There were some upsets and disappointments for the Big 12 Conference this weekend as teams went 10-6 overall, including wins against the SEC, Big Ten and ACC conferences.
BYU (2-0) and Iowa State (2-0) picked up the biggest wins of the week for the Big 12 as the Cougars went to ACC country and took down SMU (18-15) in a thrilling come-from-behind victory. The Cyclones took down No. 21 Iowa, 20-19 thanks to a game-winning field goal with 5 seconds left in the game to win the rivalry game.
Meanwhile, in the other matchups, Utah took down Baylor (23-12) in a non-conference showdown and Oklahoma State looked good in a 39-31 double overtime victory against Arkansas. Not to be outdone, Arizona State also handed the SEC another loss as the Sun Devils took down Mississippi State, 30-23 at home to improve to 2-0 on the season.
However, disappointing losses from No. 19 Kansas (at Illinois) and Colorado (at Nebraska) took some of the air in what was a solid week for the Big 12. The conference now has five ranked teams, the third most from any league.
So, how does the Big 12 stack up in this week’s power rankings? Let’s take a look.
| Big 12 Week 3 Power Rankings | Big 12 Football Preseason Poll (Media) |
| 1. Iowa State | 1. Utah |
| 2. Utah | 2. Kansas State |
| 3. Oklahoma State | 3. Oklahoma State |
| 4. Kansas State | 4. Kansas |
| 5. Arizona State | 5. Arizona |
| 6. Arizona | 6. Iowa State |
| 7. TCU | 7. West Virginia |
| 8. UCF | 8. UCF |
| 9. BYU | 9. Texas Tech |
| 10. Kansas | 10. TCU |
| 11. Baylor | 11. Colorado |
| 12. West Virginia | 12. Baylor |
| 13. Cincinnati | 13. BYU |
| 14. Texas Tech | 14. Cincinnati |
| 15. Houston | 15. Houston |
| 16. Colorado | 16. Arizona State |
As a reminder, rankings are based on what teams have done so far this season.
Iowa State Upsets No. 21 Iowa, 20-19, Cyclones Win Cy-Hawk Trophy
No. 1 Iowa State (2-0)
Wins: North Dakota (21-3), No. 21 Iowa (20-19)
Losses: None
We have a new leader this week.
Iowa State picked up the biggest win so far this season as kicker Kyle Konrardy stepped up and nailed a 54-yard field goal with just six seconds remaining to secure a dramatic 20-19 win over No. 21 Iowa. The Cyclones were underdogs playing on the road and despite the slow start — they were held scoreless in the first half — they showed the country that they can play with anyone and will be contenders for the Big 12 title this year.
Next up: vs. Arkansas State
No. 2 Utah (2-0)
Wins: Southern Utah (49-0), Baylor (23-12)
Losses: None
Utah quarterback Cam Rising threw for 92 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 11th-ranked Utes to a 23-12 victory over Baylor in a non-conference matchup at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday. However, Unfortunately for Ute fans, Rising only played the first half after getting injured late in the second quarter. The senior didn’t return it what appeared to be a hand injury. Hopefully it’s not serious as Utah didn’t score the rest of the game after rising went out.
Next up: @ Utah State
No. 3 Oklahoma State (2-0)
Wins: South Dakota State (44-20), Arkansas (39-31, 2OT)
Losses: None
Ollie Gordon II’s 12-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion catch in the second overtime pushed No. 16 Oklahoma State past Arkansas 39-31 on Saturday.
Gordon, last season’s Doak Walker Award winner, was held to 49 yards on 17 carries. However, quarterback Alan Bowman stepped up and got it done through the air as he passed for 326 yards and a score to lead the Cowboys to victory.
Next up: @ Tulsa
No. 4 Kansas State (2-0)
Wins: UT Martin (41-6), Tulane (34-27)
Losses: None
Friday’s win over Tulane (34-27) should have never been that close.
The Wildcats needed a 60-yard fumble recovery from Darian Mensah for the go-ahead touchdown and VJ Payne snagged an interception in the end zone to help Kansas State escape with a road victory.
If the Wildcats play like that again, don’t expect a win against No. 20 Arizona
Next up: vs. No. 20 Arizona
2024 Big 12 Schedule Rankings: Utah and Kansas Have Easier Paths, BYU and Colorado Face Tough Slate
No. 5 Arizona State (2-0)
Wins: Wyoming (48-7), Mississippi State (30-23)
Losses: None
What’s in the water in Tempe?
The Sun Devils continue to impress as they took down Mississippi State (30-23) at home. Running back Cam Skattebo rushed for a career-high 262 yards and quarterback Sam Leavitt added two touchdowns on the ground in the win.
Mississippi State nearly rallied from a 30-3 deficit midway through the third quarter, cutting the score to 30-23 with 5:27 left in the fourth, however, the Sun Devils were able to run out the clock on its ensuing offensive drive.
Next up: @ Texas State
No. 6 Arizona (2-0)
Wins: New Mexico (61-39), Northern Arizona (22-10)
Losses: None
It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win.
After being down at halftime, and despite being 36-point favorites, Arizona came back for a 22-10 victory at home. It’s likely that Arizona was looking ahead to Friday’s showdown against Kansas State so we can chalk it up to a trap game.
Next up: @ Kansas State
No. 7 TCU (2-0)
Wins: Stanford (34-27), Long Island University (45-0)
Losses: None
TCU took care of business on Saturday as the Horned Frogs shutout Long Island University 45-0. TCU will face it’s toughest test of the season so far against a talented UCF team. The game will be on FOX.
Next up: vs. UCF
No. 8 UCF (2-0)
Wins: New Hampshire (57-3), Sam Houston (45-0)
Losses: None
Just like TCU, UCF took care of business in a 45-0 shutout victory. The Knights have a high-flying offense and will look to keep that going against TCU on Saturday night. UCF hasn’t really been tested with two cupcakes to begin the season so Saturday will show us if the Knights are Big 12 contenders or not.
Next up: @ TCU
No. 9 BYU (2-0)
Wins: Southern Illinois (41-13), SMU (18-15)
Losses: None
BYU (2-0) remains unbeaten against SMU (2-1) as the Cougars improved to 5-0 in the series with another win Friday night.
Despite the low scoring game, it was a thrilling finish as BYU’s Will Ferrin nailed a 26-yard field goal with 1:58 remaining to lift BYU over SMU 18-15, snapping the Mustangs’ impressive nine-game home winning streak. Despite turning the ball over multiple times, including deep in their own territory, the Cougar defense stepped up and didn’t allow a single touchdown against the Mustangs. The defense is legit, and if the offense can get going, the Cougars will be a scary team.
Next up: @ Wyoming
No. 10 Kansas (1-1)
Wins: Lindenwood (48-3)
Losses: Illinois (23-17)
Well this was a shocker!
Illinois rallied to stun No. 19 Kansas 23-17 at home Saturday. It was the first time Illinois (2-0) had beaten a ranked nonconference opponent at home since 2011 when they took down then-No. 22 Arizona State. The Illini also avenged a 34-23 loss last year. Kansas QB Jalon Daniels had one of his worst games as a Jayhawk as the junior threw for just 141 yards and also had three interceptions.
Next up: vs. UNLV
No. 11 Baylor (1-1)
Wins: Tarleton State (45-3)
Losses: Utah (23-12)
Baylor took on Utah in a non-conference game Saturday afternoon at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Bears played well in the second half, but the comeback fell short as Baylor fell behind early and couldn’t come back. Impressively, the Bears didn’t allow Utah to score in the second half and will look to improve on that this week when they host Air Force (1-1).
Next up: vs. Air Force
No. 12 West Virginia (1-1)
Wins: UAlbany (49-14)
Losses: No. 8 Penn State (34-12)
West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, as the Mountaineers racked up 553 yards of total offense in the 49-14 win over Albany Saturday night.
It was a terrific bounce back win for the Mountaineers after getting blown out against No. 8 Penn State the week before.
Next up: @ Pitt
No. 13 Cincinnati (1-1)
Wins: Towson (38-20)
Losses: Pittsburgh (28-27)
The Bearcats blew it!
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein — in his second career start — threw touchdown passes on three consecutive drives and Ben Sauls kicked a 35-yard field goal with 17 seconds left and Pittsburgh rallied from 21 points down to take a 28-27 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.
Next up: @ Miami OH
No. 14 Texas Tech (1-1)
Wins: Abilene Christian (52-51)
Losses: Washington State (37-16)
Texas Tech had 4 turnovers in the 37-16 loss to Washington State. Despite playing without star running back Tahj Brooks — which was unexpected — the Red Raiders still outgained the Cougars (491 vs. 416). However, the turnovers created a lot of short fields for Washington State. Texas Tech QB Behren Morton threw for 323 yards and one TD on 58 attempts, but was intercepted twice.
Next up: vs. North Texas
No. 15 Houston (0-2)
Wins: None
Losses: UNLV (27-7), Oklahoma (16-12)
Yes, Houston is the only Big 12 team that is 0-2, however, the Cougars nearly defeated Oklahoma (16-12) on the road Saturday and had several chances to win the game too. We’ll see if that game was a fluke or if the Cougars finally found something to turn their season around.
Next up: vs. Rice
No. 16 Colorado (1-1)
Wins: North Dakota State (31-26)
Losses: Nebraska (28-10)
Colorado is a mess. The Buffs barely beat North Dakota State in their home opener and followed it up with an embarrassing performance on the road against Nebraska. The offensive line continues to struggle and the Buffs didn’t record a first down until their fifth possession. Colorado finished with just 260 yards of total offense.
Next up: @ Colorado State
