Big 12 Power Rankings: BYU earns a big win; Oklahoma State stumbles
It was a wild week in college football. A number of the top teams struggled early in games before pulling away late, including the Texas Longhorns against Wyoming.
BYU picked up the biggest win of the week.
The Cougars went to Fayetteville and knocked off the Arkansas Razorbacks to give BYU a big win in its first year at the Power Five level. In the other Big 12-SEC matchup, Missouri beat Kansas State on a walk-off 61-yard field goal that was the longest in SEC history.
Then there’s Oklahoma State, which simply struggled in its loss to South Alabama. They still don’t have an answer at quarterback.
So, how does the Big 12 stack up in this week’s power rankings? Let’s take a look.
Texas Longhorns (3-0, 0-0)
Last Week: 1
This week: Beat Wyoming 31-10
It was a slow start for the Longhorns coming off their emotional win over Alabama, but Texas turned it up in the fourth quarter to pull away from a feisty Wyoming squad.
Up Next: at Baylor
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Oklahoma Sooners (3-0, 0-0)
Last Week: 3
This week: Beat Tulsa 66-17
Dillon Gabriel had an incredible performance on Saturday, setting an Oklahoma Sooners record for completion percentage with his 28 for 31 effort. The Sooners’ wide receiver room looks incredibly deep heading into Big 12 play.
Up Next: at Cincinnati
BYU Cougars (3-0, 0-0)
Last Week: 10
This week: Beat Arkansas 38-31
I haven’t been a believer in BYU. Now I am.
The Cougars went on the road and beat Arkansas despite trailing 14-0 early. After BYU fell behind 31-21 early in the third, it took control of the game, outscoring the Razorbacks 17-0 the rest of the way.
Up Next: at Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks (3-0, 0-0)
Last Week: 4
This week: Beat Nevada 31-24
It wasn’t the most impressive performance the Jayhawks have put together, but they earned the win on the road, playing a game that started at 9:30 p.m. CT. Jalon Daniels nearly threw for 300 yards and Devin Neal racked up three rushing touchdowns.
Up Next: vs. BYU
Kansas State Wildcats (2-1, 0-0)
Last Week: 2
This week: Lost at Missouri 30-27
Kansas State shot itself in the foot with poor play in the secondary and a litany of penalties throughout. The Wildcats had a chance in the final two minutes but couldn’t put together a drive to win the game.
Up Next: vs. UCF
UCF Knights (3-0, 0-0)
Last Week: 5
This week: Beat Villanova 48-14
The Knights were without starting quarterback John Rhys Plumlee because of an injury, but Timmy McClain didn’t miss a beat. He was 20 of 28 for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 44 yards rushing on the ground.
Up Next: at Kansas State
TCU Horned Frogs (2-1, 1-0)
Last Week: 8
This week: Beat Houston 36-13
That’s what most expected to see from the TCU Horned Frogs coming into the 2023 season. It was a 20-13 game at halftime, but the Frogs took over in the second half, outscoring Houston 16-0. Chandler Morris threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Up Next: vs. SMU
Cincinnati Bearcats (2-1, 0-0)
Last Week: 1
This week: Lost to Miami (Ohio) 31-24 in OT
Emory Jones threw two interceptions, and the Bearcats were 8 of 17 on third down in their loss to Miami (Ohio).
Up Next: vs. Oklahoma
Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-2, 0-0)
Last Week: 9
This week: Beat Tarleton State 41-3
Texas Tech finally experienced some good times this season, picking up their first win in 2023 over Tarleton State. The Red Raiders did what they had to do against an inferior opponent, but let’s see what they’re made of when Big 12 play starts next week.
Up Next: at West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers (2-1, 0-0)
Last Week: 13
This week: Beat Pitt 17-6
The West Virginia Mountaineers earned a split in the revival of the “Backyard Brawl.” It was a strong defensive effort from Neal Brown’s crew, who held the Panthers to 211 yards of total offense. The Mountaineers also won the turnover battle to get a big win in nonconference play.
Up Next: vs. Texas Tech
Baylor Bears (1-2, 0-0)
Last Week: 11
This week: Beat Long Island 30-10
Before the game was delayed due to storms, the Baylor Bears were only up 16-7 on winless Long Island. The Bears scored 14 points after the delay to earn a comfortable 20-point win, but the performance did nothing to instill confidence in Baylor.
Up Next: vs. Texas
Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-1, 0-0)
Last Week: 7
This week: Lost to South Alabama
The Oklahoma State Cowboys didn’t score their first points until the 12:14 mark of the fourth quarter. South Alabama might be a good team, but that’s no excuse for what the Cowboys put on the field on Saturday night at home.
Up Next: at Iowa State
Houston Cougars (1-2, 0-1)
Last Week: 12
This week: Lost to TCU
Last week’s loss to Rice was alarming, but at least it was a competitive game. The Cougars were in a one-score game against TCU at halftime, but were held scoreless in the second half. They’ll need to correct some things when they play Sam Houston State next week.
Up Next: vs. Sam Houston State
Iowa State Cyclones (1-2, 0-0)
Last Week: 14
This week: Lost to Ohio 10-7
The Iowa State Cyclones are struggling on the offensive side of the ball. On Saturday against Ohio, they were held to an average of 1.7 yards per carry. There was a controversial field goal attempt that was called no good, and had that gone differently, maybe the Cyclones would have been able to avoid defeat. Still, this isn’t a good Iowa State team.
