Oklahoma University has lost two games in a row now in the regular season, something that hasn’t happened to their program in over 20 years. First defeated by Kansas State, and then by Iowa State, many college football fans can’t help but wonder what the future holds for this team. This normally wouldn’t be a big deal for most teams, but for OU, it is.

Stats

The OU vs Iowa State matchup goes all the way back to 1928, where Iowa State won the first game 13-0. However, although ISU won the first game, their record vs OU is 7-76, with 2 ties. That’s a win percentage of less than 10% for ISU. Furthermore, OU also lost to Kansas State, the second year in a row. OU has only lost to Kansas State 21 times, 5 of which have been in the last 20 years.

Lincoln Riley, the OU head coach has been with the program since 2017, with an overall record of  37-8. During 2017, 2018, and 2019, OU went 12-2, every season. However, they lost all three of their bowl games every year. It’s no doubt they’ve been a good team, but are they still?

Rest of the Season

The next game they have is against Texas University. ESPN currently has a 67% chance of victory for the Longhorns, which means they’re predicting a 1-3 start for OU. This could be devastating for them, not only because a 25% win percentage is on track to miss a bowl game, but also because this is a rivalry. Oklahoma’s record vs UT is currently 48-62 (with five ties), however, many of Texas’ wins came before the 1950’s.

Looking past UT, OU still has a tough schedule ahead of them. On the 21 of November, they will face off against Oklahoma State University. Not only a rival, but OSU is also currently ranked #10 in the nation. They haven’t ranked this high since 2008, when they were #7 for a bit (but finished the year #16).

Next Big XII Powerhouse?

With Oklahoma off to the start they’re at, I can’t help but wonder who the new best Big XII team will be, if any. Last year, besides OU, Baylor was the next best team in the Big XII, since they made it to the Big XII Championship and lost. However, when Baylor lost their head coach, Matt Rhule, their program took another hit. So who’s it going to be?

3. Oklahoma

Realistically, it’s too soon to write them off just yet. Both teams they lost to were good teams, and the losses weren’t by much. The next game against Texas though will be huge. If Oklahoma can get the win, this will not only boost their confidence, but show they can still face off ranked opponents. However, if they lose, three in a row can be devastating, and it may be a rough season.

2. Oklahoma State University

From one Oklahoma team to another, OSU has looked really strong so far. 3-0, OSU is undefeated, and currently ranked #10 in the nation.  Coming off a strong 47-7 win against Kansas, OSU has a bye this week, and will play Baylor the week after. The week before Kansas, they played West Virginia, and snagged a 27-13 win against them. So if OSU is #10 in the nation, who could be the next Big XII Powerhouse?

1. Kansas State

Yep, Kansas state. Despite being 2-1,  K-State has what it takes to be the best. For one, they’ve beaten Oklahoma…twice. Not only last year, when they were home, but also this year, at Norman, Oklahoma. Despite them having a questionable start against Arkansas State, they’ve really come together to put on a good performance against OU and Texas Tech.

Several other Big XII teams look solid as well, such as UT and Iowa State, but in the end, I don’t believe they have what it takes to be the next Big XII Champion. However, only time will tell, and nothing is for certain except one thing: It’s sure going to be a wild ride.

* This article was published October 9, 2020, before Saturday week 6 games were played