Big 12 Power Rankings: BYU, Iowa State and UCF are undefeated but Utah reigns supreme

There are only four undefeated teams left in the Big 12.

One of them is already threatening to separate from the pack.

Utah is the new front-runner after it went on the road to Oklahoma State and handled the Cowboys 22-19 even without starting quarterback Cam Rising. Everyone in the conference is now chasing the Utes, but four other Big 12 teams are ranked in the latest top 25 and two more are receiving votes.

No one, except for maybe Houston, can be deemed out of the conference championship race this early. Much can happen between now and the league title game in Arlington, Texas.

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 5 with a new edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.

The undefeated club

1. Utah (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)

The Utes can’t be denied this week. Even though I have been lower on Utah than most it’s time to give coach Kyle Whittingham and his team their flowers. They are now on top of the power rankings. Going on the road and beating Oklahoma State with backup quarterback Isaac Wilson in command of the offense was impressive. Running back Micah Bernard is a monster. Can anyone dethrone the Utes? They should be significant favorites in their next six games. But closing out the schedule with Iowa State and UCF won’t be easy.

2. Iowa State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)

I put some thought into leaving the Cyclones at No. 1, as they beat up on Arkansas State 52-7 over the weekend. But that wasn’t quite enough to keep them ahead of Utah. This Iowa State team still looks really good, though. It could be on a collision course with the Utes. It’s within the realm of possibility that both teams will be undefeated when they face off on Nov. 23 in Salt Lake City.

3. UCF (3-0, 1-0 Big 12)

The Knights moved up a few spots without doing anything. That’s the beauty of an early bye week. UCF could be a sneaky contender in the Big 12 with five conference home games remaining. College football statistician Kelley Ford projects Utah and UCF to face off in Arlington, Texas. If it happens, that could be an awkward matchup as they play each other on the final week of the regular season.

4. BYU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)

The Cougars vaulted into the top 25 after they annihilated K-State 38-9 on Saturday. BYU also owns an impressive road victory over SMU. Few expected big things from this group, but Kalani Sitake has the Cougars playing at a high level. They have been at their best on defense. No team has thrown a touchdown pass against BYU all season.

Time to bounce back

5. Kansas State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)

The Wildcats had one of the most disastrous stretches of football you will ever see when they allowed BYU to score four touchdowns and a field goal in just over six minutes of game action at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Perhaps that was a fluke and K-State will bounce back. Or maybe this team simply isn’t built to play on the road. Remember, the Wildcats needed a scoop-and-score touchdown on defense to avoid an upset bid against Tulane.

6. Oklahoma State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)

The Cowboys have not looked good against other power conference teams. They needed a wild comeback to beat Arkansas and they got manhandled by Utah. Oklahoma State has been at its worst on defense, as it allowed Arkansas to rush for 232 yards and Utah to rush for 249 more. Quarterback Alan Bowman was temporarily benched against the Utes. What has happened to Ollie Gordon? Mike Gundy and the Pokes play their best as underdogs, so maybe they will turn things around. For now, though, they look a tier below the top teams in the Big 12.

7. Arizona State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)

The Sun Devils finally came crashing down to earth when they lost at Texas Tech. But Arizona State still fought until the end and proved that it can compete in a difficult road environment. Cam Skattebo rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns. The Sun Devils are going to be hard to beat in Tempe all season.

8. Arizona (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)

The Wildcats got an extra week to prepare for their Big 12 opener at Utah.

Heading in the right direction

9. Texas Tech (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)

Many gave up on Texas Tech when they began the season with an overtime victory over Abilene Christian and then suffered a blowout loss at Washington State. But maybe the Red Raiders deserve some patience. They have responded with impressive wins over North Texas and Arizona State. Behren Morton and Tahj Brooks are starting to play like stars. Texas Tech might have sleeper appeal in the Big 12 race.

10. West Virginia (2-2, 1-0 Big 12)

Neal Brown wasn’t just on the hot seat when West Virginia fell behind Kansas by 11 points late in the fourth quarter on Saturday. His seat was on fire. But the Mountaineers closed out the game with a pair of quick touchdowns for a 32-28 victory. Brown will live to see another day as head coach and WVU can still hope to make a bowl game.

11. Colorado (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)

The Buffaloes won one of the wildest games in Big 12 history thanks to a Hail Mary touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders to LaJohntay Wester on the final play of regulation. It probably isn’t a good sign that Colorado needed a miracle play to beat Baylor at home, but this result sure beat the alternative.

12. Cincinnati (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)

Perhaps it is time to forgive the Bearcats for blowing a big lead against Pittsburgh. The Panthers have looked great since and Cincinnati has bounced back with a pair of wins, including a shutout victory over Houston.

Time to panic

13. TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)

The Horned Frogs looked like one of the best teams in the Big 12 when they built a big lead on UCF in their conference opener. Two weeks later, they look more like a bottom feeder. Not only did TCU choke against UCF, it then got embarrassed at SMU in a 66-42 defeat.

14. Kansas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12)

Kansas is the new Nebraska. All the Jayhawks do is lose close games. Saturday’s loss at West Virginia was the worst of the bunch, as Lance Leipold’s team had a win probably of 91% when it pulled ahead 28-17 at the 5:39 mark of the fourth quarter. Kansas is on a three-game losing streak, with those losses coming by a combined total of 13 points.

15. Baylor (2-1, 0-1 Big 12)

Can you believe that Baylor coach Dave Aranda called a defensive formation named “Victory Cigar” and then allowed Colorado to complete a Hail Mary touchdown pass? Aranda might not survive through the season.

16. Houston (1-3, 0-1 Big 12)

It’s been one step forward and two steps back for Willie Fritz in his first season at Houston. Losing 34-0 at Cincinnati should keep the Cougars at the bottom of these rankings for the foreseeable future.