Week 3 Big 12 Conference football power rankings
Week 2 often rounds out the greater image of a college football team far greater than what we see in the opening weekend. Stronger opponents and a larger sample size further reveal what a team really is.
In the Big 12, we gained valuable insight into all 16 teams, and with that insight, we can better understand what each school is bringing to the potluck. Some schools celebrated major wins, while others suffered crushing defeats. This week was a reality check for many, and if we want to project the Big 12 championship favorites, we couldn't imagine a better week.
In this week's edition of the Big 12 football power rankings, we're going to break down what we're seeing in the true contenders and expose the harsh reality to those who probably shouldn't get their hopes up. Let's dive into some of the winners and losers from the second week of the season before revealing our week 3 standings.
Winners
Kansas State: I know what you're thinking. "K-State almost lost to an AAC school and they're winners??" I hear you. It wasn't the dominant win many expected, but let me be perfectly clear--Tulane is good. I sincerely believe they could be a playoff team if they run the table for their remaining schedule, and a road win over the Green Wave will look great on the Wildcats' postseason resume.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys welcomed a much-improved Arkansas squad into Stillwater this weekend, and took the Razorbacks into double overtime before Ollie Gordon II woke up and iced the game in the final period. It wasn't a perfect performance, but OSU gutted out a tough comeback win and showed real grit against a legit SEC opponent.
Iowa State: The Cyclones took down a ranked opponent on the road, and an in-state rival at that. Few projected Matt Campbell's squad to stand much of a chance, especially after being held scoreless in the first half, but after drilling the go-ahead 54 yard field goal to close out the game, the Cyclones left the Hawkeyes with an early-season L.
Losers
Kansas: The Jayhawks got punked by an Illinois team that has historically been mediocre. Daniels was outplayed by the Fighting Illini's QB, Luke Altmyer, and suddenly Kansas doesn't look like a fringe contender for the Big 12 crown.
Colorado: My takeaway from Colorado's major loss to Nebraska? The Buffaloes are a mess and haven't improved at all from last season. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is still massively talented but displayed horrible leadership when he left the game prematurely and planted the blame on his teammates. It's a disaster in Boulder, and the Buffs could be in for a long year.
Texas Tech: Sigh... I really don't have much to say about the Red Raiders. They were an absolute no-show against Wazzu this weekend, and are lucky that they don't sit at 0-2 at this point in the season.
Week 3 Big 12 Football Power Rankings
Rank | Team | Previous Ranking | Last Week's Result |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kansas State | 2 (Up 1) | W 34-27 @ Tulane |
2 | Oklahoma State | 4 (Up 2) | W 39-31 vs. Arkansas |
3 | Utah | 1 (Down 2) | W 23-12 vs. Baylor |
4 | Iowa State | 6 (Up 2) | W 20-19 @ Iowa |
5 | UCF | 5 | W 45-14 vs. Sam Houston |
6 | Arizona State | 8 (Up 2) | W 30-23 vs. Mississippi State |
7 | BYU | 7 | W 18-15 @ SMU |
8 | West Virginia | 13 (Up 5) | W 49-14 vs. Albany |
9 | Kansas | 3 (Down 6) | L 17-23 @ Illinois |
10 | TCU | 10 | W 45-0 vs. Long Beach State |
11 | Arizona | 9 (Down 2) | W 22-10 vs. Northern Arizona |
12 | Baylor | 11 (Down 1) | L 12-23 @ Utah |
13 | Houston | 16 (Up 3) | L 12-16 vs. Oklahoma |
14 | Cincinnati | 12 (Down 2) | L 27-28 vs. Pitt |
15 | Colorado | 14 (Down 1) | L 10-28 @ Nebraska |
16 | Texas Tech | 15 (Down 1) | L 16-37 @ Washington State |
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