Greg McElroy ranks Top 4 teams in Big 12 after Week 2
It’s an exciting year for Big 12 football with new teams joining the conference and still several unknowns just two weeks in. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy tried to break it down in a recent episode of his podcast, Always College Football, where he ranked the league’s top four teams.
A contender in the mix, Kansas dropped out of the AP Poll Top 25 this week after a 23-17 loss to Illinois. The Jayhawks were picked fourth in the preseason Big 12 media poll, so that left open a spot for McElroy to slide in a new team.
The ESPN analyst ultimately chose Iowa State as a team that earned itself top four consideration after its performance in a rivalry game against Iowa in Week 2. Arizona did not make McElroy’s top four but will be a dangerous team as well with Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan on offense.
You can view the full ranking from McElroy, beginning with his No. 1 team, below.
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1. Utah Utes (2-0)
Utah took care of business to take down Baylor by a score of 23-12 in its Big 12 opener on Saturday. However, the Utes did not get out without suffering an injury scare that forced starting quarterback Cam Rising to miss the entire second half.
Utah led 23-3 at halftime and leaned on its defense and running back Micah Bernard to hang on for the win despite going scoreless in the third and fourth quarters. The Utes were picked to win the Big 12 this offseason and looked the part early before Rising got hurt. They’ll hope the quarterback can stay healthy to keep them as the favorites.
2. Iowa State Cyclones (2-0)
McElroy came away impressed with how the Cyclones moved the ball against a tough Iowa defense Saturday to claim the Cy-Hawk Trophy in a narrow 20-19 victory. Quarterback Rocco Becht stole the show to throw for 272 yards and two touchdowns to one interception.
Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins give him two elite weapons in the passing game, having combined for 26 catches for 411 yards and four touchdowns in the first two games. With Matt Campbell in his ninth year as the Iowa State coach, the Cyclones have a shot to make some noise as a dark horse candidate for the conference crown.
3. Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-0)
Oklahoma State finished as Big 12 runner up in 2023 and returned 18 starters from that team. However, the Cowboys have some serious questions after needing double overtime to escape Arkansas this past weekend, 39-31.
OSU struggled to create room for star running back Ollie Gordon, who ended his day with 49 yards on 17 carries. It also saw linebacker Collin Oliver, the leader of the defense, go down with a season-ending injury. The Pokes will need to figure out a plan to replace him, but the talent and experience they have on both offense and defense should keep them in the league race.
4. Kansas State Wildcats (2-0)
K-State kept it a little too close for comfort this past week against Tulane before using a scoop-and-score to pull away for the 34-27 win. The Wildcats were picked to finish second in the conference during preseason, but their fourth-place spot on McElroy’s list indicates they have some work to do.
Sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson has looked solid in his first season as the full-time starter with 334 yards passing and four touchdowns to one interception. The Wildcats also have running back DJ Giddens back after he rushed for more than 1,000 yards this past season. The pieces are there, and we’ll see what Kansas State is made of when it opens conference play against Arizona on Friday.