Big 12 Power Rankings: Say Hello To BYU At No. 1
Oct 2, 2024, 10:30 AM
SALT LAKE CITY – As we enter week six of the college football season, it’s time for another installment of Big 12 power rankings.
Every week, KSL Sports Zone host Alex Kirry and I drop our Big 12 power rankings on our radio show, “First & 12.”
It airs Sundays at 10 a.m. (MT) until Noon on KSL NewsRadio and the KSL Sports Zone.
You can listen to the show on the KSL Sports app and all major podcasting platforms.
Big 12 Power Rankings 2024 Season: Week 6
Here’s how we have the power rankings stacked up in the Big 12 entering the week six slate.
1. BYU (5-0, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 3 (Up 2)
BYU 34, Baylor 28
This week: Bye
BYU climbs to the top of the Big 12 power rankings. The 5-0 record isn’t a fluke, as SMU has emerged as a solid team in the ACC, and Kansas State remains one of the top teams in the conference. BYU is in the thick of this conference race.
2. Iowa State (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 2
Iowa State 20, Houston 0
This week: vs. Baylor | 5:30 p.m. | FOX
Iowa State has one of the best wins in the league, a victory at Iowa, but there isn’t much else on the resume to this point to say they should take the No. 1 spot. But the Cyclones will cause a lot of headaches for anyone who faces them in the league.
3. Kansas State (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 4 (Up 1)
Kansas State 42, Oklahoma State 20
This week: Bye
It was a huge bounce-back win for Kansas State to roll through Oklahoma State. The Wildcats acknowledged that the loss at BYU got them focused and they returned back to their usual selves over the Pokes.
4. Arizona (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 10 (Up 6)
Arizona 23, Utah 10
This week: vs. Texas Tech | 9 p.m. | FOX
A breakthrough win for Arizona in Salt Lake City in a week where Brent Brennan confirmed he handed over the offensive playcalling duties to Matt Adkins away from Dino Babers. It was a reminder, too, of how good Noah Fifita is at the quarterback spot.
5. Utah (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 1 (Down 4)
Arizona 23, Utah 10
This week: Bye
Utah suffered a rare loss at home. QB Isaac Wilson will be a good player for the Utes, but they experienced the trials of starting a true freshman in a power conference schedule. The margin for error to an at-large Playoff spot suddenly got razor-thin for Utah.
6. Colorado (4-1, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 7 (Up 1)
Colorado 48, UCF 21
This week: Bye
The best win of the Coach Prime era was the blowout victory at UCF. Colorado is trending up and how can you not love the greatness of what we’re seeing from Travis Hunter? His striking of the Heisman pose was a great moment.
7. Texas Tech (4-1, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 8 (Up 1)
Texas Tech 44, Cincinnati 41
This week: at Arizona | 9 p.m. | FOX
Since that underwhelming performance at Washington State, the Red Raiders have taken care of business at home, reeling off three consecutive wins. If they pull off an upset in Tucson this week, we will begin to believe in their Big 12 title chances.
8. UCF (3-1, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 6 (Down 2)
Colorado 48, UCF 21
This week: at Florida | 5:45 p.m. | SEC Network
If they take down Florida in The Swamp this week, UCF fans will quickly forget about last week’s debacle.
9. Arizona State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 9
Bye
This week: vs. Kansas | 6 p.m. | ESPN2
The Sun Devils are back after a bye week and still looking for their first Big 12 win. An underrated piece to ASU is their defense, which ranks third in total yards per game allowed this season at 286 yards per game.
10. West Virginia (2-2, 1-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 11 (Up 1)
Bye
This week: at Oklahoma State | 2 p.m. | ESPN2
West Virginia felt people were sleeping on them again coming into this season. They can change that narrative this week in Stillwater.
11. Cincinnati (3-2, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 12 (Up 1)
Texas Tech 44, Cincinnati 41
This week: Bye
Year two under Scott Satterfield shows us that the Bearcats have made progress.
12. Oklahoma State (3-2, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 5 (Down 7)
Kansas State 42, Oklahoma State 20
This week: vs. West Virginia | 2 p.m. | ESPN2
For the first time since 2005, Oklahoma State is 0-2 in Big 12 play. They opened the league slate with one of the toughest schedules opening against Utah and K-State. But their veteran stars haven’t performed well.
QB Alan Bowman is only completing 50% of his passes in league play and RB Ollie Gordon hasn’t rushed for 100 yards in a game against an FBS opponent this season.
13. TCU (3-2, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 14 (Up 1)
TCU 38, Kansas 27
This week: vs. Houston (Friday) | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN
TCU’s offense can still put up numbers.
14. Baylor (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 13 (Down 1)
BYU 34, Baylor 28
This week: at Iowa State | 5:30 p.m. | FOX
Baylor showed some fight against BYU, but the start sunk them in yet another home Big 12 loss.
15. Kansas (1-4, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 15
TCU 38, Kansas 27
This week: at Arizona State | 6 p.m. | ESPN2
This week, it’s a big game for Kansas if they have any hopes of turning around the season that has gotten away from them quickly.
16. Houston (1-4, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 16
Iowa State 20, Houston 0
This week: at TCU (Friday) | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN
Will Houston score points in a Big 12 game this week?
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
