Big 12 Power Rankings updated after Week 9 of college football

Week 9 of the college football season is in the books. With that, it’s time to reevaluate the Big 12 Power Rankings, with the assistance of 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.

Keeping all of that in consideration, here is a look at how the Big 12 Power Rankings shake out after Week 9.

1. Iowa State Cyclones (7-0, 4-0)

After needing a last-minute drive to come from behind to beat a struggling UCF team two weeks ago, the Iowa State Cyclones were able to go into the bye week atop both the Big 12 standings and the power rankings. That week off gave the Cyclones a chance to hit the reset button, get healthy, and prepare for the final stretch of the season where Iowa State is going to get everyone’s best shot.

There are a few potential potholes on the upcoming schedule for Iowa State. However, for the time being, it looks like they’re headed for a showdown against Kansas State in the final week of the regular season. That game could easily determine who goes to the Big 12 Championship Game or even be the first of two games against one another in back-to-back weeks.

2. BYU Cougars (8-0, 5-0)

The BYU Cougars continued their winning ways on the road in Orlando against UCF. A 37-24 final, the game was never really that close with UCF adding a couple of scores late. Instead, it was a dominant effort, with plenty of BYU fans making the trip to watch the Cougars hold onto the ball for more than 40 minutes in this game.

The biggest win for BYU this season remains Kansas State, giving them the tiebreaker over the Wildcats as it relates to the Big 12 Championship Game. The only other one-loss team is Colorado, who BYU doesn’t play. So, with four manageable games left, BYU has some cushion to work with.

3. Kansas State Wildcats (7-1, 4-1)

Since the frustrating road loss to BYU, the Kansas State Wildcats have earned three straight wins and look to control their own destiny in Big 12 play. After all, if Kansas State wins out, that means they’ll have a win over Colorado and Iowa State. With every other team holding at least two losses in conference play, it would put the Wildcats in the conference championship game.

At the same time, Kansas State had to survive a close call against rival Kansas over the weekend. Scoring six points in the fourth quarter, including a late field goal to take the lead, the Wildcats came from behind to avoid what would have been a major upset. With that, the Wildcats improved to 16 straight wins over the Jayhawks.

4. Colorado Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1)

In many respects, the Colorado Buffaloes have been quietly excellent this season. After a bit of a slow start in non-conference play, it seems like Colorado was overlooked. Now, it’s going to be difficult to ignore them because Colorado is in the Big 12 Championship Game hunt. That means they’re in the College Football Playoff hunt.

On Saturday, Colorado took care of business against Cincinnati. A few late scores by the Bearcats made the game look a bit closer than it was with the Buffaloes winning 34-23. Unsurprisingly, Heisman contender Travis Hunter was one of the biggest factors in the game, catching nine passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, he added a tackle.

5. West Virginia Mountaineers (4-4, 3-2)

It’s been an inconsistent season for West Virginia. After struggling in non-conference play, it’s been an up-and-down season for the Mountaineers in Big 12 play. However, after getting a win over Arizona in Week 9, West Virginia has found itself ranked fifth in the power rankings.

Like every team with only two losses in Big 12 play, West Virginia does still have a chance to make it to the conference championship game. However, it’s going to take some help with the teams ahead of them getting upset and it would take a nearly perfect final month of the season. That run starts with a bye week next week.

6. TCU Horned Frogs (5-3, 3-2)

At one point this season, TCU looked lost. Giving up a major comeback loss to UCF and losing to rival SMU in a blowout seemed like a disaster. However, since then, the Horned Frogs have gotten back on track. Outside of an upset loss to Houston, TCU has won three of its last four, including a thriller over Texas Tech.

The passing attack moved the ball downfield to the tune of 344 passing yards in the win. However, turnovers, including two interceptions, helped keep the game close. Still, the Horned Frogs pulled out the win on the back of a comeback and 14 points in the fourth quarter.

7. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2, 2-2)

After a frustrating loss two weeks ago to Cincinnati, the Arizona State Sun Devils needed their bye week. With that, they could hit the reset button and try to get healthy. After all, head coach Kenny Dillingham would much prefer to have starting quarterback Sam Leavitt back.

Next week, the Sun Devils hit the road for a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Interestingly, despite already having two conference losses, the Sun Devils do still have games against Kansas State and BYU. That means, if the Sun Devils can go unbeaten in the month of November, they can create some chaos in the Big 12 standings.

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-3, 3-2)

The Texas Tech Red Raiders lost a heartbreaker to TCU over the weekend. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Red Raiders held a 34-21 lead. However, 14 unanswered points from the Horned Frogs led to a one-point TCU win. With that, the Red Raiders have lost two conference games in a row.

Another major loss came when quarterback Behren Morton left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. For now, it’s unclear if he’s going to be able to play moving forward. If he isn’t, it’s going to be that much harder to turn things around next week against Iowa State.

9. Baylor Bears (4-4, 2-3)

The Baylor Bears have quietly shown some improvement during the 2024 season and are now moving up in the power rankings. With three Big 12 losses, the Bears aren’t about to factor into the conference championship race. However, Baylor can continue to build momentum and make a bowl, which would be a hugely successful way to end the season.

Coming off two straight wins, Baylor won’t see a ranked opponent in its final four games of the season. They will, however, see two teams behind them in the current power rankings. So, a bowl game is very much on the table for the Bears. That’s a notable improvement and worth celebrating.

10. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-3, 3-2)

The Cincinnati Bearcats were in a position to potentially compete for the Big 12 Championship Game. However, a loss in Week 9 to Colorado is going to make that difficult. It’s not impossible, though, especially given that the Bearcats still have Iowa State and Kansas State on the schedule. So, chaos is possibly on the horizon.

At the same time, the loss to Colorado was a tough one for Cincinnati. The Bearcats had no answer for Travis Hunter. Meanwhile, the offense struggled to convert on third and fourth down in the game. With that, the Buffaloes were too much to overcome.

Rest of Big 12 Power Rankings

11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-5, 0-5)
12. Utah Utes (4-4, 1-4)
13. UCF Knights (3-5, 1-4)
14. Houston Cougars (3-5, 2-3)
15. Arizona Wildcats (3-5, 1-4)
16. Kansas Jayhawks (2-6, 1-4)

Week 10 is setting up to have several excellent games around the Big 12, with five conference games coming up. That includes multiple ranked teams in action with the potential for upsets and movement as the schedule turns over to November.