Big 12 Power Rankings updated after Week 4 of college football
Week 4 of the college football season is in the books and it was a thrilling one in the Big 12 conference. With that, and the help of the On3 Massey Ratings, here is how the Big 12 teams stack up in the current Big 12 Power Rankings.
The On3 Massey Ratings – which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated high school sports team rankings since 1995 – rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.
These Big 12 Power Rankings are coming after a week full of conference games. That included a Top 25 matchup, a major upset, and a Hail Mary to force overtime in conference games. It was exciting and chaotic. It also shook up the rankings from last week plenty.
1. Iowa State Cyclones (3-0)
The Iowa State Cyclones moved to first in the Big 12 Power Rankings following Week 4. They were able to do that after taking care of business last week and with the help of upsets that occurred ahead of them in the power rankings. It also hasn’t heard that the Cyclones have been one of the dominant defenses in the conference to this point.
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Next week, Iowa State opens up conference play with a road trip against the Houston Cougars. That’s a game the Cyclones will be expected to win and could help solidify themselves as one of the top teams in the conference. After that, Iowa State is going to turn its attention to finding long-term success and potentially even make a run at the conference championship game.
2. Utah Utes (4-0, 1-0)
The Utah Utes went into Stillwater and beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday. They did that on the back of an excellent defensive performance, only giving up 19 points total. On top of that, they forced two interceptions and held star running back Ollie Gordon to just 42 yards rushing.
If there is a major question for the Utes moving forward, it’s the quarterback position. Cam Rising has now missed two games in a row with an apparent hand injury. After it seemed like he would attempt to play at Oklahoma State, he held off and in his place, Isaac Wilson got the start and put forth an up-and-down effort.
3. BYU Cougars (4-0, 1-0)
The BYU Cougars pulled off a major upset on Saturday night when they beat the Kansas State Wildcats. More than that, they dominated the game and held Kansas State to just nine points in the game. In particular, the defense held the Wildcats’ passing game in check, giving up just 139 yards and forcing two interceptions.
Now ranked in the AP Top 25, BYU isn’t flying under anyone’s radar at this point in the season. So, it’s going to be important to avoid a letdown game against Baylor this week before getting to their bye week. After that, it’s a long and challenging Big 12 schedule.
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-1, 0-1)
The Oklahoma State Cowboys dropped their first Big 12 conference game of the season. That loss came against a very good Utah team, so the Cowboys remained toward the top of the conference power rankings. However, it was still a frustrating game for the Cowboys.
In particular, the running game has been a concern for Oklahoma State this season. The Cowboys came into the season with Ollie Gordon, one of the top returning running backs in the country. To this point, however, he’s only rushed for 3.5 yards per carry and 64.5 yards per game. On top of that, the passing game struggled against Utah, making for a frustrating day offensively.
5. UCF Knights (3-0, 1-0)
The UCF Knights are holding steady in the Big 12 power rankings after a bye week. That time off should have given the Knights a chance to reset after an emotional 21-point comeback against TCU in Week 3. Now, the Knights are turning their attention to the Colorado Buffaloes for one of the marquee games in Week 5.
One of the biggest keys to that game against Colorado is going to come down to the trenches. UCF has one of the best rushing attacks in the country, averaging 375.67 yards per game on the ground. That’s first in the country in rushing offense. Colorado, meanwhile, is 83rd in rushing defense, giving up 150.75 yards on the ground every game.
6. Kansas State Wildcats (3-1, 0-1)
The Kansas State Wildcats entered the season with the expectation that they’d compete for the Big 12 Championship and a potential appearance in the College Football Playoff. That’s still on the table. However, a loss in their first Big 12 game of the season against BYU is going to hurt the Wildcats as it relates to the power rankings.
Worse for Kansas State than the fact that they lost to BYU was, in large part, how they lost. By the end of the game, it was relatively noncompetitive, with the Cougars winning 38-9. Avery Johnson threw two interceptions in the loss and losing the turnover battle and failing to convert on three third down attempts meant that even though Kansas State outgained BYU by more than 100 yards of total offense on the day.
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-1, 1-0)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders opened Big 12 play by playing one of the conference’s newcomers, Arizona State. That turned into a 30-22 win for the Red Raiders. It was a game that, after jumping out to a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter, Texas Tech was in control of throughout the game.
Next week, Texas Tech will look to take another stride forward with a conference game against Cincinnati. To win that game, the Red Raiders have plenty to clean up, including cutting back on the nine penalties they were called for against Arizona State. It’s also going to be important to find a way to stop Xzavier Henderson, who had two touchdowns for the Bearcats on Saturday.
8. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-2, 1-0)
It’s been an inconsistent start to the season for West Virginia. After dropping a pair of emotional games to Penn State and Pitt, while getting their only win to that point against an FCS opponent, the Mountaineers entered the weekend against Kansas with questions to answer. On the back of a fourth quarter comeback, the Mountaineers were able to win an exciting game.
West Virginia now has a bye week to get settled in a little better. After that, it’s Big 12 conference play and that starts with a stretch of very challenging games. That includes three straight teams ranked in the AP Poll for the month of October.
9. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1, 0-1)
The Arizona State Sun Devils came into their first season in the Big 12 with relatively low expectations. After all, this is a rebuilding program. However, after a 3-0 start to the season, the Sun Devils had momentum going into Big 12 play.
That first Big 12 game for Arizona State saw the Sun Devils take on Texas Tech and it ended up being a frustrating start to conference play, with the Sun Devils losing the game by a score. A strength has been the running game, particularly behind Cameron Skattebo. When he’s at his best, the Arizona State offense is tough to stop.
10. Cincinnati Bearcats (3-1, 1-0)
The Cincinnati Bearcats dominated the Houston Cougars on Saturday. It was a telling game for the two schools as they enter their second seasons in the Big 12, showing the two are at different stages of building their programs. At the same time, that was remarkably the first home win against a power conference team under Scott Satterfield.
Next week, Cincinnati will be back on the road for another week of Big 12 action. Heading to Lubbock, the Bearcats are set to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. It’s a game that could help to set the pecking order for the two teams as they compete to move up in the conference standings.
Rest of Big 12 Power Rankings
11. Arizona Wildcats (2-1)
12. TCU Horned Frogs (2-2, 0-1)
13. Kansas Jayhawks (1-3, 0-1)
14. Colorado Buffaloes (3-1, 1-0)
15. Baylor Bears (2-2, 0-1)
16. Houston Cougars (1-3, 0-1)
With conference play here, teams in the Big 12 are going to begin to separate themselves from one another and establish a more consistent pecking order. For now, though, it’s still anyone’s conference to win and there is plenty of time for teams to make moves and quickly rise in these rankings.