Big 12 power rankings Week 3: BYU and Utah on top (again) as evidence of mayhem’s return surfaces

The Big 12 football power rankings are published on the Hotline each Monday throughout the regular season. The placement of teams reflects both the latest results and season-long performance. (Call them objectively subjective.) For comparative purposes, we have included each team’s position in last week’s rankings.

It appears the Big 12 is back to being the Big 12, and that’s good news for anyone who wants to be entertained this fall.

A conference built — or should we say, rebuilt — with parity and mayhem at the core lurched away from that competitive ethos last season when Texas Tech thundered its way to the conference title.

The Red Raiders were inevitable in a conference previously defined by unpredictability.

But the early returns in 2026, with Oklahoma State in the leading role, indicate the weekly chaos is back.

How else do you explain the Cowboys scoring 10 points in a loss at Tulsa in the opener, then 39 in an upset of sixth-ranked Oregon one week later?

It was one of the most stunning week-to-week transformations in the modern era. And it prompted the Hotline to wonder what’s real and imaginary across the conference, starting with the Cowboys.

Are they the team that lost to Tulsa? If so, Oklahoma State’s 18-game losing streak in Big 12 play will continue indefinitely.

Or are they the team that dominated Oregon for long stretches as a 24-point underdog? Those Cowboys, with quarterback Drew Mestemaker slinging the ball to every nook and cranny of the field, could contend for the conference title.

Speaking of contenders: Arizona looked like one in the first half Saturday at BYU, then morphed into a pretender in the second half. Which version will emerge in coach Brent Brennan’s third season?

We suspect the Wildcats will remain a factor in the race deep into November — with quarterback Noah Fifita as the maestro, their floor is higher than most. Is it high enough to secure a spot in Arlington for the conference championship game? That could very well depend on a handful of bounces over nine games.

Another case of preconceived notions going awry: Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders were the popular pick to repeat as conference champions given the financial investment in their roster. (Not on the Hotline, however.)

But they were slightly less than overpowering against Abilene Christian in the opener, then needed two touchdowns in the final six minutes to beat back Oregon State. The defense, so dominant last year, could not stop the Beavers’ aerial game (417 yards).

It’s difficult to envision this version of the Red Raiders blasting through conference play in the same fashion as last year. They appear to have regressed.

Which edition of Arizona State can we expect to see on the field this weekend in London (against Kansas) and over the subsequent eight league games?

The Sun Devils lost by 28 points at Texas A&M on Saturday but were vastly more competitive at the line of scrimmage than the final margin suggests. (The Aggies gained just 255 total yards.)

Arizona State’s problem? Four turnovers, including two Pick Sixes in the fourth quarter, and erratic play by new quarterback Cutter Boley. If the mistakes are tamped down, there is no reason the Sun Devils cannot contend for the conference title. They have what it takes on the lines, and the new receivers are terrific.

Also from the department of reality-or-illusion: Utah’s new, high-powered offense, which was on display Saturday night in a 43-10 victory over Arkansas.

Under first-year coach Morgan Scalley and new playcaller Kevin McGiven, the Utes are exponentially more dynamic than in past years with two quarterbacks, Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin, who can make plays with their arm and legs.

But the Razorbacks are an SEC team in name only. Once the Utes enter the heart of conference play and their new offense is on film for all to see, will the success continue?

And what about Colorado, which looks nothing like the sorry shell of a team we saw last year? The Buffaloes appear transformed as coach Deion Sanders attempts to salvage his legacy in Boulder. They rallied to win at Georgia Tech in the opener, then hammered Weber State and are far tougher on the lines than we expected.

Their schedule includes most of the perceived contenders in the Big 12 race: Texas Tech, Houston, Arizona State, Utah and even Oklahoma State.

If the Buffaloes are, in fact, markedly better than last year, they will have a major impact on the weekly twists and turns set to unfold over the next two-and-a-half months.

We aren’t complaining. The more of those, the better.

To the power rankings …

(All times Pacific)

1. BYU (2-0/1-0)

Result: beat Arizona 28-17
Next up: at Colorado State (4:30 p.m. on CBS)
Comment: Quarterback Bear Bachmeier as a Heisman Trophy finalist makes far more sense right now than Fernando Mendoza as the Heisman Trophy winner made at this time last year. Disagree? Argue with a wall. (Last week: 1)

2. Utah (2-0)

Result: beat Arkansas 43-10
Next up: vs. Utah State (12:30 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: From where we sit, the only thing standing between Utah and an 8-0 record entering the Holy War is a major upset. Coach Morgan Scalley and his merry band of playmakers will be heavily favored in their next six games. (Last week: 2)

3. Texas Tech (2-0)

Result: won at Oregon State 35-24
Next up: vs. Houston (Friday at 5 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: The trips to Colorado and Oklahoma State look more formidable than they did prior to the season. In fact, Texas Tech’s entire conference schedule has taken on a layer of rigor that did not previously exist. Will appearance become reality? We’ll see. (Last week: 3)

4. Arizona (1-1/1-1)

Result: lost at BYU 28-17
Next up: vs. Northern Illinois (7:30 p.m. on TNT)
Comment: We aren’t suggesting the loss in Provo is immaterial to Arizona’s trajectory, but every goal remains intact and the most daunting game is in the rearview mirror. That said, the Wildcats must make as much progress from September to November as they did last year. (Last week: 4)

5. Arizona State (1-1)

Result: lost at Texas A&M 48-20
Next up: vs. Kansas in London (9 a.m. on FS1)
Comment: We are less interested in how the Sun Devils perform in London than in how they fare in the weeks following their return. Will the combination of the Texas A&M game, two overseas flights and a week of body-clock disruption linger into October? (Last week: 5)

6. Colorado (2-0)

Result: beat Weber State 52-21
Next up: at Northwestern (4:30 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: How will the lack of size up front impact the Buffaloes against a Big Ten opponent? We’ll let you know if they ever face one. Just kidding! There are no early indications that Northwestern is on the Rutgers level of stink. (Last week: 6)

7. Houston (2-0)

Result: beat Southern 77-6
Next up: at Texas Tech (Friday at 5 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: We were forced to reassess the Cougars after watching Oregon State push Texas Tech to the limit over the weekend — perhaps Houston’s tougher-than expected Week 1 victory wasn’t the indictment it appeared. (Last week: 7)

8. Kansas State (2-0)

Result: beat Washington State 34-7
Next up: vs. Tulane (9 a.m. on ESPN2)
Comment: For all the changes across the conference and in Manhattan specifically (new coaching staff), quarterback Avery Johnson, who threw two interceptions against WSU, looks the same. And that’s not good for the Wildcats. (Last week: 9)

9. Oklahoma State (1-1)

Result: beat Oregon 39-31
Next up: vs. Murray State (4 p.m. on ESPN+)
Comment: The Cowboys looked like the worst team in the conference in Week 1 and the best team in the conference in Week 2. Split the difference, and you get a spot smack in the middle. For now. We suspect they will be much closer to the top by November. (Last week: 16)

10. UCF (1-1)

Result: lost at Pittsburgh 12-7
Next up: vs. Georgia State (4 p.m. on ESPN+)
Comment: Talk about deception: The Knights scored 73 points against Bethune-Cookman, then managed just seven (and a paltry 206 yards) against Pittsburgh. Scott Frost the coach could really use Scott Frost the player. (Last week: 8)

11. Baylor (1-1)

Result: beat Prairie View A&M 44-3
Next up: vs. Louisiana Tech (1 p.m. on ESPNU)
Comment: The Dave Aranda Watch should stay quiet until late in the season unless quarterback DJ Lagway is lost for any length of time. The schedule is soft enough that a prolonged downturn should be delayed until November. (Last week: 10)

12. Iowa State (1-1)

Result: lost at Iowa 16-13
Next up: vs. Bowling Green (9 a.m. on ESPNU)
Comment: The Cy-Hawk rivalry in a nutshell: 29 combined points, 539 combined yards and 27 combined punts. We’re kidding about that last piece, by the way. There were only 13. (Last week: 15)

13. Cincinnati (2-0)

Result: beat Western Carolina 62-10
Next up: vs. Miami-Ohio (12:30 p.m. on ESPN+)
Comment: Quarterback JC French has helped Cincinnati fans forget about Brendan Sorsby, but will the amnesia last? The Bearcats have one of the toughest opponent rotations in the conference. (Last week: 11)

14. West Virginia (2-0)

Result: beat UT Martin 52-7
Next up: at Virginia (4:30 p.m. on ACC Network)
Comment: The Mountaineers have played two creampuffs thus far. They are about to face a piece of choice meat. Are they up to the task? Count us as skeptical. (Last week: 12)

15. Kansas (1-1)

Result: lost to Missouri 38-21
Next up: vs. Arizona State in London (9 a.m. on FS1)
Comment: There’s a case for slotting the Jayhawks into the middle tier of the power rankings — they were competitive throughout the loss to No. 20 Missouri. It’s just that the Hotline isn’t interested in making it. (Last week: 13)

16. TCU (1-1)

Result: beat Grambling State 63-7
Next up: vs. Arkansas State (5 p.m. on ESPNU)
Comment: If we were inclined to pick ties, the Horned Frogs would be placed in a group of five teams slotted for 12th, with nobody ranked below that point. Thus far, the Big 12’s competitive floor is fairly high, but the middle is wide. (Last week: 14)

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