Big 12 Power Rankings updated after Week 2 of college football
Week 2 was an incredibly exciting one around college football. It was also a weekend that was highlighted by the Texas Longhorns getting a key non-conference win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Even with conference realignment coming in the future, this is still a huge win for the Big 12 as a conference.
Of course, Texas wasn’t the only program to play a big game this week in the Big 12. Several other teams played important non-conference games, including the Cy-Hawk game between Iowa State and in-state rival Iowa. Among those games, the Big 12 had mixed results that are reflected within the Power Rankings.
It’s important to remember that power rankings are not standings. They’re an attempt to take a snapshot of how well teams are playing at a moment in time. So, here are the Big 12 Power Rankings following Week 2 of the season:
1. Texas Longhorns (2-0)
Texas is the toast of the town after going to Tuscaloosa and beating Alabama. The AP Poll even has the Longhorns ranked fourth in the country, an incredibly promising start to the season. One thing that was particularly exciting about the game was how quarterback Quinn Ewers was able to go over the top on the Alabama defense.
Next week, the Longhorns will be back at home to host Wyoming. After that, they’ll be moving on to Big 12 play. That’s when things are really going to get interesting.
2. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)
In the end, Oklahoma beat SMU fairly comfortably. The Sooners would have liked to win by even more if possible, but nobody should be complaining about a 28-11 win. All four of the team’s touchdowns came off the arm of Dillon Gabriel, a positive sign moving forward.
More exciting for Oklahoma is how effective the defense has been to this point in the season. After years where the entire team was held back by poor defenses, the Sooners are only allowing 5.5 points per game through two games. That’s the sixth best unit in the country for scoring defense at this point. The level of competition hasn’t been great, but it’s still a sign of growth.
3. Kansas State Wildcats (2-0)
Last season’s Big 12 winner is going to stay strong at third in the power rankings. In Week 2, the Wildcats welcomed Southeast Missouri State to Manhattan for an easy win. Of course, against an FCS opponent, Kansas State was expected to win easily but it’s still important to go out and execute.
Quarterback Will Howard is giving Kansas State hope that the Wildcats can repeat as conference champions this season. If that happens, it would be the first time since 1909 and 1910 that Kansas State won back-to-back conference championships. It would also be a great way to play spoiler to Texas and Oklahoma on their way out of the Big 12.
4. UCF Knights (2-0)
UCF traveled across the country for the second leg of a home-and-home with the Boise State Broncos in Week 2. Throughout the game, UCF looked like the better team. However, the Knights shot themselves in the football multiple times with redzone turnovers. That included two interceptions that bounced off the hands of receivers.
In the end, UCF was able to win the game in large part due to a final push by quarterback John Rhys Plumlee and the leg of Colton Boomer. However, Plumlee was injured on that final drive and there is concern about his health looking ahead to Big 12 play.
5. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-0)
Cincinnati earned a statement win on Saturday against Pitt. In many ways, it was a welcome to the Scott Satterfield era, garnering the Bearcats their first Power Five win of the season. Even more exciting, it really does seem like Emory Jones has found new life with Cincinnati.
Jones started his career at Florida before transferring to Arizona State. Now, he’s starting for the Bearcats and has been excellent for two straight games. He’s completed 75.5 percent of passes in his sixth collegiate season, for 470 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s also rushed for two scores.
6. Kansas Jayhawks (2-0)
In a primetime game, Kansas welcomed Illinois out of the Big Ten to Lawrence. It was expected to be a close game but the Jayhawks never gave the Illini a chance to hang around. It was a strong effort from the start and with Jalon Daniels returning to the starting lineup and dominating.
Kansas traditionally doesn’t belong this high on a power rankings list. It goes to show the brilliant job that head coach Lance Leipold has done there. The next question is if Kansas can win with consistency.
7. Oklahoma State (2-0) (+2)
After a sluggish game in Week 1, Oklahoma State was ninth in these rankings. However, a road win at Arizona State helped the Cowboys move up in the rankings. In particular, a very strong second half in the game showed just how tough this team is capable of being this season.
Head coach Mike Gundy still has a major situation to deal with at quarterback, though. For the second game in a row, Oklahoma State gave important minutes to three different quarterbacks. The reality is that likely won’t work once they hit Big 12 play.
8. TCU Horned Frogs (1-1) (+2)
TCU got smacked in the mouth in Week 1 by the Colorado Buffaloes. It was a bad surprise, but as time goes on, Colorado looks like a better and better team. To an extent, that does take the sting out of the loss. It also didn’t hurt to have a bounce back game against Nicholls State from the FCS ranks.
The biggest issue TCU has is that a win over an FCS school doesn’t do much to calm down anyone’s nerves and the team might have issues on the defensive side of the ball this season. Still, the Horned Frogs did jump up from 10th in the last rankings.
9. BYU Cougars (2-0) (+2)
The BYU Cougars are unbeaten through two weeks this season and currently sit ninth in the Big 12 Power Rankings. That’s the worst ranking out of any team that has yet to lose. In many ways, that’s a ranking born out of low expectations to start the season and a very sluggish first game.
BYU looked a lot better in Week 2 of the season, beating Southern Utah 41-16. However, beating an FCS school rarely has a big impact on a team’s power ranking. After all, that’s what a team is supposed to do. Still, the Cougars did jump up from 11th last week.
10. Iowa State Cyclones (1-1) (-3)
Iowa State met rival Iowa for the Cy-Hawk Trophy. In the end, it was a one-score game where the difference at the end of the game was a pick six. Unfortunately, for Iowa State, the Cyclones are the ones who threw the pick six. In the Matt Campbell era, it was Iowa State’s seventh loss in eight games to Iowa.
Still, it’s hard not to look at Campbell as one of the best coaches in program history. So, if anyone can get things going in 2023, it’s him. Next week, Iowa State has Ohio before breaking into Big 12 play.
11. Houston Cougars (1-1) (-3)
Houston suffered a loss to crosstown rival Rice over the weekend. It’s a loss that Houston shouldn’t suffer under almost any circumstances. Still, it did, with the Owls leading 28-0 at one point in the second quarter.
That bad look for Dana Holgorsen and the coaching staff is going to be tough to bounce back from moving forward. Next week, Houston will play its first Big 12 conference game against TCU. Sonny Dykes knows the Cougars well from his days at SMU. He also knows that TCU also needs a win badly.
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders (0-2)
Through two weeks, the Texas Tech Red Raiders are one of two teams in the Big 12 to still be winless. At the same time, they could easily be 2-0, after suffering two heartbreaking losses. The first of those was on the road at Wyoming. The second was at home against an excellent Oregon team.
Still, a loss is a loss and it needs to be taken into account in power rankings. Something isn’t quite clicking right now, but it needs to start soon. Otherwise, the Red Raiders are staring down a massive disappointment in the face.
13. West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1)
After losing on the road to open the season, West Virginia returned home to play Duquesne. The Mountaineers took care of business against the overmatched FCS team. Now, they’ll look ahead to rival Pitt, coming to town next weekend for the Backyard Brawl.
For head coach Neal Brown, it’s going to be incredibly important to win the Backyard Brawl. The game means a ton to fans and he lost it on the road last season. This year, against a struggling Pitt team, winning at home is going to go a long way for Brown.
14. Baylor Bears (0-2)
0-2 is not how Baylor planned on starting the season. Granted, the game against Utah saw the Bears’ defense play a lot better and was always going to be difficult. However, losing the way Baylor lost after the frustration that came with Week 1 just hurts.
Going into the fourth quarter, Baylor had the lead on Utah, ready to upset the Utes and become one of the most confusing teams in the country. Then, the Bears gave up 14 unanswered points and lost on a final heave into the endzone. So, for now, Baylor remains at the bottom of the Big 12.
Interestingly, none of the top six schools in the Big 12 Power Rankings changed their slots at all. That’s what happens when you win, and for the most part, win convincingly. It’s the other end of the Big 12 where there was and seems like there will continue to be, a lot of movement. In particular, once conference play gets going, teams are going to have the ability to catapult themselves forward.