It took one week for the Massive 12 to deliver just a bit extra strangeness to the 12 months 2020.

5-time defending convention champion Oklahoma opened league play with a surprising residence loss to Kansas State, maybe opening the door for one more program to lastly to step in and declare the title.

Iowa State, a rising program, can put Oklahoma’s season on the ropes Saturday when the Cyclones host the Sooners. Iowa State has been a thorn in Oklahoma’s aspect in recent times, beating the Sooners in 2017 and dropping to them by a degree in 2019.

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell acknowledges the good alternative his Cyclones have, however is aware of the Sooners and dynamic freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler are harmful.

”I feel the early a part of the faculty soccer season goes to be somewhat bit chaotic,” Campbell mentioned. ”However on the finish of the day, it nonetheless comes down to actually proficient gamers and actually good gamers. And I feel that is one of many issues about OU. Not solely are they going to have tremendous proficient gamers, however they’re actually well-coached — offensively, defensively, particular groups. And it is why they’ve had the success that they’ve had.”

Iowa State put itself in a very good place by opening its league slate with a 37-34 win at TCU.

Texas, with quarterback Sam Ehlinger, seems to have an opportunity to dethrone the Sooners. However the Longhorns barely escaped in opposition to Texas Tech final Saturday, overcoming a 15-point deficit within the final three minutes of regulation earlier than successful 63-56 in additional time.

Baylor opened Massive 12 play final Saturday with a 47-14 win over Kansas after having non-conference video games in opposition to Louisiana Tech and Houston known as off. The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the competitiveness of the convention ought to add further pleasure this fall.

”I feel all of these issues will lend itself to a really wild and presumably uncharted season,” first-year Baylor coach Dave Aranda mentioned. ” it for us, controlling what we are able to management, caring for little issues off the sector now greater than ever has as a lot to do with any success on the sector.”

Oklahoma is in acquainted territory. The Sooners misplaced to Texas in 2015, Iowa State in 2017, Texas in 2018 and Kansas State in 2019 and nonetheless gained the league annually.

However this loss felt totally different. Kansas State was a 28-point underdog, had misplaced its opener to Arkansas State and had its roster depleted by COVID-19. After the loss, the Sooners fell from No three to No. 18 within the AP ballot.

The Sooners have not given up on the season but.

”We’re very dissatisfied, however the resolve could be very sturdy,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley mentioned after the sport. ”We all know how to reply to a loss round right here, and we’ll do it, and it will take each single one among us.”

The Wildcats tried to not make too huge a deal of their second straight win over the Sooners, however they are going to take further confidence into Saturday’s residence sport in opposition to Texas Tech.

”It is one sport,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman mentioned. ”That is all it’s. It is a fantastic win and all these issues and stuff, however it’s only one win.”

Oklahoma State began convention play with a 27-13 win over West Virginia. However with all of the uncertainty, it is arduous for anybody to look too far forward.

”It is simply an uncommon 12 months that’s totally different than it ever has been so the blokes need to discover a approach to win the soccer sport and make sufficient performs,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy mentioned. ”We now have to maintain teaching simplicity with excessive reps and put the gamers able to win soccer video games.”

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Comply with Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP .

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Extra AP school soccer: http://collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Prime25 .