Big 12 Power Rankings: Arizona State and UCF continue to impress as Kansas, WVU sink

The Big 12 schedule-makers knew what they were doing when they put together this week’s slate of conference football games.

Utah at Oklahoma State could be a preview of the league championship game.

Kansas State at BYU is a battle of undefeated teams that should provide loads of entertainment for Big 12 After Dark enthusiasts.

Kansas at West Virginia could be nicknamed “The Desperation Bowl.”

Not to be outdone, Arizona State at Texas Tech and Baylor at Colorado could be lots of fun.

The first Big 12 game of the season was decided by one point last week. If that is a sign of things to come, much more excitement could be on the way for a conference race that very well could be defined by parity.

With that in mind, let’s take some time to analyze everything we have seen up to this point before we move on to Week 4 with a new edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.

The primary contenders

1. Iowa State (2-0)

The Cyclones didn’t play last week, but they were able to retain the top spot in this edition of Big 12 Power Rankings by a slim margin. It probably won’t last, though. Iowa State is really going to have to run up the score against Arkansas State to stay ahead of the Oklahoma State/Utah winner.

2. Oklahoma State (3-0)

The Cowboys have notoriously struggled during nonconference play under Mike Gundy, but they were able to get off to a 3-0 start this season thanks to a dominant victory at Tulsa. Oklahoma State can really validate its hot start by opening Big 12 play with a home victory against Utah on Saturday. The Pokes are a small underdog heading into that much-anticipated matchup, but doubt them at your own risk. Oklahoma State has won 10 straight games outright as a home dog.

3. Kansas State (3-0)

An argument could be made for the Wildcats to move up after they wiped the floor with Arizona 31-7. But that game might have said more about U of A than it did K-State. Arizona looked overrated. Still, it was a strong performance for Chris Klieman’s team, which showed significant improvement on defense and got a complete game from quarterback Avery Johnson.

4. Utah (3-0)

The Utes took care of business against Utah State without star quarterback Cam Rising. He is expected to return this week against Oklahoma State. That game will ultimately decide if I have been too low on Utah or if this is a team to be reckoned with in its new conference.

5. UCF (3-0)

The Knights looked down and out when they trailed TCU 31-13 midway through the third quarter on Saturday, but they rallied to a 35-34 road victory thanks to an electric game (180 yards and two touchdowns) from running back RJ Harvey. That result catapults UCF into the top 5 of these rankings, and it has room to move up even higher. The Knights have one of the most favorable remaining schedules in the conference.

Don’t forget about them

6. Arizona State (3-0)

No team has overachieved more than the Sun Devils, if you go by preseason expectations. Arizona State was predicted to finish last in the Big 12, but now it is one of just seven undefeated teams remaining in the league. Quarterback Sam Leavitt has been nails since he transferred in from Michigan State. Things are about to get tougher, but there’s no reason why this team can’t make a bowl game or maybe even challenge for a spot in the Big 12 championship game.

7. BYU (3-0)

Few also expected much from the Cougars this season, but they are 3-0 with road victories over SMU and Wyoming. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff is one of the best dual-threat passers in the conference. BYU can turn heads once again in its Big 12 home opener against K-State.

Heading in the wrong direction

8. TCU (2-1)

The Horned Frogs were on the verge of leaping way up in these rankings, but then they blew a 31-13 lead against UCF. Ouch. That painful loss may end up hurting TCU in the Big 12 championship chase, but it shouldn’t derail the season. Josh Hoover is one of the best pass-first quarterbacks in the league and the Frogs are playing above expectations.

9. Arizona (2-1)

Outside of star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona looks overrated. Its two wins came against New Mexico and Northern Arizona, both by smaller margins than the oddsmakers expected. The Wildcats are playing like a middle-of-the-pack team without former coach Jedd Fisch.

The sky is falling

10. Kansas (1-2)

It feels appropriate that Kansas plays at West Virginia this week. These are two of the most disappointing teams in the Big 12, and the loser of this game will be in danger of missing out on a bowl game. Lance Leipold may want to consider benching Jalon Daniels if he can’t stop throwing interceptions. He definitely needs to incorporate more fumble drills into practice. As bad as Kansas played during narrow losses to Illinois and UNLV, it would be 3-0 right now had the Jayhawks been able to secure a routine fumble recovery in both games.

11. West Virginia (1-2)

True story: I stopped watching The Backyard Brawl when West Virginia surged ahead 34-24 with 4:55 remaining in the fourth quarter and assumed the Mountaineers won. It wasn’t until later I saw the score and realized Pittsburgh rallied for a 38-34 victory ... in regulation. Talk about a painful loss.

Don’t give up on them just yet

12. Baylor (2-1)

The Bears looked like an up-and-coming team on their way to a decisive victory over Air Force. Baylor might want to consider sticking with quarterback Sawyer Robertson.

13. Colorado (2-1)

Things rarely come easy for the Buffaloes, but they won a rivalry game without the smallest hint of drama against Colorado State. Now, it’s possible that the Rams are just really bad. But Coach Prime’s team took advantage. Travis Hunter has my attention. He is a legit Heisman Trophy contender.

14. Texas Tech (2-1)

Poor North Texas. The Red Raiders took out lots of frustration on the Mean Green on their way to a 66-21 victory. The score could have easily been more lopsided, as Texas Tech led 52-7 at halftime. Many were quick to give up on the Red Raiders after they needed overtime to beat Abilene Christian and then got smacked at Washington State. But they are always a volatile team under Joey McGuire. Their upcoming home game against Arizona State should be interesting.

15. Cincinnati (2-1)

The Bearcats bounced back from a crushing loss to Pittsburgh by beating Miami (Ohio) on Saturday. That was enough to keep them out of last place ... for now. An upcoming game against Houston will loom large for the bottom dwellers in these rankings.

16. Houston (1-2)

Kudos to Willie Fritz for winning his first game with the Cougars. Beating cross-town rival Rice is never easy for Houston, but it won this year’s matchup 33-7. Don’t be surprised if Houston continues to improve and knocks off a contender late in the season.