Big 12 Power Rankings updated after Week 8 of college football
Week eight of the college football season was a thrilling one around the country. Now, with that added context, the Big 12 Power Rankings have been updated, with help from the On3 Massey Ratings.
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.
With all of that in mind, here’s a look at the latest Big 12 Power Rankings:
1. Iowa State Cyclones (7-0, 4-0)
The Iowa State Cyclones survived a scare at home from the UCF Knights, coming from down two touchdowns at one point to take the lead with 30 seconds left and win. The game certainly exposed some concerns for Iowa State, with Rocco Becht throwing two interceptions while the defense gave up 354 rushing yards. So, plenty to work on during the upcoming bye week.
Even with the close call, Iowa State is at the top of the Big 12. They’re in a good position to not only make a run at a conference, which would be their first since 1912. Win the conference and Iowa State will be on to the College Football Playoff.
2. Kansas State Wildcats (6-1, 3-1)
The Kansas State Wildcats were dominant in their road win over West Virginia. After taking a one-score lead into halftime, the Wildcats came out in the third quarter and blew the game wide open. Much of the credit goes to Avery Johnson, who threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Kansas State defense forced two interceptions and stopped West Virginia on fourth down five out of six attempts.
With that, Kansas State only has one loss on the season. That was on the road to an unbeaten BYU team. They’ll have a shot at Iowa State in the final week of the season. So, as long as Kansas State keeps winning, they’re deeply entrenched in the Big 12 title race this season.
3. BYU Cougars (7-0, 4-0)
On Friday night BYU was brought to the brink of an upset loss against Oklahoma State. Trailing at the half, the Cougars needed to come from behind to turn the game into a back-and-forth battle before eventually winning on a late touchdown. That sealed the deal and kept the Cougars unbeaten.
Now, BYU turns its attention to a road trip to Orlando. There, they’ll run into a Knights team that nearly upset Iowa State, but didn’t and has lost four in a row. That means that the Cougars will have to avoid an upset again.
4. Colorado Buffaloes (5-1, 3-1)
The Colorado Buffaloes bounced back from their loss against Kansas State with a dominant win over Arizona. Even with quarterback Shedeur Sanders turning the ball over twice, the game was never really in doubt. Credit, in particular, goes to the Colorado secondary that held the Wildcats to just 138 passing yards.
If there is a major concern about Colorado moving forward, it’s the health of Travis Hunter. He got banged up against Kansas State and ended up sitting out the second half against Arizona. That was largely due to the score but it also made it clear that he’s probably playing through some pain. Getting him fully healthy will be key down the final stretch of the season.
5. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2, 2-2)
The Arizona State Sun Devils dropped their most recent game to Cincinnati. However, the loss was highlighted by two missed field goals, which head coach Kenny Dillingham commented on following the game, announcing tryouts. He would later apologize for those comments and publicly calling out kicker Ian Hershey.
That loss and the post-game comments weren’t ideal. However, it shouldn’t distract from the season Arizona State is having as a whole. They’re showing massive improvement overall in Dillingham’s second season and much of that is thanks to the play of running back Cameron Skattebo, who had another two touchdowns on Saturday.
6. Utah Utes (4-3, 1-3)
The Utah Utes are in turmoil at this point in the season. A 1-3 start in Big 12 play is not what the Utes expected during their first season in the conference. It also makes it a nearly impossible uphill climb to even make it to the conference championship game at this point. A 13-7 loss to TCU highlighted what the major issue has been, the Utes’ offense.
Quarterback Cam Rising has been dealing with another injury this season, which forced him to miss time and play poorly when he returned against Arizona State. Shortly following that game, it was announced that the injury would sideline him for the season. Now, in the wake of the TCU loss, offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig has stepped down. It was his second stint as the Utah offensive coordinator, a role he filled for 10 seasons total.
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7. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2, 3-1)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders suffered a bad loss to the Baylor Bears, giving up 59 points in the process. That caught a lot of people by surprise and became the Red Raiders’ first Big 12 loss of the season. It also highlighted that the defense is still a concern for Texas Tech, with the Red Raiders giving up 36.1 points per game, which is 125th in the country in scoring defense.
With only one Big 12 loss, Texas Tech is still in the mix to make it to the conference championship game this season. However, the Baylor loss largely negated Texas Tech’s margin for error. With tough upcoming games against TCU, Iowa State, and Colorado, the Red Raiders will need to be sharp.
8. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-2, 3-1)
The Cincinnati Bearcats are one of the positive surprises in the Big 12 this season. After a difficult 2023 season, there was some concern about the program. However, the Bearcats have taken a step forward in year two under Scott Satterfield, and, with only one conference loss, they’re right in the race.
Most recently, Cincinnati beat Arizona State, scoring all 24 points in the first half of the win. That win saw Cincinnati play with excellent balance, throwing for 206 yards and rushing for 191 yards. Then, the upcoming schedule comes with plenty of opportunities to create chaos. Three of the five final teams that the Bearcats play have one or fewer conference losses. None of their remaining opponents have more than two conference losses.
9. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-4, 2-2)
West Virginia has now dropped two games in a row, with those losses coming against two of the conference’s best teams — Iowa State and Kansas State. So, in a way, the losses are understandable but no less frustrating. In particular, there has been concern about the play of quarterback Garrett Greene, who has now thrown eight interceptions in seven games.
The good news for West Virginia is that the schedule is more manageable from here. In fact, three of the final five teams on West Virginia’s schedule are outside of the top 10 currently in the Big 12 Power Rankings. So, there is room to find wins and get to bowl eligibility.
10. TCU Horned Frogs (4-3, 2-2)
It was a slow start to the season for TCU but, since getting blown out by rival SMU, the Horned Frogs look to be back on track. The Horned Frogs have won three in a row, beating Kansas, Houston, and now Utah. That game against Utah was a 13-7 rock fight, which saw the two sides combine for 19 total punts.
While the offense struggled to score against Utah, on the season as a whole the Horned Frogs have been solid on offense, particularly in the passing game. That’s something they’ll rely on next week against Texas Tech and down the second half of the season. If the Horned Frogs can keep winning and get some help, becoming a factor in the Big 12 down the stretch isn’t out of the question.
Rest of Big 12 Power Rankings
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-4, 0-4)
12. Baylor Bears (3-4, 1-3)
13. UCF Knights (3-4, 1-3)
14. Arizona Wildcats (3-4, 1-3)
15. Kansas Jayhawks (2-5, 1-3)
16. Houston Cougars (2-5, 1-3)
Week eight was a week full of close calls for the top teams in the Big 12. Next week, there will be another seven conference games, including two ranked teams in action. With that, there is going to be plenty of opportunity for the rankings and the conference championship to get shaken up moving forward.