Big 12 power rankings: Arizona Wildcats fall two spots following loss to Kansas State

In cooperation with the Houston Chronicle and other Big 12 football beat writers, the Star presents weekly Big 12 power rankings now that we're entering the bulk of conference play. 

Over the last few weeks, our colleagues at the Houston Chronicle have collected votes and commentary from football writers at news outlets that cover Big 12 teams.

The Arizona Wildcats dropped from fifth to seventh following their 31-7 loss to Kansas State, which leap-frogged Oklahoma State for the second spot behind preseason Big 12 favorite Utah. 

Here's a complete look at the Big 12 power rankings entering Week 4:

1. Utah

Previous ranking: 1

Points: 245 (eight first-place votes)

Record: 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Utah State, 38-21

This week: at No. 14 Oklahoma State

Comment: Without Cam Rising under center, Utah’s offense finally looked serviceable against Utah State. The good news for the Utes is that Rising is expected to be back this week. 

Did you know? This will be Utah’s second all-time matchup against Oklahoma State. Their last game occurred on Oct. 20, 1945. — Jason Batacao, The Salt Lake Tribune

2. Kansas State 

Previous ranking: 3

Points: 242 (six first-place votes)

Record: 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat No. 20 Arizona, 31-7

This week: at BYU

Comment: K-State will be looking to start its season 4-0 for the first time since 2012. The Cougars and Wildcats are squaring off for the ninth time in history, each team winning four games. The last time the K-State came away with a win in the series was 1976. 

Did you know?  K-State has scored non-offensive touchdowns in all three games this season, the first time doing so to start the year since the first three games of the 2002 season. — Tim Everson, The Manhattan Mercury

3. Oklahoma State

Previous ranking: 2

Points: 230 (two first-place votes)

Record: 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Tulsa, 45-10 

This week: vs. No. 12 Utah

Comment: Despite the return of Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon and his entire offensive line, Oklahoma State hasn’t been able to run the ball against anyone this season. Only 25 teams average less yards per carry than the Cowboys (3.37). Up next: Utah, which limits teams to 3.14 yards.

Did you know? Oklahoma State is one of eight teams in the country yet to allow a sack this season. — Tyler Waldrep, Tulsa World 

4. UCF

Previous ranking: 6

Points: 196

Record: 3-0 (1-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat TCU, 35-34 

This week: Open date

Comment: The Knights rallied from 21 points down in the third quarter to open conference play with a come-from-behind win at TCU. Quarterback KJ Jefferson’s 20-yard pass to Kobe Hudson with 36 seconds remaining capped off the comeback, giving UCF an improbable road win. Running back RJ Harvey rushed for 180 yards, his fifth consecutive 100-yard game. 

Did you know? The 21-point comeback was the largest since UCF rallied against Boise State on Sept. 2, 2021, which was Gus Malzahn’s first game as UCF’s coach. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel

5. Iowa State 

Previous ranking: 4

Points: 195

Record: 2-0 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: Open date

This week: vs. Arkansas State 

Comment: Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is 276 yards from becoming the 10th player in program history to eclipse 4,000 career passing yards — and he’s only made 15 career starts. The redshirt sophomore owns a 14-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his past six games dating to last season.

Did you know? ­Cyclone head coach Matt Campbell is one win away from tying Dan McCarney for the most in program history (56). — Rob Gray, The Cedar Rapids Gazette

6. Arizona State 

Previous ranking: 8

Points: 167

Record: 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Texas State, 31-28

This week: at Texas Tech

Comment: The Sun Devils showed some resiliency, coming back from a 14-point deficit and beating a team on the road that had been receiving votes in the national poll and did so in a short week, having to play on Thursday. They also had to survive a clock fiasco with the home team given one more play after time had run out.

Did you know? This is the first time ASU has started the season 3-0 since 2019, but the first since 2007 the Sun Devils won all three against FBS opponents. — Michelle Gardner, Arizona Republic

7. Arizona

Previous ranking: 5

Points: 150

Record: 2-1 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 14 Kansas State, 31-7

This week: Open date

Comment: After getting boat-raced by 24 points at Kansas State, Arizona enters a much-needed open date. Arizona's biggest flaws are stopping the run and penalties. Arizona’s rushing defense is ranked 103rd out of 133 teams in FBS after surrendering 200-yards on the ground in two games this season. Arizona is also tied for the fourth-most penalty yards (269) in college football. Arizona will have to do some soul-searching during its week off. 

Did you know? Arizona had its nine-game winning streak snapped, the longest active streak in college football. The longest active winning streak now belongs to Missouri. Arizona also ended its streak of appearances in the Associated Press Top 25, which started in Week 10 of last season. — Justin Spears, Arizona Daily Star

8. TCU

Previous ranking: 7

Points: 125

Record: 2-1 (0-1 Big 12)

Last week: lost to UCF, 35-34

This week: at SMU

Comment: TCU blew a 21-point lead in the third quarter to fall to the Knights, conceding 289 rushing yards and raising questions about the Frogs' ability to defend the run. Next up, the second-to-last Iron Skillet game against the Mustangs. 

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Did you know? TCU leads the all-time series against SMU 53-42-7. — Jamie Plunkett, Horned Frog Blitz

9. BYU

Previous ranking: T10

Points: 123

Record: 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Wyoming, 34-14

This week: vs. No. 13 Kansas State

Comment: BYU’s final trip to Laramie wasn’t all perfect for the Cougars, but the game was never in doubt. BYU nursed a three-possession lead the entire second half. There are still lingering questions about quarterback Jake Retzlaff’s decision-making heading into conference play, but BYU knows its 2024 hopes rest on the quarterback’s playmaking ability.

Did you know? BYU is 3-0 for the second straight season. Last year, the Cougars finished 2-7 in conference play. — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune 

10. Colorado 

Previous ranking: 13

Points: 90

Record: 2-1 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Colorado State, 28-9 

This week: vs. Baylor

Comment: The Buffs got back on track last week with a dominating win at Colorado State. CU’s run game showed some life for the first time this season, Shedeur Sanders threw four more touchdown passes and Travis Hunter was special on both sides of the ball, but the Buffs’ defense set the tone from the start. CSU’s only touchdown and 41% of its yards came in the fourth quarter after the Buffs were already in control of the game.

Did you know? Last week was just the third time in 15 games under head coach Deion Sanders that the Buffs reached 100 rushing yards, finishing with 109. In those 15 games, the Buffs have 1,011 rushing yards (67.4 per game). — Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera

11. Baylor

Previous ranking: 12

Points: 86

Record: 2-1 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Air Force, 31-3

This week: at Colorado

Comment: Sawyer Robertson stepped in for injured starter Dequan Finn and had the game of his life against Air Force, completing 75% of his passes, throwing for a career-high 248 yards and rushing for a touchdown in the win. Finn is dealing with an injured shoulder, and his status for the game in Boulder against Colorado won’t be decided until the middle of the week. 

Did you know? Baylor’s win against Air Force on Saturday was the first win against an FBS team at McLane Stadium since the Bears beat Kansas on Oct. 22, 2022, a streak of nine games — Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald

12. West Virginia

Previous ranking: T10

Points: 83

Record: 1-2 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Pitt, 38-34

This week: vs. Kansas

Comment: The Mountaineers need to flush nonconference play and get ready for a tough Big 12 slate. WVU and Kansas meet in a matchup between teams desperate for a win. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, their biggest weaknesses — defending deep passes and quarterback scrambling — are what Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels does best.

Did you know? The last time Kansas was in Morgantown, the Jayhawks came away with the rare two-touchdown overtime win, 55-42, as JT Daniels threw a pick-six to Cobee Bryant. — Cody Nespor, The Dominion Post 

13. Texas Tech

Previous ranking: 14

Points: 82

Record: 2-1 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat North Texas, 66-21

This week: vs. Arizona State

Comment: The Red Raiders who took the field against North Texas were a stark contrast to how they started the year. They looked much more like the team coaches gloated about in the preseason, but now how to replicate that kind of effort on offense and defense in games that matter. 

Did you know? Texas Tech tied the program record for points in a quarter (35) and points in a half (52) in the modern era against UNT. — Nathan Giese, Avalanche-Journal

14. Kansas 

Previous ranking: 9

Points: 78

Record: 1-2 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: lost to UNLV, 23-20

This week: at West Virginia

Comment: KU may have a quarterback problem it couldn't possibly have anticipated prior to the season, after key interceptions by Jalon Daniels, who has now thrown more picks in three games than he did in his previous 12, helped sink the Jayhawks in a pair of unexpected early-season losses.

Did you know? The only time the Jayhawks have won a conference opener on the road since 2008 was at West Virginia in 2022. — Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World

15. Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 15

Points: 46

Record: 2-1 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Miami (Ohio), 27-16

This week: vs. Houston

Comment: After dropping the Victory Bell game for the first time in 17 seasons last year in overtime, the Bearcats regained the trophy Saturday with a 27-16 win over the defending MAC champion Miami RedHawks. Corey Kiner went over 100 yards for the second straight game, finishing with 126 yards and a touchdown. Kickoff specialist Nathan Hawks beat Carter Brown in a weekly competition and made his debut for the Bearcats with field goals of 55 and 50 yards.

Did you know? Hawks began his college career at Division III Wittenberg and before getting into the transfer portal had enrolled at Cincinnati. He joined the team in time for fall training camp in 2023. His first FBS field goal was the longest of his career (55 yards) and three off the school record of 58 yards. —  Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer

Previous ranking: 16

Points: 31

Record: 1-2 (0-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Rice, 33-7

This week: at Cincinnati

Comment: Don’t look now, but defensive coordinator Shiel Wood’s unit has put together back-to-back impressive showings against Oklahoma and Rice. The Cougars rank in the top 15 in total defense (238.7 yards per game) and passing defense (123.7 yards). The 16.6 points allowed is nearly half the total from the same point last season. In the last six quarters, Houston has forced opponents to punt on 80% of their drives (16-of-28), including nine three-and-out possessions.

Did you know? The Big 12 is the fourth different league in which Houston and Cincinnati have competed together. The two schools were co-members of the Missouri Valley (1957-59), Conference USA (1996-2004) and the American Athletic Conference (2013-22) before joining the Big 12 last season. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle