Big 12 Teams With Most to Gain, Most to Lose in Week 2

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Week 1 of the college football season has came and went, with certain teams showing their potential, while certain teams showed how bad this season could end up being should things not change soon. For the Big 12 Conference, most teams came away with solid victories, with just two squads coming away with a loss in the first week.

It was a solid showing for the conference all around. Not fantastic, but solid. There are teams with a lot to gain from Week 2 but also a lot to lose should things not go their way. Which teams could see massive upside from a Week 2 victory and which teams could see a turn for the worst in a loss?

Most to Gain: Colorado Buffaloes (1-0)

The Colorado Buffaloes barely scraped by the North Dakota State Bison 31-26 last week. While the media-savvy, always confident Sanders family seemingly weren't worried, it likely was a wake-up call for this team that has aspirations of success in their first year in the conference and coming off a 4-8 season. The Buffaloes need a statement victory in Week 2, luckily they have a worthy opponent to make that statement against.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0) are also on a redemption quest of their own, going 5-7 and missing out on bowl contention in Matt Rhule's first season as head coach. In each coach's second season, both will be looking for a bounce-back year that will be a statement to the rest of the conference, a statement that their team is back and here to stay.

A win here for either program is a big step forward in that process. In a rivalry game, an opponent in a similar situation and against a Power Four team, the stakes for this one are high and a win could provide an excellent boost in momentum. Nebraska is currently a 7.5-point favorite, so Colorado winning would also be an upset win. A Buffaloes win puts them in a great position entering conference play, however, a loss could mean trouble for the Prime-led program.

Most to Lose: West Virginia Mountaineers (0-1)

The West Virginia Mountaineers took a bad loss on the chin to the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0), 34-12. While they were expected to lose, it was also expected to be a lot closer than three possessions. The Mountaineers look to regroup after a hard loss against what looks to be a very good Penn State team, however, they cannot dwell on it.

The Mountaineers have the most to lose over these next two weeks, really. The Albany Great Danes (1-0), whom the Mountaineers face this upcoming weekend, are a strong FCS program that will give the Mountaineers a good showing. If West Virginia dwells on this loss too much or doesn't put out a dominant performance, that could spell some major trouble for a team picked by some to win the conference. They will need to put down the inferior FCS program with authority, as what comes the week after will also bring major concerns should the Mountaineers not have it together.

The Backyard Brawl with the Pitt Panthers (1-0) is in Week 3, and should the Mountaineers put out a sluggish performance that doesn't play to their strengths in the run game and pass rush like they did against Penn State, then they could easily lose in a rivalry game against a Pitt squad that isn't projected to do a whole lot this season.

A lot of questions surround this Mountaineer program after a surprisingly disappointing performance at home, but bouncing back with authority would bring them back up. Should they not though, their expectations will fall far harder than a win would build them back up.

Most to Gain: Iowa State Cyclones (1-0)

The Iowa State Cyclones will be playing for the Cy-Hawk Trophy this upcoming weekend against their fierce in-state rivals the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0). The Cyclones had a rusty showing against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (0-1) but came away with a win 21-3.

An offense as vaunted as the Cyclones offense was this preseason should have had a better performance and will certainly need one when they go up against one of the better defenses in the country this weekend. Now that the rust is knocked off though, hopefully, the Cyclones can find their groove and match the Hawkeyes blow for blow in what should be a pitcher's duel between the defenses. Should the Cyclones open it up though and challenge this Hawkeyes defense, they should come away with a win.

This will be an early test for the Cyclones, certainly, but if Iowa State can come out on the better end of it, they insert themselves fully into the conversation as Big 12 contenders. As of now, they're more or less on the outside looking in. They're good, but not to the point of being a conference contender. A big win here would put the rest of the conference on notice and give a huge boost of momentum to a team that started out slow in Week 1. It will be a challenge, but a challenge the Cyclones can win. Should they win with authority, this will be a team to watch for this season.

Most to Lose: Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-0)

The Texas Tech Red Raiders survived a huge scare against the FCS Abilene-Christian Wildcats (1-0) in a 52-51 overtime victory. The Red Raiders slept-walked through it, with no real signs of life on their defense raising a massive red flag. Simply put, the Red Raider defense has to be better, especially with two great linebackers in Ben Roberts and Jacob Rodriguez leading the way. While this unit saw massive roster turnover, the transfers it brought in as well as the experience at linebacker should be enough to make up for it.

Third-year defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter has to get his guys in line, especially considering they face their first Power Four opponent in the Washington State Cougars (1-0) on Sept. 7. The Cougar offense isn't anything like it was last season, where it featured the talents of Cam Ward and even eventual Texas Tech transfer Josh Kelley.

They have a lot of transfers and first-year starters that shouldn't be too much of a force for a competent Power Four defense to handle. They also allowed the second-most pressures in the Pac-12 Conference last season, which should pose easy pickings for guys like De'Braylon Carroll and others along what normally is a very strong defensive line group.

However, should the Red Raiders' defense put up a showing like they did last week, the Cougars will feast on this team. The Cougars put up 70 on a Portland State Vikings (0-1) squad that returned nine defensive starters from last season. Granted, Portland State is FCS, but so was Abilene-Christian, and the Red Raiders allowed 51 points from them. If the Red Raiders can't have a better defensive performance, they may get pulverized by what should have been a weaker Washington State squad, spelling major trouble for the season ahead.

Big 12, Big Stakes

There's plenty of other teams in the Big 12 with big stakes early. The No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks (1-0) travel to Champaign, Ill., to face the Illinois Fighting Illini (1-0) in their first Power Four tilt. For a team with a lot to prove this season, a big win on the road would boost their momentum to carry them through the UNLV Rebels (1-0) and into the first portion of conference play with some added confidence.

The Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0) take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-0) at home in what should be a challenging game for this Sun Devil team trying to find their footing in the new conference. After what was a huge win over the Wyoming Cowboys (0-1) in Week 1 though, the Sun Devils have a major morale boost coming into this game, and a win over an Southeastern Conference opponent could boost that confidence even higher into potentially a surprise season for Arizona State.

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Finally, the No. 11 Utah Utes (1-0) face the Baylor Bears (1-0) in the first conference clash of the season. The Utes could make a major statement with a big win over the Bears, showing that they're for real to the rest of the conference as preseason title favorites.

It should be an action-packed slate this weekend as we enter the second full week of college football. The games mentioned won't be the only matchups to watch for this week. Where will things lie after all is said and done? Time will tell, but the stakes are already high for many teams across the Big 12.