Big 12 Power Rankings: BYU, WVU, TTU, UH Soar — Utah, KSU Fall (Week 4)

It was as close to a perfect weekend that the Big 12 could get, as the conference won every non-conference game, including several showdowns with West Virginia defeating Pittsburgh 31-24 in overtime in the "Backyard Brawl," and No. 21 Texas Tech blowing out Oregon State, 45-14.

Overall, the league went 10-2 with the only two losses coming in Big 12 play as Arizona took down Kansas State at home (23-17), while Houston took care of business at home against Colorado (36-20).

When comparing P4 conferences, the Big 12 made a jump as it's now second when it comes to overall record in P4 games. The SEC leads the way at 10-2, the Big 12 is 6-6, the Big Ten is 5-5 and the ACC is 4-10.

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With regards to the AP Top 25, the big 12 still has just three teams in, however, the conference gained some notable ground at least. Iowa State moved up two spots to No. 12, Utah and Texas Tech each moved up 4 spots to No. 16-17. The two will battle it out in Salt Lake City in a high-stakes showdown. Also, BYU received more votes and continues to sit at No. 26, while TCU and Arizona State round out at No. 29 and 30. With just a couple upsets, the Big 12 could have six teams in the Top 25.

Let's hope for more chaos this weekend.

The Big 12 continues to be tied with the ACC for third most ranked teams among conferences with three teams each. However, the gap continues to be massive as the SEC has 11 teams ranked for the second week in a row, while the Big Ten has 7.

Important Note: Rankings are based on what teams have done on the field so far this season — not a prediction of where they'll finish. While current performance carries the most weight, last year’s performance is also factored in slightly. Teams that finished near the top in 2024 are given a slight edge and a bit more leeway in the early weeks.

No. 1 Iowa State (4-0, 1-0)

Wins: No. 17 Kansas State (24-21), South Dakota (55-7), Iowa (16-13), Arkansas State (24-16)
Losses: None

Iowa State remains No. 1 in this week's power rankings, but at the moment, all the undefeated teams remaining in the Big 12 could make a case for the top spot. The Cyclones remain as they still have two P4 wins, however, the win over Kansas State looks worse and worse with each passing week.

Next up: Bye Week

No. 2 TCU (2-0)

Wins: North Carolina (48-14), Abilene Christian (42-21)
Losses: None

After a big opening win over North Carolina, the Horned Frogs had a bye week before smashing Abilene Christian at home. The game wasn't as close as the score indicated. Next up is a ACC-Big-12 rivalry matchup against SMU, which Baylor knocked off two weeks ago. We'll know if the Horned Frogs are legitimate Big 12 contenders with a win on Saturday.

Next up: vs. SMU

No. 3 Baylor (2-1)

Wins: No. 17 SMU (48-45 2OT), Samford (42-7)
Losses: Auburn (24-38)

While there are several other Big 12 programs that are undefeated still, most have played FCS or low-level P4 programs. The Bears have the best win in non-conference play so far, which is why remain at No. 3 this week.

The Bears will host Arizona State — the reigning Big 12 champions — at home in a Saturday night showdown on FOX. Whoever wins will take a big step forward in the conference race.

Next up: vs. Arizona State 

No. 4 BYU (2-0)

Wins: Portland State (69-0), Stanford (27-3)
Losses: None

BYU had a bye week, however, Stanford's win over Boston College makes the Cougars' 27-3 win look a lot more impressive now. The Cougars will play their first road game of the season and it will be interesting to see how true freshman Bear Bachmeier handles the environment, as East Carolina look to be one of the top G5 teams this year.

Next up: @ East Carolina

No. 5 Texas Tech (3-0)

Wins: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (67-7), Kent State (62-14), Oregon State (45-14)
Losses: None

The 17th-ranked Red Raiders have been beating up FCS teams, so it was great to finally see what they could do against a former P4 program in Oregon State. Texas Tech didn't disappoint in a 45-14 win at home over Oregon State.

Next up is a showdown against Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Whoever wins this game — which will be televised nationally on FOX — will take a huge step towards making the Big 12 championship game. Remember, because the Big 12 has 16 teams and due to its tiebreaking scenarios, head-to-head matchups are more important than ever for those wanting to play in the Big 12 title game.

Next up: @ Utah

No. 6 Utah (3-0)

Wins: UCLA (43-10), Cal Poly (63-9), Wyoming (31-6)
Losses: None

The 16th-ranked Utes big win over UCLA in week 1 doesn't look so good anymore as the Bruins are winless and just fired their coach too. That's why I dropped the Utes down a few spots, but they have an opportunity to make a big move as they host Texas Tech in a nationally televised Top 25 showdown on FOX.

Next up: vs. Texas Tech

No. 7 Houston (3-0)

Wins: Stephen F. Austin (27-0), Rice (35-9), Colorado (36-20)
Losses: None

I didn't have Houston being a Big 12 contender on my bingo card this year, but so far the Cougars look the part after smashing Colorado at home in the 36-20 victory. It's still too early to say how good this or any other team is, but overall, Houston is much-improved from last year and quarterback Conner Weigman and running back Dean Connors are looking like a great duo in the backfield.

Next up: Bye Week

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No. 8 Arizona State (2-1)

Wins: Northern Arizona (38-19), Texas State (34-15)
Losses: Mississippi State (20-24)

Arizona State seemed to be playing uninspired throughout its game against Texas State, but can you blame them? Losing a heartbreaking game that they should have won on SEC country will take some time to recover from, but the Sun Devils don't have that as they go on the road to face Baylor this weekend.

Next up: @ Baylor

No. 9 Kansas (2-1)

Wins: Fresno State (31-7), Wagner (46-7)
Losses: Missouri (31-42)

Kansas is coming off a bye week but I dropped them down a spot as Houston continues to play well, is undefeated, and has better wins. The Jayhawks can get their best win of the season so far this weekend when they host West Virginia — a team that just knocked off Pittsburgh in the "Backyard Brawl."

Next up: vs. West Virginia

No. 10 West Virginia (2-1)

Wins: Robert Morris (45-3), Pittsburgh (31-24, OT)
Losses: Ohio (10-17)

After losing to Ohio two weeks ago, it looked as though West Virginia was headed for another losing season, however, the Mountaineers managed to take down Pittsburgh this past week in the "Backyard Brawl" which may have saved their season and given them enough momentum to make a bowl game this year. Next up is a tough trip to Kansas.

Next up: @ Kansas

No. 11 Arizona (3-0)

Wins: Hawaii (40-6), Weber State (48-3), Kansas State (23-17)
Losses: None

Like I said last week, Arizona looks better than what they were last year, but there's still a lot of question marks about the team. Their best win is over a Kansas State team that is 1-3 and likely won't make a bowl game this year. We'll know in two weeks if Arizona is a legitimate contender as they go on the road to face No. 12 Iowa State.

Next up: Bye Week

No. 12 UCF (2-0)

Wins: Jacksonville State (17-10), North Carolina A&T (68-7)
Losses: None

UCF is coming off a bye week and it's hard to say where this team is. They barely beat Jacksonville State 17-10 at home, but then followed it up with a 68-7 win at home over another low-level team. This week the Knights take on North Carolina in which TCU destroyed 48-14. If the Knight don't win convincingly, that won't be a good sign as they head into Big 12 play.

Next up: vs. North Carolina

No. 13 Colorado (1-2)

Wins: Delaware (31-7)
Losses: Georgia Tech (20-27), Houston (20-36)

So much for "Coach Prime" finding his quarterback as the Buffaloes went into Houston and got blown out. At the same time, Colorado should have beaten Georgia Tech at home at the start of the season and the Yellowjackets are now 3-0 and coming off a win over then-No. 12 Clemson. So while Colorado is 1-2, they are still hard to figure out. We'll know more about this team after they take on Wyoming this weekend which is coming off a 31-6 loss to Utah.

Next up: vs. Wyoming

No. 14 Cincinnati (2-1)

Wins: Bowling Green (34-20), Northwestern State (70-0)
Losses: Nebraska (17-20)

Cincinnati continues to slowly move up as the Bearcats put up 70 on Northwestern State. Similar to the teams right in front of them at the moment, Cincinnati projects as a potential spoiler in the Big 12 race. While the Bearcats aren't likely to contend for the conference crown -- barring a significant breakthrough -- they appear well-positioned to make every game close throughout the season.

Next up: Bye Week

No. 15 Kansas State (1-3, 0-1)

Wins: North Dakota (38-35)
Losses: No. 22 Iowa State (21-24), Army (21-24), Arizona (17-23)

The bye couldn't have come at a better time for Kansas State which is currently on track for its first losing season since 2020. The offense needs to figure things out as the Wildcats are averaging just 24 points per game. Taking away the FCS game which they needed to come-from-behind late to win the game at home, and Kansas State is only averaging 19 points per game. Let's hope the Wildcats can figure things out.

Next up: Bye Week

No. 16 Oklahoma State (1-1)

Wins: UT Martin (27-7)
Losses: No. 6 Oregon (3-69)

There's not much to say about Oklahoma State. The team is coming off a 66-point loss to Oregon and it's starting quarterback got hurt in the first game of the season. We'll see how the Cowboys look when they aren't playing a Top 5 team. They are currently a 14-point favorite against Tulsa, and let's hope for Cowboy fans the team can do just that.

Next up: vs. Tulsa

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