Colorado took down Georgia Tech 14-13.

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A full slate of Big 12 action is now complete. Wild results and dominant performances sprouted throughout the first week. A program along the wild Colorado River has been revitalized, the hot seats burn brighter in North Texas, and the Cowboy is thrown around by a Golden Hurricane. If this week was a three-course meal, consider this the dessert.

TCU Downed in Ireland

Sonny Dykes’ Horned Frogs entered the Dublin season opener as favorites, but Harvard transfer Jaden Craig and the offense stalled out the entirety of the second half. Even with a couple of big plays, the offense remained totally stagnant, failing to move into the red zone.

Additionally, Craig was sacked three times, and the special teams did zero favors, with a botched snap turning into a safety, in which UNC would take the lead and never look back. TCU left Ireland 0-1, and Dykes left with heavy scrutiny on the job he’s done since 2022. As the Frogs begin play on U.S. soil following their bye week, the staff needs to clean up the aftermath of the brutal defeat and pick back up before the conference schedule begins.

Coach Prime and the Buffs Win a Classic in Atlanta

Deion Sanders and Colorado were underdogs going into the first Power 4 nonconference game of Week 1 Thursday evening. With a team touted for its transfer class on offense, it was Coach Prime’s defense that stole the show. Monmouth transfer edge rusher Lamont Lester Jr. had himself a day, recording three sacks against Alberto Mendoza. The rock-solid rush defense held star tailback Justice Haynes to 64 rushing yards on 19 carries.

With the help of the defense the entire game, quarterback Julian Lewis strung together a game-winning drive, capping it off with a touchdown pass to tight end Charlie Williams. Mendoza and the Yellowjackets immediately marched into field-goal range, but special teams completed the night with a blocked field goal as time expired.

Such an inspired victory early in the season will be huge for the Buffs. Once the offense picks up with a slew of talented receivers, Sanders’ team will enter the conversation as a dark-horse Big 12 candidate. Watch out, it’s Prime Time, and football in Boulder looks inspired again.

Utah, Arizona State Have Not Lost a Step

There was reason to believe that the Utes and Sun Devils would regress this season. Utah endures the challenge of losing Kyle Whittingham to Michigan. Luckily, their next hire happened to be his heir apparent, Morgan Scalley. Scalley returned a surprising amount of talent in Salt Lake City on both sides of the ball. The Utes rolled over an FCS power, Idaho, in the debut of Scalley. Quarterbacks Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin turned in efficient performances, and running back Wayshawn Parker put up a hat trick in a 66-14 victory. Utah looks to be a serious contender for the conference title.

Kenny Dillingham leads Arizona State into what is perceived to be a rebuilding year after the loss of Sam Leavitt to LSU, Raleek Brown to Texas, and Jordyn Tyson and other stars to the NFL. Instead, we just might see a reload into another contending team in Tempe. Starting quarterback Cutter Boley, a transfer from Kentucky, has all the physical tools to dominate in college football. Albeit against a subpar FCS team, Morgan State, Boley had an incredible game, throwing for 387 yards and six passing touchdowns. The rushers also shared in the wealth, with four rushing touchdowns on the evening. One concerning thing to watch for is the defense’s zero turnovers. Nevertheless, Sparky’s looking to make noise this season.

Baylor Drops Heartbreaker to Auburn in Atlanta

The Bears needed this game to rejuvenate a stagnant program. Waco needed this game to inject life back into the town. Dave Aranda needed this game to build job security he so desperately covets. DJ Lagway needed this game to dispel lingering demons from his time as a Gator. Still, Baylor fell just a yard short.

The MVP of the game was the Baylor secondary, forcing Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown into an uncharacteristic three interceptions. Lagway, in his debut for the Bears, threw the ball a staggering 54 times, completing half of his passes with two touchdowns and an interception. Oklahoma State transfer Gavin Freeman amassed 154 receiving yards and scored a touchdown late in the game to cut the score to one point. Aranda held up two fingers, and coming out of a timeout, Lagway checked it to tight end Matthew Klopfenstein, who was met just before the goal line by Auburn safety Eric Winters, ending the game and leaving Baylor devastated.

As hard as it is to pick up from an emotional loss like that, Aranda and his staff still have a job to do: carry on through the rest of the schedule. Baylor is still a very talented team that could prove to be a tough game for any Big 12 title hopeful this season.

Eric Morris and Drew Mestemaker Fall Flat in Game One

Oklahoma State garnered a tremendous amount of hype over the offseason, with the core of the North Texas roster transferring to Stillwater, following head coach Eric Morris with one goal: to bring a lethal offense to the Big 12. Running back Caleb Hawkins would continue his superstar trajectory, and Mestemaker would challenge for the Heisman. Pokes fans filled Tulsa in anticipation of the first game of a brand-new era.

And then they lost, 24-10. Brutal.

Mestemaker did not at all look like himself at North Texas, throwing two picks and fumbling the ball once. Oklahoma State took a punch of epic proportions straight to the mouth. What made the loss more perplexing was that North Texas tore Tulsa up last season. Their performance was so bad that it could almost be thought of as an anomaly. For the sake of the Cowboys and their fans, let’s hope that’s the case.

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