ESPN College Football

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.

Oklahoma earned the best win by any Big 12 team this season with a 35-21 victory over Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., jumping over Baylor to become the Big 12 favorite. But the Bears will have their say when OU visits Waco, Texas, on Nov. 7. Oklahoma State falls to the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl after its upset loss to West Virginia. Still plenty of games to play, so don't be surprised to see some team improve its bowl projection significantly as October progresses.

Here are the Big 12 bowl projections after Week 5:

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. BCS at-large

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. SEC No. 3/4

Valero Alamo Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Pac-12 No. 2

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Big Ten No. 4/5

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: TCU vs. Pac-12 No. 3

Texas Bowl: Texas vs. Big Ten No. 6

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State vs. American No. 4

Heart of Dallas Bowl: West Virginia vs. Big Ten No. 7

Before the season began it was clear the Big 12 Conference title race would be wide open. Four weeks into the season, it’s even more clear. Oklahoma State remains the favorite, Baylor has looked dominant, Oklahoma is improving and Texas Tech has been the surprise of the league. Yet, the majority of the league is still in the race.

Best game: The reality is there hasn’t been a great game involving a Big 12 team thus far, unless you want to count Kansas’ 13-10 win over Louisiana Tech on a last-second field goal. But Texas’ 31-21 win over Kansas State on Sept. 21 was intriguing due to all the distractions surrounding the Longhorns’ program. UT responded with a win to start off conference play in a game that was probably the most entertaining Big 12 game this season.

Best player: Bryce Petty runs away with this one. The Baylor quarterback has been outstanding through three games, completing 50 of 67 passes for 1,001 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. And he has done it while throwing eight combined passes in the second half of three games. Many question the Bears' competition as they have rattled off 209 points in three games. But isn’t that what championship-caliber offenses should do to inferior opponents?

Best performance: J.W. Walsh was a monster for Oklahoma State in the Cowboys’ 56-35 win over Texas-San Antonio on Sept. 7. The sophomore quarterback was 24-of-27 for 326 yards with four touchdowns and added another score on the ground. He was brutally efficient while finishing with a 98.1 Total QBR and earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. Nine different receivers caught passes from Walsh against UTSA as OSU showed its passing game wasn’t going anywhere following a run-heavy offensive performance in its win over Mississippi State to start the season. KSU’s Tyler Lockett has a case here with his 13-catch, 237-yard performance against UT, but that outstanding individual effort doesn't lessen the pain of the loss.

Best surprise: Wreck ‘em. There wasn’t much expected from Texas Tech in coach Kliff Kingsbury’s first season. The Red Raiders didn’t get the message, saying “Why not us, why not now?” with their 4-0 start to the season, including a win over TCU. True freshman quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb have both played a key role in the Red Raiders’ quick start, but their defense has been the overlooked foundation of their success. It is allowing 4.6 yards per play, ranking third in the Big 12.

Biggest disappointment: Every season we hear about how much Texas has improved. This season was no different. But the Longhorns have been a disappointment yet again with an embarrassing loss at BYU and a home defeat at the hands of Ole Miss. Those two performances are so bad people forget the Longhorns almost opened the season by trailing New Mexico State at halftime before a couple of late first-half touchdowns. Now, even after their impressive win over K-State, a season-ending injury to linebacker Jordan Hicks and lingering concerns about David Ash’s head have put a damper on a terrific Saturday in Austin. Disappointing is a perfect word for UT’s start.

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.

There’s finally a reason for Mack Brown to smile in Austin, Baylor continued to dominate, and things look like they could get ugly in Morgantown. It’s very possible West Virginia doesn’t sniff a bowl game, but Iowa State and Kansas don’t look like world-beaters either.

Here are the Big 12 bowl projections after Week 4:

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. BCS at-large

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. SEC No. 3/4

Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Pac-12 No. 2

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Big Ten No. 4/5

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: TCU vs. Pac-12 No. 3

Texas Bowl: Texas vs. Big Ten No. 6

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State vs. American No. 4

Heart of Dallas Bowl: West Virginia vs. Big Ten No. 7

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.

Recognizing the best and brightest from around the Big 12 in Week 4:

RB Johnathan Gray, Texas

Texas needed the sophomore more than ever against Kansas State, especially when David Ash was sidelined for the second half with concussion-related symptoms, and Gray delivered. He put up a career-best 141 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 28 carries in the 31-21 win. The Longhorns trusted their workhorse and he came up big.

WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State

Lockett put on a show against Texas with a whopping 237 receiving yards on 13 catches. That’s the second-best receiving day in the country this season behind Mike Evans' 279 yards last week vs. Alabama. Lockett had catches of 47, 22, 31 and 52 yards and also contributed a 40-yard kick return. He was unstoppable on Saturday.

Baylor Defense

Baylor has one of the best offenses in the country with several guys who are worthy of Helmet Stickers. But isn’t it time to give a little love to that Bears defense? Baylor racked up eight tackles for loss and intercepted three passes in a 70-7 win over Louisiana-Monroe, and two of those picks were returned for touchdowns of 41 and 63 yards, respectively. We’ll see how the defense holds up against better Big 12 competition, but so far so good.

K Matthew Wyman, Kansas

Let’s give some props to the guy who ended Kansas’ 22-game losing streak against FBS opponents. It wasn’t just that Wyman made the game-winning field goal with time expiring to beat Louisiana Tech 13-10 -- don’t forget the degree of difficulty. Wyman connected from 52 yards, causing the Jayhawks to storm the field. Big kick, big win.

QB Davis Webb, Texas Tech

Webb relieved a struggling Baker Mayfield and threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-7 rout of Texas State, one that probably reopens the discussion of who should be starting under center for the Red Raiders. Honorable mention to Kerry Hyder for his decision to pitch his fumble recovery and create a 9-yard touchdown return. Way to be selfless, Kerry.

AUSTIN, Texas – Even after a must-win game over the defending Big 12 champion, Texas coach Mack Brown wasn’t ready to celebrate just yet. But surely he’s breathing a deep sigh of relief after this one, right?

“I’m not there yet,” he said. “Not there yet.”

It’s safe to say the significance of Texas’ 31-21 win over Kansas State isn’t lost on him. Nobody needed a win on Saturday more than Brown and Texas.

Many will knock Kansas State and say Texas just beat a team that had lost to an FCS school. Big whoop. Some will go a step further and laugh at Texas for celebrating a win over Kansas State, calling it a sign of the times if that’s the Longhorns' standard.

But Texas has every reason to overreact to a win over the Wildcats, its first since 2003. The Longhorns were entering season-on-the-brink territory. Win or fall apart. Frustrated players, angry fans, wild rumors. Lose this game and it all gets a whole lot worse, and we start questioning how Texas will even get to six wins.

Brown needed this to stave off all the negativity, to send a message that the season isn’t over.

“We had to get this game tonight. We had to get back on the right track,” Brown said. “I don’t think this team will let up, I really don’t.”

Ever the optimist, Brown can point to plenty of things he saw Saturday night that reinforce his belief in this team. His veteran offensive line finally began playing up to its potential in paving the way for 227 rushing yards, including 141 and two scores from Johnathan Gray.

"This was a crucial step for us to get things turned around, and it is a great feeling to get that accomplished and know that we are back on the right track," senior guard Trey Hopkins said.

And that maligned Texas defense, that one that was as porous as any in the country through three games, at last showed progress in Week 2 of the Greg Robinson regime. Holding Kansas State to 115 yards on the ground is tangible, unmistakable progress.

Somehow, the Longhorns overcame losing quarterback David Ash at halftime to concussion-related symptoms and linebacker Jordan Hicks in the second half to a sprained ankle.

The laundry list of Texas starters who are injured keeps growing, but the team has a week off before traveling to Iowa State for a Thursday night showdown.

More than anything, Texas just needed positive energy and momentum. The two losses made Brown and his team a national punching bag. Everyone got in their shots. Much of the chatter wasn’t unfair.

What Texas did to Kansas State won’t shut everyone up, but it’s a start. Brown tried his best to block out the negativity, but he let his players deal with it however they pleased.

“I actually said to those guys what I’ve said to you all: Handle it any way you want to, but beat Kansas State,” Brown said. “The rest of it doesn’t matter. If it bothers you, don’t look at it. If you enjoy drama, look at it. It’s up to you.”

Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat has argued for weeks that this would be a player-led team. Texas was playing without six injured starters, and its players embraced a next-man-up mentality.

“I give all the credit to the players. This week was a tough week, obviously,” offensive coordinator Major Applewhite said. “We lost, lot of criticism, lot of chances to kind of get rabbit ears. But everybody put their nose to the grindstone and worked.”

The fourth-quarter stops and turnovers are a sign this season can get better. Leaning on and trusting the run game when Ash exited was a sign. Ending three straight years of futility against K-State was a sign, too.

There are reasons -- not many, but a few -- to believe Texas can eventually become the team it was hyped up to be. Brown saw that on Saturday.

“This is part of the team that I expected to see and expect to see for the rest of the year,” Brown said. “This can be a really good football team before we finish.”

It’s just one win. The intense scrutiny probably won’t dissipate much. But the toxic cloud over Brown’s program lifted for one night. Now would be a good time to exhale.

Max Olson previews Saturday's Big 12 opener between Kansas State and Texas.

Jake Trotter and Max Olson preview Saturday's Kansas State-Texas showdown (Saturday, 8 ET - ABC) and if West Virginia can put it together against Maryland.

It’s a light week in the Big 12 with Kansas State’s trip to Austin, Texas, as the highlight matchup in the conference this weekend. West Virginia has an intriguing nonconference battle with Maryland while several conference squads have a bye week.

Here is what to watch in the Big 12 this week.

Texas looking to get back on track against Kansas State. Longhorns coach Mack Brown is trying to ignore the distractions while begging the UT fans to come out on Saturday and support his downtrodden squad. It’s tough to imagine the Longhorns getting off to a worse start, but their destiny remains in their hands. If they win on Saturday, they’ll be on the road to getting things back on track. If they lose to the Wildcats, all hope could be lost.

Is K-State back on track? The Wildcats suffered one of the biggest upsets of the season when the defending Big 12 champions fell to North Dakota State in Week 1. KSU responded with 20-plus-point wins over Louisiana-Lafayette and Massachusetts in the past two weeks, but the Wildcats still have to prove they can be Big 12 contenders. A strong showing -- and a win -- in Austin could provide a lot of momentum heading into the heart of Big 12 play.

Is Childress the real deal? The West Virginia quarterback was impressive in his first start, getting the Mountaineers’ offense clicking for the first time in 2013. Ford Childress was 25-of-41 for 359 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, but WVU coach Dana Holgorsen was more impressed with Childress’ cool demeanor and ability to manage the offense and interact with his teammates. Will the redshirt freshman perform even better against Maryland?

Can Baylor’s Petty continue his offensive efficiency? The Bears’ quarterback tops the nation with a total QBR of 98.3. Bryce Petty has eight incompletions in two games with zero interceptions and 11 completions of 20 yards or more. It’s been an incredible starting debut for the junior quarterback. Louisiana-Monroe is the next defense set to challenge Petty and the Bears’ offense.

Texas Tech must not suffer a letdown. The Red Raiders are off to a 3-0 start, including a Big 12 conference win over TCU last Thursday. When Texas State arrives in Lubbock, Texas, the Red Raiders will have to avoid any kind of letdown. If we’ve learned anything from the first three weeks, it’s that teams must be ready to play against lesser opponents or they’re likely to struggle or even lose to a team they paid to come to their home stadium.

Can Kansas surpass its 2012 win total after three games? The Jayhawks are 1-1 heading into their game against Louisiana Tech after finishing the 2012 season at 1-11. Last season they won their first game and didn’t win another. Can they change that trend when they host Louisiana Tech on Saturday?

Can Texas stop the run? The Longhorns might have answered this question already. And it’s a resounding no. Yet they’ll get another chance against the Wildcats. KSU is going to run the football with running back John Hubert and quarterback Daniel Sams, who might be the most dynamic running quarterback in the conference.

The Big 12 has been very average in nonconference play. WVU can help turn that around with a win over Maryland. True enough it’s not a major strike for the league in terms of national perception, but a loss would be yet another nonconference dent in the Big 12’s armor. The more wins over BCS conference opponents the better for the Big 12.

Is there a quarterback controversy in Lubbock? Baker Mayfield was outstanding in the Red Raiders’ first two wins but struggled against TCU. Davis Webb stepped in to lead TTU to a victory over the Horned Frogs. Although Mayfield remains the starter, Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury probably won’t hesitate to turn to Webb if Mayfield struggles again.

Will Baylor continue to look like the Big 12’s most impressive team? The Bears have been dominant and relentless in their first two wins over Wofford and Buffalo, but face their toughest test of the season in ULM. It’s an opportunity to compare scores as well since the Warhawks opened the season with a 34-0 loss at Oklahoma.

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

Brad Edwards previews the two games on primetime Saturday with Michigan visiting UConn and Kansas State at Texas.

Texas is crumbling, Oklahoma appears to be on the right track, Texas Tech has surprised and Oklahoma State remains the favorite. Here are some things that are ailing the Big 12 and some cures for those ailments:

What’s ailing the Big 12

Losing to FCS teams. After a summer in which Big 12 coaches touted the overall depth of the conference, Iowa State and Kansas State -- both bowl teams in 2012 -- lost to FCS opponents in Week 1. West Virginia escaped with a late win over FCS opponent William and Mary. Big 12 teams already have lost seven nonconference games, including against Ole Miss (over Texas), LSU (over TCU) and Iowa (over Iowa State).

The cure

Don’t talk about it, be about it. Oklahoma State did knock off Mississippi State and OU gets a shot at Notre Dame on Sept. 28, so all is not lost. But the league’s reputation has taken a hit.

On to Part II:

What’s ailing the Big 12

Lack of defense. The Big 12 has a reputation for poor defense. While nobody in the league likes that reputation, nobody’s done much to change it during nonconference play. The league average is 19.3 points and 384.5 yards allowed per game against FBS schools during the first three weeks of the season. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have had strong single-game performances, but no Big 12 defense looks dominant.

The cure

Is there one? Things aren’t going to get any easier for Big 12 defenses when conference play begins. All is not lost for Big 12 defensive coordinators, however, because several Big 12 squads remain riddled with uncertainty at quarterback. This isn’t the Big 12 of old when defenses had to slow Robert Griffin III one week, then deal with Brandon Weeden the next. So there’s hope for Big 12 defenses. But based on the first three weeks, don’t hold your breath.

Part III:

What’s ailing the Big 12

Fluid quarterback situations. The season is 3 weeks old, yet 22 quarterbacks on Big 12 teams have thrown at least one pass this season, and 17 of them are in double digits in pass attempts. Blowouts have played a role in those numbers, but 15 quarterbacks have started a game in the 10-team league. Meanwhile, Oklahoma, West Virginia, TCU and Oklahoma State already are pinning their futures on the shoulders of a quarterback who didn’t take the first snap of the 2013 season.

The cure

Better quarterback play. Oklahoma State's J.W. Walsh, Oklahoma’s Blake Bell and West Virginia’s Ford Childress appeared to have upgraded their team’s offenses when they took over. TCU’s Trevone Boykin has a ton of talent, but he hasn’t become the run-pass threat he should be to this point. And Texas ... they’ve got other problems.

Part IV:

What’s ailing the Big 12

What happened to RG III, Tavon Austin, etc? There seems to be a lack of star power in the league. Stars were expected to emerge early this season, but they’ve been few and far between. Several standouts such as Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk, Kansas’ James Sims and Oklahoma State's Josh Stewart have performed well, but supplemental stars haven't emerged. Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty is showing good signs and several other players have had strong single-game performances. But the lack of legitimate game-changing performers is a surprise.

The cure

Time will tell. Petty, Oklahoma's Bell, TCU’s B.J. Catalon and others have the shown the potential to be stars, but the difference between stars and good players is pretty simple. Stars play like stars. Every single week. No excuses.

And finally, Part V:

What’s ailing the Big 12

Nobody has been challenged. Oklahoma State, Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas Tech are the current favorites to win the conference. Now, which from that foursome has recorded the best victories so far? Oklahoma State's victory over Mississippi State leads the pack, followed by Texas Tech’s win over TCU. Do we really know anything about these favorites? And what about Texas, West Virginia, Kansas State and TCU? It’s not crazy to think they can recover and insert themselves in the Big 12 race. (Sorry, Kansas and Iowa State, but you’ll have to prove it on the field.)

The cure

Conference play. We’ll start to learn how good Baylor and Petty really are in October. And the same can be said for a host of Big 12 teams and players. True favorites will start to separate themselves and pretenders will fall by the wayside. Some players with potential will blossom into stars, and other potential standouts will continue to flash some upside, but lack consistency. Should be a fun October.