×
×
homepage logo

Big 12 Football Power Rankings: Cougars on the rise after upset of Kansas State

By Darnell Dickson - | Sep 25, 2024

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff throws a pass during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

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

1. No. 10 Utah (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)

Last results: Micah Bernard rushed for a career-high 182 yards as No. 12 Utah, playing again without starting quarterback Cam Rising, won its first Big 12 game by topping No. 14 Oklahoma State 22-19.

Game On: Saturday vs. Arizona (2-1, 0-0 Big 12), 8:15 p.m. MT (ESPN)

What’s Up? Brant Kuithe caught two touchdowns passes and Cole Becker kicked three field goals against Oklahoma State. … Utah leads the overall series with Arizona 26-20-2. … Arizona had a bye last week after losing to Kansas State 31-7 on Sept. 13.

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

Last results: The Iowa State defense limited Arkansas State to just 182 total yards, had four sacks and forced four turnovers in a 52-7 victory for the No. 20 Cyclones.

Game On: Saturday at Houston (1-3, 0-1 Big 12), 5 p.m. MT (FS1)

What’s Up? The Cyclones amassed 490 yards of offense, the most since 2021. … In three games QB Rocco Becht is 54 of 79 (68%) for 743 yards, six TD’s and one interception. … Iowa State and Houston are meeting for the first time.

3. No. 22 BYU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)

Last results: BYU scored 31 points in six minutes of game time between the end of the second quarter and the start of the third to upset No. 13 Kansas State 38-9.

Game On: Saturday at Baylor (2-2, 0-1 Big 12), 10 a.m. MT (FS1)

What’s Up? BYU scored 31 points against Kansas State in about seven minutes of game time. … The series with Baylor is tied at 2-2. … The Cougars won the last meeting with the Bears 26-20 in overtime in Provo (2022).

4. UCF (3-0, 1-0 Big 12)

Last results: Bye

Game On: Saturday vs. Colorado (3-1, 1-0 Big 12), 1:30 p.m. MT (FOX)

What’s Up? This is the first-ever matchup between UCF and Colorado. … The Golden Knights were last in action on Sept. 14 in a 35-34 victory against TCU. … In three games, R.J. Harvey has 59 carries for 452 yards (7.6 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns.

5. No. 20 Oklahoma State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)

Last results: No. 14 Oklahoma State fell behind 22-3 in the fourth quarter before rallying but falling short in a 22-19 loss to No. 12 Utah.

Game On: Saturday at No. 25 Kansas State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12), 10 a.m. MT (ESPN)

What’s Up? Ollie Gordon was held to 42 yards on 11 carries against Utah and the Cowboys managed just 48 total rushing yards. … Oklahoma State leads the overall series with Kansas State 43-27.

6. Texas Tech (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)

Last results: Behren Morton passed for two touchdowns and Tahj Brooks rushed for 117 yards as Texas Tech beat Arizona State 30-22.

Game On: Saturday vs. Cincinnati (3-1, 1-0 Big 12), 6 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

What’s Up? The Red Raiders overcame nine penalties for 94 yards in the win against Arizona State. … Texas Tech and Cincinnati have met just once, a 10-10 tie in Lubbock in 1968.

7. No. 25 Kansas State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)

Last results: No. 13 Kansas State outgained BYU 363 yards to 241 but the Cougars won handily, 38-9.

Game On: Saturday vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12), 10 a.m. MT (ESPN)

What’s Up? Avery Johnson was 15 of 28 for 130 yards and two interceptions against BYU while rushing 11 times for 74 yards. … Oklahoma State won the last meeting between the two teams 29-21 in Stillwater (2023). … The Wildcats won 48-0 in Manhattan in 2022.

8. Arizona (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last results: Bye

Game On: Saturday at No. 10 Utah (4-0, 1-0 Big 12), 8:15 p.m. MT (ESPN)

What’s Up? The Wildcats won last year’s meeting with Utah in Tucson 42-18, ending the Utes six-game winning streak against them. … In three games, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has caught 23 passes for 453 yards (19.7 yards per catch) and four touchdowns.

9. West Virginia (2-2, 1-0 Big 12)

Last results: West Virginia rallied with two scores, including a 15-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Greene to Rodney Gallagher III with 26 seconds to play in a 32-28 victory against Kansas.

Game On: Bye

What’s Up? Garrett Green was 15 of 30 for 295 yards, two TD’s and two interceptions against Kansas while rushing 17 times for 87 yards and one score. … West Virginia is off until Oct. 5, when it will travel to Oklahoma State.

10. Colorado (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)

Last results: LaJohntay Wester caught a 43-yard Hail Mary from Shedeur Sanders with no time remaining in regulation and Travis Hunter forced a fumble at the 1-yard line in overtime as Colorado edged Baylor 38-31.

Game On: Saturday at UCF (3-0, 1-0 Big 12), 1:30 p.m. MT (FOX)

What’s Up? Sanders was 25 of 41 for 341 yards and two touchdowns against Baylor. … Travis Hunter had seven catches for 130 yards. … The game-winning score against Baylor came on a 1-yard Micah Welch run in overtime.

11. Arizona State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)

Last results: Arizona State lost its first game as a member of the Big 12, dropping a 30-22 decision to Texas Tech.

Game On: Bye

What’s Up? ASU’s Cam Skattebo came into the game averaging 124.3 yard per game rushing but had just 60 on 18 carries. He did catch six passes for 117 yards. … The Sun Devils have already matched their win total for the past two seasons, when the were 3-9 in both 2022 and 2023.

12. Cincinnati (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)

Last results: Brendan Sorsby threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as Cincinnati shut out Houston 34-0, getting their first-ever Big 12 home win.

Game On: Saturday at Texas Tech (3-1, 1-0 Big 12), 6 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

What’s Up? The Bearcats have equaled their win total from 2023. … Sorsby has yet to throw an interception in 2024 (118 attempts). … Corey Kiner has 64 carries for 404 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns this season.

13. TCU (2-1, 0-1 Big 12)

Last results: SMU scored three non-offensive touchdowns for the first time in 12 years and led 41-21 at halftime of a 66-42 victory against TCU in a game where Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes was ejected after picking up two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Game On: Saturday at Kansas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12), 1:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+)

What’s Up? Josh Hoover threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns against SMU but also turned the ball over four times (two interceptions, two fumbles). … TCU owns a 26-9-4 advantage in the series with Kansas and has won 10 of the past 11 meetings.

14. Kansas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12)

Last results: Kansas led West Virginia 28-17 with 5:39 to play but couldn’t hold on in a 32-28 loss.

Game On: Saturday vs. TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12), 1:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+)

What’s Up? Devin Neal rushed 27 times for 110 yards and a touchdown against West Virginia. … The Jayhawks last win in the series was in 2018, a 27-26 victory in Lawrence. Before that, the last Kansas win in the series was in 1997 (17-10 in Lawrence).

15. Baylor (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)

Last results: Dominic Richardson fumbled at the goal line in overtime as Baylor lost to Colorado 38-31.

Game On: Saturday vs. No. 22 BYU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12), 10 a.m. MT (FS1)

What’s Up? Jamaal Bell had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Colorado. … Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another. … The Bears are 2-0 against BYU in Waco (38-24 in 2021, 40-36 in 1983).

16. Houston (1-3, 0-1 Big 12)

Last results: Houston managed just 233 total yards and turned the ball over three times in a 34-0 loss to Cincinnati.

Game On: Saturday vs. No. 19 Iowa State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12), 5 p.m. MT (FS1)

What’s Up? Houston has scored just 26 points in four games, reaching double figures only once

(a 16-12 loss to No. 15 Oklahoma). … “We would get moving a little bit, then we’d have some plays that were self destructive,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “I told the guys five or six times, we’re not good enough to just throw the ball out there and win. We’re going to have to do things right.”

Starting at $4.32/week.

Subscribe Today