:

I have been around a few years. Just turned 60 in August. I attended Texas Tech, and got my B.S. in chemical engineering in 1976. Older brother went to Oklahoma State. Little brother was smart -- he graduated from Texas Tech. I have been following the Southwest, Big 8 and Big 12 conferences for more than 45 years. I know I can pick 'em better than a young pup like you. What you say to that?

Well, Roger, compared to you, I suppose I am a young pup. Challenge accepted.

By the way, thanks to Roger’s Red Raiders, I dispatched of last week’s guest picker, James. Get ready to join him, Roger.

If you want to be next week’s guest picker, contact me, and tell me why. And, as always, creativity counts.

Now, to the picks for Week 4:

SEASON RECORD

Last week: 7-1 (.875)

Guest picker last week: 6-2 (.750)

Overall: 21-4 (.840)

Guest picker overall: 6-2 (.750)

Saturday
Kansas 33, Louisiana Tech 21: Jake Heaps struggled in the loss at Rice, but Charlie Weis said this week the one player he's not worried about is Heaps. I’m not worried about the Kansas quarterback, either. As for the rest of the team, well, that's another story. The Jayhawks will be fine in this one, before they embark on another long season in the Big 12.

Roger’s pick: Heaps takes it up a notch with more than 200 yards passing. Kansas, 28-17

West Virginia 30, Maryland 27: The Terrapins are 3-0, but their best win came last week over Connecticut, which fell to Towson in its opener. In other words, Maryland has yet to play anybody. The Mountaineers lost at Oklahoma, but they hung tough. That moral victory should give them the confidence they can win this game. Especially with Ford Childress now at quarterback.

Roger’s pick: I think Childress has a great day; once again, a freshman steps up in the Big 12. West Virginia, 35-27

Baylor 63, Louisiana-Monroe 10: By picking the Bears to score nine touchdowns, I’m actually picking them to have a down day. Baylor, which is averaging 70 points a game, has scored four touchdowns in the first quarter of both games this season. Mercifully for Monroe, the Bears don’t touch that first-quarter mark this game, due to a little rust coming off an open week. Not that it really matters. Baylor drops off four touchdowns in the second quarter to put another game away before halftime.

Roger’s pick: Bryce Petty has another good day; not sure who can stop this offense. Baylor, 49-7

Texas Tech 45, Texas State 13: The Red Raiders won ugly last week. This week, they get back to winning pretty. Boosted by Kliff Kingsbury’s vote of confidence, quarterback Baker Mayfield gets back on track with a 400-yard passing game. The Tech defense gives up a couple of scores early, but settles in to keep the momentum going from last week’s gutty performance against TCU.

Roger’s pick: Jace Amaro has a coming-out party; 150-plus yards and three touchdowns. Texas Tech, 56-14

Texas 31, Kansas State 28: The reasons to pick against Texas are many. The Longhorns have been an embarrassment stopping the run, and K-State’s Daniel Sams runs as well as any QB in the league. The Wildcats also own Texas with a five-game winning streak in the series. But QB David Ash should be back in the lineup for Longhorns, and K-State has had its own problems defensively this season. Plus, after K-State linebacker Tre Walker accused Texas this summer of always rolling over, the Longhorns -- if they have any heart at all -- have to show up for this game, right?

Roger’s pick: Texas finally gets it together; plus, very rarely has Texas lost three games in a row. Texas, 24-21

Only because Iowa State and Kansas also lost is Texas not last in this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings:

1. Oklahoma State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week 1): While they’ve been in the news plenty lately for other reasons, the Cowboys on the field have quietly lived up to the role of favorite rather well. And with the Nov. 16 trip to Austin no longer looking all that daunting, Oklahoma State should be favored in every game the rest of the way.

2. Baylor (2-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week 2): The Bears are one of only three Big 12 teams that haven’t been forced to play a backup quarterback due to injury, ineffectiveness or the need for a spark. That kind of stability with Bryce Petty is one major reason why Baylor has the look of a viable conference title contender.

3. Oklahoma (3-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week 3): Before the weekend, the Sooners had been brilliant in every facet of the game, except for quarterback. Against Tulsa, they were brilliant there, too. Blake Bell gave the passing attack a huge lift, delivering college football’s sixth-highest raw QBR of the week. So far, the OU running game has been dynamic, and the defense has been solid. If the Sooners can also get that level of production from their quarterback, they'll be dangerous.

4. Texas Tech (3-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week 5): Sometimes winning ugly is what’s required. Aesthetics aside, Texas Tech’s victory TCU was huge for the Kliff Kingsbury era. Some of it was TCU’s anemic offense, but Kingsbury had to feel buoyed by the way his defense completely shut down the Horned Frogs. If the Red Raiders keep playing defense, they could emerge into a surprise title contender. Their next four games are very winnable.

5. TCU (1-2, 0-1 Big 12, last week 4): Coach Gary Patterson probably could not have envisioned a worse start to TCU’s season. The Horned Frogs already have two losses, and star defensive end Devonte Fields made little impact in Lubbock after sitting out most of the first two games with a suspension. Now, Fields has an injured foot. Given how lost the Frogs look offensively, they’re probably going to have to win games with defense, at least for now. That won’t be easy with Fields either hobbled, ineffective or both.

6. West Virginia (2-1, 0-1 Big 12, last week 6): After auditioning Paul Millard and bypassing on Clint Trickett, the Mountaineers might finally have uncovered their quarterback in Ford Childress, who had a strong debut showing against Georgia State. These next two weeks will be huge for Childress and the Mountaineers. How they perform against Maryland in Baltimore and conference favorite Oklahoma State in Morgantown will set the tone for the rest of the season, one way or the other.

7. Kansas State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week 8): After the stunning loss to North Dakota State, the Wildcats have bounced back nicely, and there’s reason to believe they can keep it going in Austin. The zone-read has been devastating to Texas, and K-State change-of-pace QB Daniel Sams might be the best running QB in the league.

8. Texas (1-2, 0-0 Big 12, last week 7): After beating the Longhorns by three touchdowns, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said Texas’ defensive scheme was basically the same as last week. The Longhorns played about the same, too, giving up another 272 yards on the ground. That’s 822 rushing yards the Horns have allowed over the past two games. It's not even October, and Texas is already a total disaster. Coach Mack Brown is running out of scapegoats to fire, too.

9. Kansas (1-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week 9): The Jayhawks actually played well defensively in a nine-point loss at Rice. The offense, however, did not; notably, quarterback Jake Heaps, who had a raw QBR of 10.2, the fourth-lowest rating of any FBS quarterback for the week. The Kansas offense has to be -- and should be -- better than this for the Jayhawks to win more than two games.

10. Iowa State (0-2, 0-0 Big 12, last week 10): After two losses to open the year, it’s difficult to see how Iowa State gets to a bowl game. Other than receiver Quenton Bundrage, quarterback Sam Richardson has had virtually no help offensively, and the defense is a notch below what it's been. If Iowa State can’t uncover a running game to take pressure off Richardson, this could end up becoming a long, long year in Ames.

In today’s mailbag, pretty much everyone piles on the Longhorns, plus another nickname submission.

To the ‘bag:

John in Los Angeles writes: Would Texas ever fire a head coach during a game or mid-season? This question will be relevant if UT suffers another beat-down at the hands of OU.

Jake Trotter: Nobody would never fire a coach during a game (although that would be entertaining) and I can’t see Texas doing anything during the season. But forget about OU, the Horns needs to worry about escaping Ole Miss first.

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Josh in Midland, Texas, writes: Jake, in the very unlikely case that Texas plays relatively well against Ole Miss and consequently wins this weekend, what will the national perception of Texas be? What would it take from the Horns on Saturday to improve the national perception of them?

Jake Trotter: Essentially the same as it is now. In terms of perception, Texas has much to lose and little to gain this weekend. The Horns won’t improve their perception unless they beat Oklahoma -- provided they don’t lose to anyone else before then, either.

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Charles in Dallas writes: I love my Sooners. However, I see a changing of the guard coming in college football. The athletes are going away from OU and Texas and going with the flashy uniforms. This is evident with the rise of Baylor and OSU. You think my theory has any basis?

Jake Trotter: No doubt, Baylor and OSU have been recruiting at another level. I don’t necessarily see a changing of the guard, but the days of OU and Texas completely dominating the league like the 2000s seem to be numbered.

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Cody in Dallas: Is it fair to say the Big 12 is weak right now just because OU and UT are down? Couldn't you make a point the conference is actually thriving with so many programs on the rise?

Jake Trotter: That’s the point Bob Stoops was trying to make in the spring. I wouldn’t characterize the Big 12 as weak, but without a national headliner, it’s difficult to make the case it’s strong, either.

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Andy in Austin: Jake, any truth to the Saban-to-Austin rumors?

Jake Trotter: Yes. In fact, I hear he’s flying with Alabama to College Station, but skipping the A&M game so he can scout Texas-Ole Miss from the sidelines.

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James in Texas writes: Can we call him the Lache Ness Monster? Is that appropriate?

Jake Trotter: No, and don’t give Andy in Austin any ideas.

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Cole in Yukon, Okla., writes: I am not on the Trevor Knight bandwagon. I believe the coaches chose him for upside. So when do you see him starting again?

Jake Trotter: Doesn’t this smack of Wes Lunt’s freshman year at Oklahoma State? Honestly, if Blake Bell or Kendal Thompson plays well at Notre Dame, Knight might not get on the field unless there’s an injury.

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Josh in Hastings, Neb., writes: I know in a chat that you implied a K-State fan was crazy to think K-State had a 70 percent chance to win in Austin given the fact that K-State owns Texas historically in Big 12 play. After the BYU game, is it starting to look not so crazy?? Go K-State!! (We do truly own the Longhorns)

Jake Trotter: I said that? I need to lay off the burnt-orange Kool-Aid.

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Rob writes: Regarding Texas this season you said, "Let's look at the schedule: Ole Miss, OU, at TCU, OSU, Tech, at Baylor ... how many of those games would you pick Texas to win? Best case 3? That leaves them at 8-4 still." Don't you think Texas should actually beat K-State for the first time since early last decade before you start taking a Texas victory over K-State as a given?

Jake Trotter: Agreed, Texas beating K-State is no given.

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William in Amarillo, Texas, writes: Can you write about something else other than Texas? They (stink) and they’re going to continue to (stink).

Jake Trotter: Anyone else want to pile on?

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Brian in Kansas City, Kan., writes: Every year the national media overrates Texas, and every year everyone in the Big 12, who actually watches Texas, laughs about it. No one ever worries about Texas around here. Why do you think this is? Can the national media not register recent history?

Jake Trotter: This is actually a fair point. I have to admit, I was buying Texas during the preseason, too. I couldn’t ignore Mack Brown talking about how great this team was going to be. Color me bamboozled.

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Alan in Houston writes: Does an undefeated OSU or Baylor make it into the BCS championship game?

Jake Trotter: Only if Oregon, Stanford, Ohio State, Florida State and Clemson all lose, too.

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Beau in Denver writes: Kansas is sitting at 7th in the Big 12 standings. They should be feeling pretty good, right?

Jake Trotter: Enjoy it while it lasts.

This week, ESPN.com is breaking down the nonconference schedules of each team in nine of the nation’s top leagues. Next up: the Big 12.

BAYLOR

Toughest: vs. Colorado (Nov. 8 in Dallas), Maui Invitational (Nov. 25-27), vs. Kentucky (Dec. 6 in Arlington, Texas)
Next-toughest: South Carolina (Nov. 12), Southern (Dec. 22)
The rest: Louisiana-Lafayette (Nov. 17), Charleston Southern (Nov. 20), Hardin-Simmons (Dec. 1), Northwestern State (Dec. 18), Oral Roberts (Dec. 30), Savannah State (Jan. 3)

Toughness scale (1-10): 7 -- The Bears will try to beat Kentucky for the second season in a row when they take on the Wildcats at the mammoth AT&T Stadium -- home of the Dallas Cowboys. Catching a freshman-laden Kentucky squad early in the season is ideal for the Bears. Baylor also will have a chance to avenge last season’s loss to Colorado in the Charleston Classic. Scott Drew’s squad meets the Buffaloes as part of a season-opening tripleheader at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Baylor has an excellent shot of getting to the title game in Maui. The Bears open against Chaminade and will likely face a vulnerable Gonzaga squad (the Zags lost Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris) in the semifinals. A victory in that contest could result in a showdown against Syracuse in the championship game.

IOWA STATE

Toughest: Michigan (Nov. 17), at BYU (Nov. 20), Iowa (Dec. 13)
Next-toughest: vs. Northern Iowa (Dec. 7 in Des Moines), Diamond Head Classic (Dec. 22-23, 25 in Honolulu)
The rest: UNC-Wilmington (Nov. 10), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Nov. 12), UMKC (Nov. 25), Auburn (Dec. 2), Northern Illinois (Dec. 31)

Toughness scale (1-10): 6 -- The Cyclones play just one true road game, but it’s a tough one, as BYU touts one of the best home courts in the country. The Cougars should be pretty salty, too, after reaching the semifinals of the NIT last spring. No game on the schedule, though, jumps out quite like Iowa State’s home tilt with NCAA runner-up Michigan, who returns many of the key pieces from last season’s squad. Hilton Magic will have to be in full effect if the Cyclones, who are incorporating a plethora of new faces, are to have a chance against the Wolverines. Iowa State opens the Diamond Head Classic against George Mason and will likely play either Akron or Oregon State in the semifinals. Don’t be surprised if Fred Hoiberg’s squad ends up in the title game against Boise State.

KANSAS

Toughest: vs. Duke (Nov. 12 in Chicago), at Colorado (Dec. 7), at Florida (Dec. 10), New Mexico (Dec. 14), Georgetown (Dec. 21), San Diego State (Jan. 5)
Next-toughest: Iona (Nov. 19), Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 28-30 in Nassau, Bahamas)
The rest: Louisiana-Monroe (Dec. 8), Towson (Nov. 22), Toledo (Dec. 30)

Toughness scale (1-10): 10 -- There may not be a team in America with a slate as difficult as the one staring at Andrew Wiggins and the Jayhawks. Duke and Florida are both top five-caliber teams, and Kansas faces each of them away from home. Even more daunting is that both games occur extremely early in the season, when a team featuring as many as six freshmen in its rotation will still be trying to find itself. New Mexico, Georgetown and San Diego State will each take a minor step back from last season, but they should all still be excellent teams, especially the Lobos. Kansas opens the Battle 4 Atlantis against Wake Forest and will play either USC or Villanova in the second round. Event organizers are surely hoping for a title game featuring the Jayhawks against either Tennessee or Iowa. Even nonconference opponents such as Iona, Towson and Louisiana-Monroe will be in the mix for an NCAA tournament berth.

KANSAS STATE

Toughest: Puerto Rico Tip-Off (Nov. 21-22, 24), vs. Gonzaga (Dec. 21 in Wichita, Kan.)
Next-toughest: Long Beach State (Nov. 17), Ole Miss (Dec. 5)
The rest: Northern Colorado (Nov. 8), Oral Roberts (Nov. 13), Central Arkansas (Dec. 1), South Dakota (Dec. 10), Troy (Dec. 15), vs. Tulane (Dec. 28 in Brooklyn, N.Y.), George Washington (Dec. 31)

Toughness scale (1-10): 4 -- This is a pretty disappointing slate, especially considering how good the program has been over the past five or six years. Other than a tilt with Gonzaga in Wichita -- which will basically be a K-State home game -- the Wildcats don’t have a single opponent on their nonconference schedule that raises an eyebrow. The one exception would be Ole Miss, but the Rebels lost most of the key players from last season’s NCAA tournament team. The Wildcats open the Puerto Rico Tip-Off against Charlotte and will play either Georgetown or Northeastern the following day. Michigan, VCU and Florida State are on the other side of the bracket, so the potential for a game against another top team exists. Still, the defending regular-season Big 12 co-champs should have scheduled a few more marquee games.

OKLAHOMA

Toughest: vs. Alabama (Nov. 8 in Dallas), Coaches vs. Cancer Tipoff (Nov. 22-23 in Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Next-toughest: vs. George Mason (Dec. 8 in Washington, D.C.), vs. Texas A&M (Dec. 21 in Houston), Louisiana Tech (Dec. 30)
The rest: North Texas (Nov. 11), Idaho (Nov. 13), Arkansas-Little Rock (Dec 29), Mercer (Dec. 2), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Dec. 5), Tulsa (Dec. 14), Texas-Arlington (Dec. 17)

Toughness scale (1-10): 3 -- Not a lot of games on this docket that do much for the excite-o-meter. At least not when it comes to nonconference play. That’s probably a good thing for the Sooners, who may be in for a “transition year” following the loss to standouts such as Romero Osby, Steven Pledger, Andrew Fitzgerald and Amath M’Baye. Alabama will be tough to beat, but it’s certainly a game the Sooners could win. Lon Kruger’s squad will also be tested when it travels to Brooklyn for the Coaches vs. Cancer Tipoff. If Oklahoma gets by Seton Hall in the first round, it would likely play Michigan State the following night. Some media outlets have ranked the Spartans No. 1 entering the season.

OKLAHOMA STATE

Toughest: Memphis (Nov. 19), Old Spice Classic (Nov. 28-29, Dec. 1 in Orlando. Fla.), vs. Colorado (Dec. 21 in Las Vegas)
Next-toughest: at South Florida (Nov. 25), South Carolina (Dec. 6), vs. Louisiana Tech (Dec. 14 in Oklahoma City)
The rest: Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 8), Utah Valley (Nov. 12), Arkansas Pine-Bluff (Nov. 15), Delaware State (Dec. 17), Robert Morris (Dec. 30)

Toughness scale (1-10): 6 -- This is definitely an improvement from last season, when the Cowboys earned a ranking of “3” in this category. Like Oklahoma State, Memphis is a potential top-10 team with one of the top backcourts in the country. The two squads could actually end up meeting twice, as Memphis is also in the Old Spice Classic. Oklahoma State opens that tournament against Purdue and will face Butler or Washington State in the next round. Beating Colorado on a neutral court also won’t be easy, especially if talented Buffs guard Spencer Dinwiddie can neutralize Marcus Smart. It still would’ve been nice to see a few more high-profile games -- and a few more true road contests -- for a team that features three potential first-round NBA draft picks.

TCU

Toughest: vs. SMU (Nov. 8 in Dallas), at Washington State (Nov. 24)
Next-toughest: Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 27, 29-30), at Mississippi State (Dec. 5)
The rest: Longwood (Nov. 12), Abilene Christian (Nov. 19), Texas Pan-American (Dec. 15), Grambling State (Dec. 19), Tulsa (Dec. 21), Texas Southern (Dec. 29)

Toughness scale (1-10): 3 -- This would be a terrible schedule for a program that was experiencing a moderate amount of success. But considering TCU won just two Big 12 games last season, this is the perfect slate for the Horned Frogs as they try to rebuild. Second-year coach Trent Johnson didn’t schedule the type of Top-25 squads that will shatter his team's confidence. But he also didn't produce a schedule so weak that it wouldn’t challenge his team as it continues to grow. SMU could contend for an NCAA tournament berth and, even though Washington State has struggled in recent seasons, Pullman is a difficult place to play. Tulsa and Texas Southern are both solid teams, and Mississippi State was making huge strides at the end of last season.

TEXAS

Toughest: CBE Classic (Nov. 25-26 in Kansas City), at Temple (Dec. 7), at North Carolina (Dec. 18), Michigan State (Dec. 21)
Next-toughest: Mercer (Nov. 8), Vanderbilt (Dec. 2)
The rest: Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 15), UT-Arlington (Nov. 29), Texas State (Dec. 14), Rice (Dec. 30)

Toughness scale (1-10): 8 -- Rick Barnes always puts together one of the toughest schedules in the country, and this season is no exception. Michigan State is an NCAA title contender, North Carolina could open the season in the top 10, and Temple is never easy to beat on the road. The Longhorns will also play high-scoring BYU in the CBE Classic, and with a win, would likely be pitted against Final Four participant Wichita State in the title game. But Texas lost its top four scorers from last seasons’s 16-18 squad and didn’t recruit as well as it has in years past. In other words, this is the worst possible season to be playing such a grueling schedule. It’ll be interesting to see if the Longhorns (and Barnes) can survive.

TEXAS TECH

Toughest: at Alabama (Nov. 14), at Arizona (Dec. 3), LSU (Dec. 18), at Arizona State (Dec. 21)
Next-toughest: South Dakota State (Nov. 21), Legends Classic (Nov. 25-26 in Brooklyn, N.Y.)
The rest: Houston Baptist (Nov. 8), Northern Arizona (Nov. 11), Texas Southern (Nov. 18), Texas-San Antonio (Nov. 29), Central Arkansas (Dec. 15), Mount St. Mary’s (Dec. 30)

Toughness scale (1-10): 8 -- First-year coach Tubby Smith can’t be pleased with the schedule he inherited from former Red Raiders coach Chris Walker. This is way too difficult of a slate for a program that’s in rebuilding mode. It clearly wasn’t thought out well at all. True road games against Alabama, Arizona and Arizona State and a home tilt with a vastly improved LSU squad? That’s a daunting chore, especially considering TTU is in the Legends Classic with quality opponents such as Pittsburgh, Stanford and Houston. Texas Tech returns nearly all of its key pieces from last season and could make some huge strides under Smith. Unfortunately, the Red Raiders’ confidence could take a hit before Big 12 play ever begins.

WEST VIRGINIA

Toughest: at Missouri (Dec. 5), Gonzaga (Dec. 10), Purdue (Dec. 22)
Next-toughest: at Virginia Tech (Nov. 12), Cancun Challenge (Nov. 26-27), vs. Marshall (Dec. 14 in Charleston, W. Va.)
The rest: Mount St. Mary’s (Nov. 8), Duquesne (Nov. 17), Georgia Southern (Nov. 21), Presbyterian (Nov. 23), Loyola (Dec. 2), William & Mary (Dec. 29 in Charleston, W. Va.)

Toughness scale (1-10): 6 -- The 2012-13 season was one of the worst of Bob Huggins’ career, but the Mountaineers are hoping a standout recruiting class led by power forwards Devin Williams and Elijah Macon -- as well as the return of leading scorer Eron Harris -- helps change their fortunes. There are certainly some opportunities to build confidence early. Missouri and Gonzaga are both incorporating new pieces and may not be crisp in early December. Purdue should be improved, but West Virginia will have revenge on its mind after last season’s 79-52 embarrassment in West Lafayette, Ind. West Virginia opens the Cancun Challenge against Old Dominion and could play Wisconsin the following day.

After Week 2, there is one big riser and one big faller in this week’s Big 12 power rankings:

1. Oklahoma State (2-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week: 1): So much for the notion J.W. Walsh can’t pass. The dual-threat quarterback set an Oklahoma State single-game completion percentage record and threw more touchdown passes than incompletions. Walsh has the ninth-best QBR in college football, and he’s a major reason the Pokes keep the top spot.

2. Baylor (2-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week: 4): It’s one thing to beat Wofford and Buffalo. It’s quite another to completely destroy both of them. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Baylor has 16 touchdown drives of two minutes or less, the most of any offense in the country. The Bears are also averaging 47 points … per first half.

3. Oklahoma (2-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week: 2): The Sooners take a step back despite the West Virginia win because of the uncertainty at quarterback. The good news is that the defense and run game look much improved. But the Sooners can’t win the Big 12 without a viable passing attack, right?

4. TCU (1-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week: 5): TCU’s QB situation has been resolved by Casey Pachall’s broken arm. The Frogs have been more efficient with Trevone Boykin at QB, but he’ll have to do it for four quarters beginning Thursday night in Lubbock against Texas Tech.

5. Texas Tech (2-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week: 6): Baker Mayfield has been spectacular through two games, with seven touchdowns, no interceptions and a 71 percent completion percentage. But Mayfield will be tested for the first time against an aggressive TCU defense that will be welcoming defensive end Devonte Fields back into the starting lineup.

6. West Virginia (1-1, 0-1 Big 12, last week: 7): Oklahoma’s quarterback woes overshadowed the Mountaineers’ stingy defensive performance in Norman. The West Virginia offense, however, continues to sputter, especially through the air. How long will Dana Holgorsen stick with Paul Millard over Clint Trickett if this continues?

7. Texas (1-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week: 3): The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire.

8. Kansas State (1-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week: 8): Bill Snyder’s bunch bounced back with a nice performance over one of the Sun Belt’s better teams in Louisiana-Lafayette. Maybe the Wildcats are better off using two quarterbacks, as Jake Waters (278 yards passing) and Daniel Sams (63 yards rushing) got the offense moving in different ways.

9. Kansas (1-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week: 10): Justin McCay made good on his vow to end the Kansas receiver scoreless catch streak, and the Jayhawks handled South Dakota after a shaky first quarter. Next up? A tricky road trip to Rice, which figures to reveal where exactly this Kansas defense is.

10. Iowa State (0-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week: 9): Kansas won its FCS opener. Iowa State did not. But the Cyclones could jump-start their season next weekend. Take home the Cy-Hawk Trophy for a third straight season, and nobody in Ames will be talking about Northern Iowa.