Big 12 power rankings: BYU the latest No. 1, and ASU is on the rise

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Big 12 power rankings: BYU the latest No. 1, and ASU is on the rise

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal · Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Sun, Oct 13, 2024 ·

4 min read

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Voters in the Big 12 football preseason media poll blew it putting Utah, Oklahoma State , Kansas and Arizona in the top five. Championship contenders? Each has already lost two of three conference games.

No one foresaw breakout seasons coming from Brigham Young and Arizona State , which went 5-7 and 3-9, respectively, in 2023. Now the Cougars are 6-0 with lopsided home wins against Kansas State and Arizona , and Arizona State 's 5-1 and beat Utah last week in a 16-vs.-1 matchup based on the preseason Big 12 poll.

BYU 's the new No. 1 in the Big 12 power rankings, the fourth team to hold the top spot this season.

1. Brigham Young (6-0, 3-0 in the Big 12)

Last week:4

This week:Friday vs. Oklahoma State

What to know:With BYU at 3-0, we said a reality check was coming. Reality: The Cougars are better than anyone expected.

2. Kansas State (5-1, 2-1)

Last week:1

This week:at West Virginia

What to know:Most underpublicized player in the Big 12? D.J. Giddens, with 2,012 rushing yards since start of last season.

More: Grading Kansas State football's performance in Big 12 road win against Colorado

3. Iowa State (6-0, 3-0)

Last week:2

This week:Central Florida

What to know:What's more impressive, the Cyclones ' 6-0 start or their seven-game road win streak?

4. Texas Tech (5-1, 3-0)

Last week:5

This week:Baylor

What to know:During the open week, Texas Tech unveiled uniforms with the Patrick Mahomes Gladiator logo and the man himself modeling them.

More: Ranking Texas Tech football's top portal additions, transfers making impact elsewhere

5. Arizona State (5-1, 2-1)

Last week:12

This week:at Cincinnati

What to know:Check in on the next big Sun Devils home game. See if Kenny Dillingham can top last week's post-game interview .

More: Caleb McCullough plays hero ball with two interceptions in ASU's upset over Utah

6. Colorado (4-2, 2-1)

Last week:7

This week:at Arizona

What to know:Pac-12 after dark has morphed into Big 12 after dark. No one's maintaining the implied craziness better than the Buffs with heart-stopping finishes against Baylor and Kansas State.

More: Colorado can't pull off another miracle after losing Travis Hunter, other stars to injury

7. Arizona (3-3, 1-2)

Last week:6

This week:Colorado

What to know: Noah Fifita has eight touchdown passes and nine interceptions, and the Wildcats are going nowhere if that keeps up.

Isaiah Glasker (16) of the Brigham Young Cougars knocks away a pass intended for Sam Olson (84) of the Arizona Wildcats during the second half of their game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Oct. 12, 2024, in Provo, Utah.

8. West Virginia (3-3, 2-1)

Last week:8

This week:Kansas State

What to know:WVU's lost eight straight against ranked opponents, and here comes No. 17 K-State .

9. Utah (4-2, 1-2)

Last week:3

This week:TCU

What to know:Was Isaac Wilson at full strength not a better option than Cam Rising hobbling on one leg?

10. Cincinnati (4-2, 2-1)

Last week:11

This week:Arizona State

What to know:Time-zone factor: Noon Eastern for a Cincinnati home game is a 9 a.m. body clock for the Sun Devils.

More: Takeaways from Cincinnati Bearcats Big 12 football win vs. UCF Saturday

More: 5 reactions/overreactions from Cincinnati Bearcats Big 12 football win at UCF

11. Kansas (1-5, 0-3)

Last week:13

This week: Houston

What to know: Jayhawks woke up Sunday dreaming they'd lost a close game late.

12. Baylor (2-4, 0-3)

Last week:14

This week:at Texas Tech

What to know:In the 2021 recruiting class, Lubbock Coronado QB Sawyer Robertson got passed over by Texas Tech in favor of Behren Morton .

13. Oklahoma State (3-3, 0-3)

Last week:10

This week:Friday at Brigham Young

What to know:We expected Cowboys to be No. 13 in the country, not No. 13 in the Big 12.

More: As Oklahoma State football tries to regroup, let's check the mid-term report card

14. Central Florida (3-3, 1-2)

Last week:9

This week:at Iowa State

What to know:Out with erratic sixth-year senior K.J. Jefferson, in with 17-year-old freshman E.J. Colson.

15. Houston (2-4, 1-2)

Last week:15

This week:at Kansas

What to know:Facing the Cougars two years ago, Kansas QB Jalon Daniels had 281 yards total offense and five touchdowns.

16. TCU (3-3, 1-2)

Last week:16

This week:at Utah

What to know:In TCU's last trip to Utah, the Red Rifle Andy Dalton and friends shattered Utes ' 21-game home win streak and 8-0 start in 2010.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Big 12 power rankings: BYU the latest No. 1, and ASU is on the rise

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