The Big 12 landscape continues to shift and shake as we enter Week 5. While there is general consensus on the top and bottom teams, the middle of the pack remains fiercely competitive.
Our staff unanimously agreed that Utah maintains its position at the top, showcasing dominance in the conference. On the other hand, Houston remains firmly at the bottom, struggling to find its footing.
The rankings this week feature a series of ties, highlighting the parity within the conference. Multiple teams are occupying spots #6, #11, and #13, demonstrating the close competition within the conference.
With twelve teams changing positions from last week, it’s clear that the Big 12 is an incredibly competitive conference, where any team can win on any given day.
2024 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings, Week 5
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Utah | 64 |
| 2. Iowa State | 59 |
| 3. Oklahoma State | 55 |
| 4. BYU | 50 |
| 5. Kansas State | 45 |
| 6. Arizona | 41 |
| 6. UCF | 41 |
| 8. Texas Tech | 38 |
| 9. West Virginia | 31 |
| 10. Colorado | 22 |
| 11. Arizona State | 21 |
| 11. Kansas | 21 |
| 13. Baylor | 19 |
| 13. Cincinnati | 19 |
| 15. TCU | 14 |
| 16. Houston | 4 |
Individual Thoughts
Caleb
1. Utah | Utah’s defense played lights out. Without their QB1 their offense proved they are still a top 10 team.
2. Iowa State | ISU has been a sneaky good team. They go to Houston next week which they should win pretty handily and find themselves 4-0 and 1-0 in Big 12 play.
3. BYU | I had BYU as the worst team to start off the year, and boy have they proved me wrong. Their defense had the bend don’t break mindset Saturday night. They gave up a couple hundred yards but didn’t give up a TD.
4. Oklahoma State
5. Arizona
6. Kansas State
7. Texas Tech
8. Arizona State
9. West Virginia
10. UCF
11. Cincinnati
12. Colorado
13. Kansas
14. Baylor
15. TCU | TCU has to figure out how to run the ball, and take care of the ball. With only 92 rushing yards and 5 turnovers it is hard to win a shootout which they will have to do a lot this season.
16. Houston | Houston is just bad, I’m not sure what else to say.
Craig
1. Utah | The Utes left no doubt that they are the top team with their win over Oklahoma State this weekend. However, without a healthy Cam Rising, I’m not sure they can keep up the success.
2. Iowa State | The Cyclones are looking better and better each week. The defense continues to impress, and the offense looks to finally be hitting its stride.
3. Oklahoma State | Tough loss this week for the Pokes, but their season is far from over. I have full confidence they will get Ollie Gordon and the rushing game going at some point.
4. BYU
5. UCF
6. Texas Tech
7. Kansas State
8. Arizona
9. Colorado
10. Baylor
11. Arizona State
12. TCU
13. West Virginia
14. Cincinnati
15. Kansas | Are we witnessing Kansas revert to the ways of old? It’s been a brutal start to the season for the Jayhawks. Jalon Daniels has been a major disappointment for the Kansas offense.
16. Houston | Houston has scored a combined 19 points in their three losses this season. To make matters worse, they have to host Iowa State next.
Matt
1. Utah | The Utes limited Oklahoma State to 285 yards and forced eight punts while having two defensive starters not playing.
2. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys nearly completed the comeback, but can you really punish them for losing to the best team in the conference?
3. Iowa State | The Cyclones finally got their running game going, put up their most points since 2021.
4. UCF
5. Kansas State
6. Texas Tech
7. Arizona
8. BYU
9. West Virginia
10. Kansas
11. Baylor
12. Colorado
13. Arizona State
14. Cincinnati
15. TCU | Frog’s QB Josh Hoover threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns on 28-of-43 passing, but also had four turnovers
16. Houston | Houston has only scored 26 points in four games and has reached double-digits just twice.
Zack
1. Utah | The Utes are unequivocally the best team in the conference. Their defense dominated Oklahoma State outside of the last few minutes of the game, and the offense did enough to put points on the board and eat up time of possession. They’re the clear favorite to win the Big 12.
2. Iowa State | The Cyclones upset #21 Iowa a couple of weeks before dominating a decent Arkansas State team. They might not play another ranked team until the end of the season, which means realistically they could be 10-0 before taking on Utah.
3. BYU | I knew that Kansas State was going to have a rough one in Provo on Saturday night, but I didn’t expect them to lose, let alone by 29 points. The Cougars are legit.
4. Oklahoma State
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. Arizona
8. UCF
9. Kansas
10. Cincinnati
11. Texas Tech
12. TCU
13. Colorado
14. Baylor
15. Arizona State | The Sun Devils had a fluffy schedule on the way to 3-0, but they fell short against a mediocre Texas Tech squad. They’ve got a rough schedule ahead of them, also.
16. Houston | The Cougars are terrible. How this team managed to play Oklahoma close is lost on me because they’re not likely to win another game this season.
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