Kansas State vs. Cincinnati with both 3-0 is among five Big 12 openers this week

Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference:

Kansas State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) at Cincinnati (3-0, 0-0), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Cincinnati is 3-0 for the first time since 2021, when the Bearcats — then in the American Conference — were the only non-power conference team ever to make the four-team version of the College Football Playoff. That was also the last time the Bearcats were 4-0, going 13-0 before losing to Alabama in a CFP semifinal.

Kansas State will try to reach 4-0 for the first time since 2012, when quarterback Collin Klein was a Heisman Trophy finalist and led the Wildcats to a 10-0 start and the Big 12 championship. Klein is now in his first season as their head coach.

K-State QB Avery Johnson, who is set to make his 30th consecutive start, last week became the first player in school history to throw for at least 200 yards and run for at least 150 yards in the same game. He has thrown six TDs and run for three this season.

Cincinnati's JC French IV, a transfer from Georgia Southern, is one of only three FBS quarterbacks completing at least 75% of his passes (62 of 81) with more than 600 yards and no interceptions. He has five TD passes and four rushing scores.

Colorado (2-1, 0-0) at Baylor (2-1, 0-0), Saturday, noon ET (ESPN2)

Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes go into their Big 12 opener looking to rebound from a 41-7 loss at Northwestern when they had four turnovers. Sanders, now in his fourth season, even indicated this week that he had dismissed some players from the team, though not just because of that result.

Colorado went 1-8 in Big 12 games last season, but in its last game against Baylor won an overtime thriller at home in 2024.

The Bears are coming off big home wins over Prairie View and Louisiana Tech since quarterback D.J. Lagway was injured in their season-opening loss to Auburn.

— West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., a transfer from Oklahoma, last week against then-No. 25 Virginia became the first Big 12 quarterback since 2019 to account for five TDs (two passing, three rushing) against a Top 25 opponent. The Mountaineers (3-0) are home for their Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State (2-1).

— Iowa State's Aiden Flora is the Big 12 rushing leader with 328 yards (109.3 per game). He is coming off a 194-yard effort on 12 carries against Bowling Green. The Cyclones (2-1) open Big 12 play at No. 15 Utah (3-0), which is second in the league allowing only 75 yards per game.

— Jaden Craig set career passing records at Harvard and now is the Big 12's leading passer at TCU with 301 yards per game. The Horned Frogs (2-1) play at UCF (2-1) in another league opener.

No. 11 Texas Tech (3-0, 1-0) has won its last 10 home games, its longest streak since 12 in a row from 2007-09. The Red Raiders host Sam Houston on Saturday. ... Noah Fifita broke Nick Foles' career passing record at Arizona with 325 yards last week against Northern Illinois. Fifita has 10,017 yards passing going into Saturday's game at Washington State. ... Three Big 12 teams have open dates: No. 9 BYU (3-0, 1-0), Arizona State (2-1, 1-0) and Kansas (1-2, 0-1).

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