Big 12 Power Poll – Week 2: Baylor Bears on the Rise

Published: 7^th Sep 11 7:41 pm

by Jake Keyes
bravesooner

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Big 12 Power Poll – Week 2: Baylor Bears on the Rise

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The Big 12 is getting plenty of attention from the rest of the country. Unfortunately, it’s for what’s happening off the field.

Meanwhile, on the field, some pretty impressive football is being played. Here’s how the 2nd edition of the Big 12 Power Poll shakes out.

1.) OKLAHOMA - The Sooner offense was impressive as expected even without Kenny Stills and a walk-on running the ball. The defense shutdown a Tulsa offense that averaged over 40 pts a year ago and has consistently been among the nations best over the past 5 years. After a week off, a true test will await in Tallahassee.

2.) OKLAHOMA STATE - QB Brandon Weeden may have thrown 3 INT’s to a lackluster Louisiana Lafayette defense, but nobody is worried about the Cowboy offense. Defensively, defensive coordinator Bill Young’s squad was actually pretty solid. Two of those INT’s turned into pick 6′s, which added to the 34 points on the scoreboard.

3.) TEXAS A&M - If you were thinking all the drama off the field would be a distraction for the Aggies, you can forget about it. SMU was no contest for a Texas A&M team that proved to be both focused on both sides of the ball. 10 points to open the second half and put away the Mustangs was proof of that focus.

4.) BAYLOR - The Bears got some much needed exposure for their program and their star QB Robert Griffin III on Friday night with their win over #14 TCU. Baylor climbs one spot because they have one of the best QB’s in the Big 12 and they own the most impressive victory in the league.

5.) TEXAS - The Longhorns moved up in the poll mostly because of what Missouri DIDN’T do rather than what the DID do. The Longhorns took care of an over-matched Rice team, but that’s what they are supposed to do. They didn’t disappoint on opening day for the Longhorn Network, but they didn’t really impress anyone either.

6.) TEXAS TECH - There were two questions facing the Red Raiders going into the first week. Could Tommy Tubberville continue the Tech tradition of producing system quarterbacks? And, will the defense ever stop anyone? Junior QB Seth Doege was impressive with 326 yards in the air with 3 TD’s and no picks. As for the defense, only allowing 10 points looks impressive, but Texas State was able to rush for 256 yards and gained 21 first downs. The 11 turnovers kept the Bobcats from lighting up the scoreboard. Although, you have to give Tech some credit for those TO’s.

7.) MISSOURI - Before the season’s first game, most thought the Tigers were coming in a little underrated. After struggling to put points on the board against Miami (OH), it looks like Missouri may have a hard time keeping up with the offensive powerhouses in the Big 12.

8.) KANSAS - The Jayhawks may have climbed out of the cellar, but that doesn’t mean fans in Lawrence aren’t ready for basketball season to get started. Kansas gets the edge over only because they were able to dominate McNeese State. K-State and Iowa State weren’t as impressive.

9.) KANSAS STATE - The only thing the Wildcats have over the Cyclones is, well, nothing. You can probably just rotate the two into the bottom spot each week. There is some hope in that Bill Snyder knows how to turn a loser into a winner.

10.) IOWA STATE - The Cyclones are last only because it’s their turn. A one point victory in come from behind fashion over Northern Iowa won’t do anything to make their fans feel better about possibly being left out of the conference realignment game.