There were some upsets and disappointments for the Big 12 Conference this weekend as teams went 9-5 overall, including losses to teams from the Sun Belt and MAC Conferences.
BYU (3-0) picked up the biggest win of the week for the Big 12 as the Cougars went to SEC country and took down Arkansas (2-1) in a thrilling come-from-behind victory.
Meanwhile, in the other Big 12-SEC matchup, Missouri (3-0) took down Kansas State (2-1) on a walk-off 61-yard field goal — the longest in SEC history.
So, how does the Big 12 stack up in this week’s power rankings? Let’s take a look.
| Week 3 Power Rankings | Big 12 Football Preseason Poll (Media) |
| 1. Texas (3-0) | 1. Texas |
| 2. Oklahoma (3-0) | 2. Kansas State |
| 3. BYU (3-0) | 3. Oklahoma |
| 4. UCF (3-0) | 4. Texas Tech |
| 5. Kansas (3-0) | 5. TCU |
| 6. Kansas State (2-1) | 6. Baylor |
| 7. TCU (2-1) | 7. Oklahoma State |
| 8. West Virginia (2-1) | 8. UCF |
| 9. Cincinnati (2-1) | 9. Kansas |
| 10. Texas Tech (1-2) | 10. Iowa State |
| 11. Baylor (1-2) | 11. BYU |
| 12. Iowa State (1-2) | 12. Houston |
| 13. Oklahoma State (1-2) | 13. Cincinnati |
| 14. Houston (1-2) | 14. West Virginia |
No. 1 Texas
Wins: No. 3 Alabama (34-24), Wyoming (31-10), Rice (37-10)
Losses: None
Texas was tied 10-10 with Wyoming going into the fourth quarter. Yes, you heard that right, the fourth quarter! The Longhorns managed to score three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes to make the win a lot better than it was. Wyoming finished the game with more first downs, while Texas managed to outgain the Polks 316 to 291.
After picking up a big win on the road at Alabama, a letdown was to be expected, but not that close. Also, the win over Alabama doesn’t look as nice as the Crimson Tide struggled to beat South Florida 17-3.
Next up, at Baylor.
No. 2 Oklahoma
Wins: SMU (28-11), Tulsa (66-17), Arkansas St. (73-0)
Losses: None
The Sooners have played inferior competition to start the year so it’s hard to say just how good they’ll be after going 6-7 last year. The offense seems to be rolling and the defense appears to be much improved from a year ago.
The first test comes next week when the Sooners travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats to open Big 12 play.
No. 3 BYU
Wins: Arkansas (38-31), SUU (41-16), SHST (14-0)
Losses: None
After playing inferior competition to start the season, the Cougars traveled to SEC country and got their first real test of the season against the Razorbacks. The Cougars started slow but rallied for a thrilling 38-31 victory.
BYU has a better signature win than Oklahoma does right now, however, Oklahoma hasn’t struggled as much as the Cougars have against inferior competition. The win against Arkansas — a middle-of-the-road SEC team — is one of the Big 12’s best non-conference wins this year.
Next up for the Cougars is a trip to Kansas as they take on the Jayhawks to open Big 12 play.
No. 4 UCF
Wins: Boise State (18-16), Villanova (48-14), Kent State (56-6)
Losses: None
After picking up a nice win over Boise State on the road in Week 2, UCF came home and put together another offensive clinic as the Knights nearly scored 50 again. UCF has a soft schedule so we’ll know more about them as the Knights travel to Manhattan to take on a Kansas State team that will be looking to bounce back after suffering a heartbreaking 30-27 loss to Missouri on Saturday.
No. 5 Kansas
Wins: Nevada (31-24), Illinois (34-23), Missouri St. (48-17)
Losses: None
Kansas is the lowest of the undefeated teams because their schedule is the softest and the games haven’t been big blowouts either. Their opponents have gone 1-7 so far this year, with the lone win being against Toledo.
We still don’t know much about the Jayhawks, but a home game against BYU will show whether they are Big 12 contenders or pretenders.
No. 6 Kansas State
Wins: Troy (42-13), SE Missouri (45-0)
Losses: Missouri (30-27)
Missouri’s 61-yard field goal as time expired gave Kansas State its first loss of the season and bumped the Wildcats from No. 2 to No. 6 in the power rankings. Missouri racked up nearly 450 yards of total offense and the defense will need to make adjustments with UCF’s high-powered offense coming to town.
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No. 7 TCU
Wins: Houston (36-13), Nicholls (41-6)
Losses: Colorado (45-42)
The opening loss to Colorado doesn’t seem so bad anymore with the Buffs off to a 3-0 start for the first time in forever. The Horned Frogs took care of business with a dominating win over Houston to open Big 12 play, but the Cougars appear to be the worst team in the conference right now, so this is as high as TCU is going at the moment.
No. 8 West Virginia
Wins: Pitt (17-6), Duquesne (56-17)
Losses: No. 7 Penn State (38-15)
My apologies to West Virginia! I had the Mountaineers at the bottom of my preseason power rankings and they’ve made me look silly. With a great win over Pitt, West Virginia has some great momentum as it enters Big 12 play. Next up is a home game against Texas Tech.
No. 9 Cincinnati
Wins: Pitt (27-21), E. Kentucky (66-13)
Losses: Miami Ohio (31-24)
Oooof! Losing to Miami or Ohio State wouldn’t be a problem, however, losing to Miami-Ohio is. After picking up a good win against Pitt, the Bearcats took a giant step back with its first loss of the season — and at home too!
Cincinnati will need to quickly regroup as they host Oklahoma Saturday morning in what could be a shootout.
No. 10 Texas Tech
Wins: Tarleton State (41-3)
Losses: No. 13 Oregon (38-30), Wyoming (35-33)
Texas Tech and Baylor could easily switch places, however, I’m giving the Red Raiders the benefit here just because the losses are against better teams. A couple of plays and Texas Tech could be undefeated too.
The good news is that conference play is just starting up so there is still a lot to play for. Next up for the Raid Raiders is a trip to West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers. Texas Tech will likely be favored, but I’m expecting a close game.
No. 11 Baylor
Wins: Long Island (30-7)
Losses: No. 12 Utah (20-13), Texas State (42-31)
Yes, Baylor almost beat Utah and should have beaten them if it wasn’t for a complete meltdown in the final 3 minutes of the game. The Bears earned some respect for outplaying the Utes for most of the game, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that they lost to Texas State in the home opener. Yikes! Beating Long Island doesn’t move the needle as the Sharks are 0-3 and went 4-7 last year.
Next up for Baylor is Texas, in which the Bears will be playing their fourth consecutive home game to open the season. Will this be the upset that Baylor finally gets?
No. 12 Iowa State
Wins: Northern Iowa (30-9)
Losses: No. 25 Iowa (20-13), Ohio (10-7)
Iowa State and Oklahoma State could easily switch places, however, I’m giving the Cyclones the benefit just because they’ve had a tougher schedule so far this year.
Losing a close game to rival Iowa is fine, however, losing to Ohio — a MAC team — is not! After being one of the top candidates to fill vacancies around college football just a couple of years ago, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell is now officially on the hot seat!
Next up for Iowa State is a matchup against Oklahoma State, which might be what the doctor ordered for the Cyclones.
No. 13 Oklahoma State
Wins: Arizona State (27-15), C. Arkansas (27-13)
Losses: South Alabama (33-7)
Yes, South Alabama is a good team that continues to trend up, but you’re freaking Oklahoma State! The Cowboys got smoked, gaining just 208 yards of total offense against a Sun Belt team.
Next up for Oklahoma State is a matchup against Iowa State. One of these Big 12 bottom dwellers will get a win on Saturday and it will be just what the doctor ordered. With Iowa State playing at home, I’m giving them a slight edge.
No. 14 Houston
Wins: UTSA (17-14)
Losses: TCU (36-13), Rice (43-31)
Houston, we have a problem! Welcome Cougars to the bottom of the rankings and a place you may likely stay for the rest of the season.
Houston was completely outmatched by TCU in a 36-13 loss. The Cougars were outgained 564 to 266 in yardage and averaged just 1.5 yards per carry against the Horned Frogs. Luckily Houston gets to play Sam Houston State on Saturday which should be an easy win, but in every other game this year, the Cougars will likely be the underdog.
