While the Utah Utes have faced a setback with Cam Rising’s injury, they still hold the top spot in our Week 3 Big 12 Power Rankings. However, there is a lack of consensus among our staff for the remaining teams, with a total of 11 teams moving up or down this week.
Make sure to check out our individual rankings below and let us know where you agree or disagree.
2024 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings, Week 3
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Utah | 64 |
| 2. Oklahoma State | 59 |
| 3. Kansas State | 57 |
| 4. Arizona | 49 |
| 4. Iowa State | 49 |
| 6. TCU | 41 |
| 7. Kansas | 40 |
| 8. UCF | 37 |
| 9. West Virginia | 31 |
| 10. Arizona State | 28 |
| 11. BYU | 26 |
| 12. Baylor | 22 |
| 13. Texas Tech | 18 |
| 14. Cincinnati | 11 |
| 15. Houston | 10 |
| 16. Colorado | 8 |
Individual Thoughts
Caleb
1 Utah | Utah was rolling before Rising went out. They believe it is not to be serious and should be back soon.
2 Kansas State | K-State played a gritty game against Tulane. Avery Johnson showed he could stay calm and collected on the road.
3 Oklahoma State | OSU defense didn’t start off great but made great 2nd half adjustments to make the comeback.
4 Iowa State
5 Arizona
6 Kansas
7 TCU
8 West Virginia
9 Arizona State
10 UCF
11 Texas Tech
12 BYU
13 Baylor
14 Cincinnati
15 Colorado | Colorado could do nothing Saturday against Nebraska. I feel like it’s only time before that locker room implodes.
16 Houston | While they gave Oklahoma all they wanted they have yet to win a game. I’m not sure how many wins this team will be able to pull out.
Craig
1. Utah | Utah being the best team in the Big 12 solely relies on the health of Cam Rising. They managed to escape with a win over Baylor despite not scoring in the second half as Rising was on the bench in street clothes. Will be an interesting situation to follow as the season continues.
2. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys as long as I can remember have been a second half team. That was no different in their double overtime win over Arkansas last week. With an elite defense and the best running back in college football, the Pokes are in for a solid season.
3. Kansas State | The Wildcats faced quite the scare in their 7 point victory over Tulane. Oftentimes, winning is all that matters. Besides, I think Tulane has a pretty solid squad. This was an impressive comeback win for the Wildcats.
4. TCU
5. Arizona
6. Iowa State
7. West Virginia
8. Arizona State
9. Kansas
10. UCF
11. Baylor
12. BYU
13. Houston
14. Texas Tech
15. Colorado | Colorado looked awful in week one, and they looked even worse against a real opponent last week. There’s way too much nonsense going on in Boulder. It won’t be long until the wheels come falling off.
16. Cincinnati | The Bearcats were close to starting off the season 2-0 before blowing a 21 point lead at home. A scoreless fourth quarter cost them big time.
Matt
1. Utah | The Utes’ victory over Baylor came at a cost, as starting quarterback Cam Rising suffered an apparent injury to his throwing hand. The extent of the injury remains uncertain, but it could significantly impact Utah’s season.
2. Oklahoma State | Despite Ollie Gordon’s relatively quiet performance, the Cowboys demonstrated their ability to win without relying solely on his big plays.
3. Kansas State | A strong second-half performance on both sides of the ball helped the Wildcats overcome Tulane and secure their first victory in three tries against the Green Wave.
4. Arizona
5. Iowa State
6. UCF
7. Kansas
8. TCU
9. BYU
10. Texas Tech
11. Baylor
12. West Virginia
13. Arizona State
14. Colorado
15. Cincinnati | Two missed field goals doomed the Bearcats against Pitt last Saturday.
16. Houston | The Cougar offense couldn’t get things going in a perfect upset opportunity against Oklahoma.
Zack
1. Utah | The Utes stay at the top of the rankings after a 23-12 win over Baylor, but the remainder of their season’s fate rests pretty largely on the status of Cameron Rising’s hand. If he’s hurt and has to miss any real amount of time, they could be in some trouble.
2. Oklahoma State | Hosting Arkansas wasn’t pretty, but the Cowboys got the job done in double overtime. Trailing by 14 at half is tough to overcome, but their ability to limit mistakes while capitalizing on those of the Razorbacks led to the win.
3. Kansas State | The Wildcats pulled out a second-half comeback of their own against Tulane on the road, and they are looking more and more like a legitimate contender in the Big 12.
4. Iowa State
5. Arizona
6. UCF
7. Kansas
8. TCU
9. West Virginia
10. BYU
11. Arizona State
12. Baylor
13. Cincinnati
14. Houston
15. Colorado | It’s not looking great for the Buffaloes. A fourth quarter touchdown might have made them feel better, but the game was never close.
16. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders look about as bad as they have been in a while after getting beat up by Washington State, but hopefully they can get back on track against North Texas this weekend.
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