K-State leads muddled Big 12 North race

No. 2 Texas clarified the Big 12 South title picture by thumping No. 18 Oklahoma State 41-14 in Stillwater on Saturday night.

The race for the North division crown, though, is more muddled than ever.

The top five teams in the North are either 5-3 or 5-4 and have at least two losses in conference play. Kansas State (5-4, 3-2) remains the surprise leader of the division, followed by Nebraska (5-3, 2-2) and Iowa State (5-4, 2-3).

Preseason North favorites Missouri (5-3, 1-3) and Kansas (5-3, 1-3) got off to slow starts in the Big 12. Only Colorado (2-6, 1-3) looks like it won’t be a factor after losing four of its last five.

Missouri snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Buffaloes, 36-17, though the Tigers could only muster a field goal in the second half.

“At times on offense, we look like we did a year ago. And there’s times on offense when we look like we can’t get a first down,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. His team faces Baylor this week.

Kansas, which has dropped three straight after a 5-0 start, can make a big statement this weekend against the rival Wildcats in Manhattan. Coach Mark Mangino said Monday that senior quarterback Todd Reesing will start this week, despite being benched late in a 42-21 loss to Texas Tech.

Mangino said that the offensive line’s inability to adequately protect Reesing was part of the reason he pulled him. Reesing was sacked six times by the Red Raiders.

“I think it was the appropriate thing to do,” Mangino said. “I didn’t want him taking any more shots.”

Growing list of freshmen quarterbacks

Nebraska joined a growing list of Big 12 teams playing freshman quarterbacks when it started Cody Green in a 20-10 win over Baylor.