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Big 12 Football Power Rankings: Texas earns highest AP ranking since 2009

By Darnell Dickson - | Sep 13, 2023

Vasha Hunt, AP Photo

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian walks the field during warmups before an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Here’s our weekly power rankings of Big 12 teams with a look at their schedules and matchups.

1. No. 4 Texas (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Quinn Ewers threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 10 Texas to a 34-24 upset of No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Game On: Saturday vs. Wyoming (2-0, 0-0 MWC), 6 p.m. MT (Longhorn Network)

What’s Up? Andrew Peasley threw three touchdown passes to pace Wyoming to a 31-17 victory against Portland State. … Texas leads the overall series with Wyoming 5-0, last winning 37-17 at Austin in 2012.

2. No. 15 Kansas State (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Will Howard accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) as No. 15 Kansas State galloped past Troy 42-13.

Game On: Saturday, Sept 16 at Missouri (2-0, 0-0 SEC East), 10 a.m. MT (SEC Network)

What’s Up? Missouri held off a late rally by Middle Tennessee State to claim a 23-19 victory last week. … Missouri leads the overall series with Kansas State 60-33-5 but the Wildcats won in Manhattan last year 40-12.

3. No. 19 Oklahoma (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Dillon Gabriel tossed four touchdown passes and Tawee Walker ran for a career-high 117 yards as No. 18 Oklahoma topped SMU 28-11.

Game On: Saturday at Tulsa (1-1, 0-0 AAC), 1:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

What’s Up? Michael Penix Jr. threw for 409 yards and three touchdowns as No. 8 Washington blasted Tulsa 43-10. … Oklahoma leads the overall series with Tulsa 20-7-1 and has won nine in a row, including a 52-38 victory at Norman in 2015.

4. Cincinnati (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Corey Kiner rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown and the Bearcats held off a late Pittsburgh charge in a 27-21 victory.

Game On: Saturday vs. Miami of Ohio (1-1 overall, 0-0 MAC), 5 p.m. MT (ESPN+)

What’s Up? Greg Larvadain had 273 receiving yards and three touchdowns as Miami of Ohio pushed past UMass 41-28. … The overall series between Cincinnati at Miami of Ohio is remarkably close: The Bearcats holds a 60-59-7 edge but has won 16 straight meetings, including a 38-17 victory at Oxford last season.

5. Kansas (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Jalon Daniels passed for 277 yards and two scores in his season debut and Devin Neal ran 10 times for 120 yards and a touchdown as Kansas topped Illinois 34-23.

Game On: Saturday at Nevada (0-2, 0-0 MWC), 8:30 p.m. MT (CSBSN)

What’s Up? Nevada has been outscored 99-20 in its first two games, losing to FCS program Idaho 33-6 last week. … This is the first-ever meeting between Kansas and Nevada.

6. TCU (1-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: TCU scored 17 fourth quarter points and responded from a disappointing loss to Colorado with a 41-6 victory against Nicholls.

Game On: Saturday at Houston (1-1, 0-0 Big 12), 6 p.m. MT (FOX)

What’s Up? Donovan Smith threw two touchdown passes and ran for three more in Houston’s 43-41 double overtime loss to Rice. … Houston leads the overall series 13-12 but TCU has won eight straight, the last meeting a 20-13 Horned Frogs win in the 2007 Texas Bowl.

7. UCF (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Colton Boomer kicked four field goals, including the game-winning 40-yarder as time expired, to lead UCF to an 18-16 win at Boise State.

Game On: Saturday vs. Villanova (2-0, 0-0 CAA), 4:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+)

What’s Up? Connor Watkins threw for a career-high 310 yards on just eight completions as Villanova took care of Colgate 42-19. … The Wildcats are 4-20 in 24 previous contests versus FBS foes, with the last win coming at Temple to open the 2018 season.

8. Oklahoma State (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Oklahoma State held Arizona State to 277 total yards and took advantage of that stout defense to land a 27-15 victory.

Game On: Saturday vs. South Alabama (1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt West), 5 p.m. MT (ESPN+)

What’s Up? Caullin Lacy caught eight passes for 139 yards and a touchdown to lead South Alabama to a 35-17 victory against Southeast Louisiana. … Oklahoma State is 2-0 against South Alabama, with victories in 2017 (44-7 at Mobile) and 2018 (55-13 in Stillwater).

9. BYU (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Kedon Slovis passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns and added a rushing score in BYU’s 41-16 victory against Southern Utah.

Game On: Saturday at Arkansas (2-0, 0-0 SEC West), 5:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

What’s Up? Arkansas struggled offensive early with Kent State and led just 14-6 at halftime before pulling for a 28-6 victory. … Arkansas won the only previous meeting with BYU 52-35 at Provo last season.

10. Iowa State (1-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Trailing 20-3 entering the fourth quarter, Iowa State cut Iowa’s lead to seven with 2:53 to play but could get no closer in a 20-13 loss.

Game On: Saturday, Sept. 16 at Ohio (2-1, 0-0 MAC East), 10 a.m. MT (ESPNU)

What’s Up? Ohio held Florida Atlantic to just five rushing yards in a 17-10 victory last week. … Iowa State is 8-0 against Ohio all-time, including a 43-10 victory at Ames last season.

11. West Virginia (1-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Garrett Green threw four touchdown passes, three to Hudson Clement (177 yards on five receptions) as the Mountaineers drubbed Duquesne 56-17.

Game On: Saturday vs. Pittsburgh (1-1, 0-0 ACC), 5:30 p.m. MT (ABC)

What’s Up? Phil Jurkovec passed for three touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 27-21 loss to Cincinnati last week. … Pittsburgh leads the overall series with West Virginia 62-40-3 and won last season 38-31 at home.

12. Texas Tech (0-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Tyler Shough threw three touchdown passes and ran for 101 yards and another score but a pick-six in the final 35 seconds lifted No. 13 Oregon to a 38-30 victory.

Game On: Saturday vs. Tarleton (2-0, 1-0 UAC), 5 p.m. MT (ESPN+)

What’s Up? Keylan Johnson caught six passes for 219 yards and four touchdowns as Tarleton outscored North Alabama 52-31. … This is the first meeting between Texas Tech and Tarleton.

13. Houston (1-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Houston made a stirring comeback from a 28-7 deficit to send its game against Rice to overtime but failed to convert on a 2-point try in the second extra session in a 43-41 loss.

Game On: Saturday vs. TCU (1-1, 0-0 Big 12), 6 p.m. MT (FOX)

What’s Up? Chandler Morris completed 26 of 30 for 263 yards and two touchdowns as TCU rolled over Nicholls 41-6. … Houston’s last win against TCU came in 1992, 49-46 in Houston.

14. Baylor (0-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Baylor had a last-second pass to the end zone that fell incomplete in a 20-13 loss to No. 12 Utah.

Game On: Saturday vs. Long Island (0-2, 0-0 NEC), 10 a.m. MT (ESPN+)

What’s Up? Baylor starting quarterback Blake Shapen is expected to be out at least two more weeks due to an MCL injury that caused him to miss the Utah game. … Long Island dropped a 21-10 decision at Bryant last week. … The last time Baylor started 0-3 was in 2017, when the Bears opened the season with eight straight losses before beating Kansas.