Big 12 Football Power Rankings: Week 4
Week 3 was an interesting week for the Big 12. Kansas State lost a thriller at Mizzou. TCU won the first conference game of the season. Cincinnati, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State all had unexpected losses. West Virginia won the Backyard Brawl. BYU got the big win in Fayetteville. And yes, folks, Kansas is still undefeated. All those results impacted this week’s Big 12 Football Power Rankings.
For a complete recap of the Week 3 games, click here.
After three weeks, the Big 12 teams have separated into two groups in this week’s rankings. The top half includes five undefeated teams – BYU, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and UCF – plus two once-ranked one-loss teams – Kansas State and TCU. Then there’s the bottom half, with all those teams having one or two losses.
The difference between UCF, No. 7 in this week’s Power Rankings, and No. 8 Texas Tech is huge. After all the votes, UCF’s average rank is 5.49, yet it still placed 7th. Then Tech’s average rank is 9.0, yet it placed 8th.
BYU had the biggest jump this week, up four spots. Oklahoma State had the biggest drop, down six spots. Texas remains at the top of the rankings this week. Kansas jumped up a spot and is now at No. 3. The ten remaining teams had movement, either up or down this week.
Week Four brings us six conference games as TCU and Houston finish their non-conference schedule. With BYU and Kansas playing, at least one of the unbeaten teams will suffer their first loss. Will others? It’s certainly possible.
The Texas Longhorns are once again the number one team in our Big 12 Football Power Rankings this week.
How Power Rankings Are Determined
Once again, we have brought together a group from across the league to vote each week during the season on the Big 12 Power Rankings.
- 44 Total Participants
- TCU FanNation (KillerFrogs) Editorial Staff (13)
- Not all are TCU homers – fans of teams in the SEC and Big Ten are part of our editorial staff.
- One to two fans from each of the other current schools in the Big 12 (23)
- Two fans from each of the 2024 incoming “Four Corners” schools (8)
- Each week, each participant provides their rankings 1-10. Those rankings are compiled, and the average rank is then listed below.
Here's where our panel of voters ranked the teams this week:
Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 4
14. Houston (1-2, 0-1)
(Last week #13)
Lost to TCU 36-13
TCU held the Cougars to 266 total yards, their lowest output in years. Even in their only win this season, Houston did not look good. It was enough for our voters to move them to the last spot in the rankings. However, this week's last four are only separated by less than one point.
13. Iowa State (1-2, 0-0)
(Last week #11)
Lost at Ohio 10-7
Iowa State is picking up where they were last year – losing close games by a touchdown or less. Both losses were one-possession games. They host Oklahoma State this week, so even a win may not be enough to move the needle in these rankings.
12. Baylor (1-2, 0-0)
(Last week #14)
Beat Long Island/Brooklyn 30-7
Baylor got their first win, and even over an FCS team, they seemed to struggle. They host Texas this weekend. It is time for Dave Aranda and Team to either right the ship or say so long to their season.
11. Oklahoma State (2-1, 0-0)
(Last week #5)
Lost to South Alabama 33-7
The Pokes just don’t lose at home. But they did. And by a wide margin. The loss dropped them six spots in our rankings. Something is up in Stillwater. We talked all summer that the vibe was just not right. And if the rumor mill is true, OSU could be in for a long season. They travel to Ames this weekend, so let’s see how Gundy handles whatever is going on with his team.
10. Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0)
(Last week #7)
Lost to Miami (OH) 31-24 OT
The Bearcats may have been looking ahead last week when they lost an overtime game at home to in-state rival Miami. Cincy hosts Oklahoma for their first-ever Big 12 conference game this week. If they can stop the Sooners, great, but all indications show they probably can’t.
9. West Virginia (2-1, 0-0)
(Last week #12)
Beat Pittsburgh 17-6
The Backyard Brawl returned to Morgantown for the first time in over a decade. It was a gritty game, but the Mountaineers won. This might have cooled down Neal Brown’s hot seat for a bit. WVU begins conference play against Tech. Let’s see what they’ve got.
8. Texas Tech (1-2, 0-0)
(Last week #10)
Beat Tarleton State 41-3
The Red Raiders shockingly started the season with two losses. They got a big win over an FCS team they were expected to beat. Now, they travel to Morgantown. Forget the two losses, as now Tech is into conference play. They still have an opportunity to make some noise as the season continues.
7. UCF (3-0, 0-0)
(Last week #6)
Beat Villanova 48-14
The Knights got a solid win at home over their FCS opponent. Now, they hit the road to begin conference play against the defending Big 12 champions. This game should be one of the best games of the week.
6. TCU (2-1, 1-0)
(Last week #8)
After a disappointing opening weekend loss to Colorado, the TCU defense seems to have greatly improved, as they have not allowed an offensive touchdown in two straight games. Chandler Morris also appears to be the player all expected him to be.
5. BYU (3-0, 0-0)
(Last week #9)
Won at Arkansas 38-31
BYU had the biggest jump this week, moving up five spots. They are one of the five undefeated teams in the league right now, so this feels like the right spot for them. They got a great win at Arkansas. Now, they play their first-ever Big 12 conference game in Lawrence against another undefeated team, Kansas.
4. Kansas State (2-1, 0-0)
(Last week #2)
Lost at Missouri 30-27
It was an epic game in Columbia last week. Mizzou won on a 61-yard walk-off field goal. It’s time the defending conference champs shake off that loss and look to defend their title as they host UCF this week.
3. Kansas (2-0, 0-0)
(Last week #4)
Won at Nevada 31-24
Don’t look now, but Lance Leipold once again has his team at 3-0. Has he made KU a football school? Let’s see what happens. But all is a buzz this week in Lawrence as they host another undefeated BYU team.
2. #16 Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0)
(Last week #3)
Won at Tulsa 66-17
Oklahoma has definitely improved over the lackluster team we all saw last year. They, along with Texas, look to leave the conference with a bang and have set the course for a showdown with Texas in just a couple of weeks. They travel to Cincinnati this week and should not have any issues there. They are probably locked into this spot until they meet Texas in Dallas on October 7.
1. #3 Texas (3-0, 0-0)
(Last week #1)
Beat Wyoming 31-10
Texas jumped Florida State this week and is now the No. 3 team in the nation. However, Alabama didn’t look great last week against USF, so that win over Bama may not be as great as the season progresses. In the meantime, they are in the driver’s seat right now as they begin their last conference games as a member of the Big 12.
Other FanNation Power Rankings
How do other FanNations rank the Big 12? Check them out here:
Kansas – Blue Wings Rising
West Virginia – Mountaineers Now
Note: Power Rankings are determined by a group of fans representing most schools in the Big 12 Conference.
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