No. 3 Texas (5-0, 2-0)

Last week: W 38-14 vs. Colorado

This week: Oklahoma (in Dallas)

Texas finally dropped a spot in the national rankings, but the Longhorns still have control of their national title hopes, as one of the two SEC teams ahead of them will have to lose at some point this season, when they play each other.

 The Longhorns have gotten into the habit of playing poorly early in games, especially against lesser opponents. They continued that trend this weekend against Colorado.

The Buffaloes took a 14-3 lead over Texas late in the second quarter before the Longhorns ran off 35 straight points, burying Colorado and remaining undefeated. The Longhorns will likely need a better showing in the first half against defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma.

Oklahoma will be the first ranked team to play Texas this season, and although they had a little bit of trouble early, a healthy Sam Bradford will make this game just as competitive as everybody was expecting coming into the season.

Texas Tech (4-2, 1-1)

Last week: W 66-14 vs. Kansas State

This week: at No. 15 Nebraska (4-1, 1-0)

The Red Raiders have responded well to their two-game losing streak, winning the next two convincingly. Playing without starting quarterback Taylor Potts proved to be no problem as back-up Steven Sheffield was on fire with 490 yards passing and seven touchdowns and just one interception in his first start. This week, the Red Raiders will face the famous black-shirt defense, which, after a couple of years off, seems to have returned with authority.

Nebraska has the number two scoring defense in the country, allowing just eight points per game, making the Huskers the closest thing in the Big 12 to an immovable object.

The Red Raiders are currently second in the nation in passing yards, total yards and scoring offense — an unstoppable force. What happens when they meet?

Texas A&M (3-2, 0-1)

Last week: L 36-31 vs. Oklahoma State

This week: at Kansas State

The Aggies got a rude awakening to the Big 12 portion of their schedule Saturday. Texas A&M’s offense struggled for the first time all season, gaining just 382 yards, more than 150 yards below their previous average.

Quarterback Jerrod Johnson had another solid game, however, throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns. 

He also set a Big 12 record, throwing 228 passes (and counting) without an interception.

The Aggies will have a chance to get back on track offensively this weekend against Kansas State, which looked vulnerable on defense, surrendering 66 points Saturday against Texas Tech.

Baylor Bears (3-2, 0-1)

Last Week: L 33-7

@ Oklahoma

This Week: @ Iowa State

The Bears just don’t have the same spark they did when Robert Griffin was taking snaps, and that lack of firepower has shown in their last two games.

A 16-point win over an awful Kent State team at home was a chance for third-string quarterback Nick Florence to settle into the offense, but the Bears could not move the ball against the speedy Oklahoma defense last week.

The Bears’ defense kept them in the ball game, forcing four Sooner field goals from inside 35 yards, or the score could have looked a lot worse.

The running game has to improve, and while the Griffin-replacement process isn’t complete, the passing game was the stronger weapon last week.

Baylor hasn’t lost to Iowa State since 2004, and the Bears will be looking to slow down a Cyclone offense that has found its legs recently.

No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners (3-2, 1-0)

Last week: W 33-7 vs. Baylor

This week: vs. Texas (in Dallas)

Sam Bradford showed up just in time for Big 12 play to start.

But is he really ready for a test like Texas’ defense will give him? Baylor’s defense is nifty, but the athletes the Longhorns put on the field are at a different level than a defense that gave up 33 points and 592 yards of total offense last week.

Texas’ defense has averaged just 15 points and 233 yards per game this season.

The Sooners have struggled to a 3-2 start, and, in all likelihood, will not extend their four-year streak as Big 12 Champions. However, if they beat

Bradford, and how he handles the stout Texas defense, will be the key for the Sooners to get back into the spotlight and regain some of the respect they lost in their two losses earlier this season.

No. 16 Oklahoma State (4-1, 1-0)

Last week: W 36-31 @ Texas A&M

This week: vs. Missouri (4-1, 0-1)

The loss of Dez Bryant for the time being (ruled ineligible by the NCAA for failing to disclose interaction with an NFL player) slows this high-powered offense, but at the same time, OSU has been without Bryant and superstar runner Kendall Hunter for much of the season already.

Now the Cowboys are back at home (for the fifth time in six games) and are preparing for a shootout with Missouri.

In the two games that Oklahoma State has been challenged so far this season, the Cowboys played competitively. They beat Georgia, then ranked No. 13, in week one, but lost to Houston just two weeks later.

If the Cowboys want to continue on their path toward being Big 12 South champions, they’ll have to win games like this one against the fast-paced Tigers.

No. 15 Nebraska

Cornhuskers (4-1, 1-0)

Last week: W 27-12 @ Missouri

This week: vs. Texas Tech (4-2, 1-1)

The Cornhuskers obliterated Missouri in the fourth quarter last week, going for 27 unanswered points in the rain to put away their biggest rival for the Big 12 North title.

Now they turn their attention to another high-powered offense in Mike Leach’s Texas Tech squad.

Ndamukong Suh has led the Nebraska defense all season and could terrorize Tech’s quarterback, be it Taylor Potts or Steven Sheffield.

The offense, led by running back Roy Helu, Jr., could also play keep away from the Tech offense. Helu is leading the Big 12 in rushing, just in front of Iowa State’s Alexander Robinson. Last week, Helu managed 88 yards on 18 carries to steady Nebraska’s offense in the rain in Columbia.

Colorado (1-4, 0-1)

Last week: L 38-14 @ Texas

This week: vs. No. 17 Kansas (5-0, 1-0)

Nursing a 14-10 lead at halftime last Saturday against No. 2 Texas, Colorado was on upset alert. But, as has been the case all year, the Buffaloes faltered, allowing Texas to storm back to earn a 38-14 victory.

Besides its early burst in the first half, the Colorado offense was rendered relatively helpless.

The Buffaloes totaled a minuscule 127 yards of total offense, which only padded Colorado’s position at the bottom of the Big 12 in offensive yardage.

Quarterback Cody Hawkins is yet to have a standout game this year as he went 6-for-18 and 68 yards. Hawkins leads the Big 12 in interceptions with nine — two of which came last Saturday.

The Buffaloes will have their hands full when they return home Saturday to take on the Big 12’s second-ranked offense — the Kansas Jayhawks.

No. 24 Missouri (4-1, 0-1)

Last week: L 27-12 vs. No. 1 Nebraska

This week: @ No. 16 Oklahoma State (4-1, 1-0)

After sailing through the non-conference portion of the season unscathed, Missouri received its first real challenge last Thursday against Big 12 North foe Nebraska.

For the first three quarters, the Tigers seemed to be responding well, holding onto a 12-0 lead. Held scoreless for three quarters, Nebraska’s offense sprang to life in the fourth quarter, racking up 27 unanswered points.

Tiger quarterback sensation Blaine Gabbert had his first error-riddled game of his career. Gabbert, the nation’s fourth-ranked passer entering the game, passed for a lowly 134 yards (17-for-34).

The sophomore quarterback also suffered his first two interceptions of his college career.

Missouri must recover in a hurry as the Tigers travel to Stillwater, Okla., this weekend to take on No. 16 Oklahoma State.

Kansas Jayhawks (5-0, 1-0)

Last Week: W 41-36 vs. Iowa State

This Week: @ Colorado (1-4, 0-1)

The Jayhawks survived a scare from the ISU offense last Saturday, making many around the conference question their ability to stay undefeated and on top of the Big 12 North.

Fortunately for the Jayhawk defense, quarterback Todd Reesing and his stable of receivers have looked unstoppable to start the season, and should be able to light up the scoreboard in the rest of their conference schedule.

Coach Mark Mangino said the defense lacked toughness against the Cyclones, and they’ll get a chance to improve just a bit more with a tune-up divisional game at improving Colorado.

The Colorado offense hasn’t scared anyone early this year, so if there is a shut-down game for Kansas to repair its image, this would be the chance in a hostile mile-high setting.

Kansas State Wildcats (3-3, 1-1)

Last Week: L 66-14 @ Texas Tech

This Week: vs. Texas A&M (3-2, 0-1)

A billboard on I-70 between Lawrence, Kan., and Kansas City, reads, “Because the Hall of Fame can wait.” It holds coach Bill Snyder’s image, but it’s clear after Saturday’s debacle in Lubbock that the rebuilding process “can wait,” because the Wildcats aren’t winning a conference title anytime soon.

While many Big 12 North teams have been susceptible to blowouts against the Red Raiders, the Wildcats were coming off a semi-upset victory on a blocked PAT against Iowa State, and this was not the turnaround they were looking for.

Steven Sheffield fired seven touchdowns through the air as the backup quarterback for the Red Raiders, and that should worry Snyder’s crew as Texas A&M still has strong quarterback play from junior Jerrod Johnson.

Johnson leads the conference in total yards per game as a dual-threat out of the backfield, but taking the game to Manhattan should boost the Wildcats’ confidence.