Another week of Big 12 football is in the books, and that means it’s time for our updated power rankings. As always, our system is simple: Caleb, Craig, Matt, and Zack each submit their individual top-to-bottom rankings of the league. From there, the teams are assigned points based on position (16 points for first place, one point for last), and the totals determine the composite order you’ll find at the bottom of this page.
This week’s rankings reflect just how wild the early portion of the season has been. At the top, Texas Tech hangs on to the No. 1 spot, but the gap is razor thin as Iowa State continues to climb thanks to its résumé of Power Four wins. Utah and TCU are lurking right behind, showing just how competitive the top tier already looks.
It wouldn’t be a Heartland set of rankings without some ties — and this week we’ve got plenty. Arizona State and BYU are locked together at No. 6, Cincinnati and Kansas knotted at No. 9, and Houston and Kansas State are tied at No. 11. The middle of the league is absolutely chaotic, with no clear separation emerging after two weeks.
Where we’re closest to agreement is actually near the bottom. All four of us unanimously slotted UCF at No. 14, even after a 2-0 start, and Oklahoma State landed firmly at No. 16 following their disastrous trip to Eugene. The Cowboys were blown out 69–3 by Oregon, a result that left little doubt about their current place in the Big 12 pecking order.
As for where the panel disagreed most? That depends on who you ask. Craig is much higher on Baylor than Caleb or Zack, while Matt is still giving Utah the benefit of the doubt over Iowa State and Tech. Caleb’s belief in BYU as a top-five team contrasts with Zack’s more cautious approach. Those differences are what make these rankings fun to put together — and why the middle tier looks like a logjam of uncertainty.
Scroll to the bottom to see the full Week 3 Big 12 Power Rankings and where each of us placed all 16 teams.
2025 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 3
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Texas Tech | 60 |
| 2. Iowa State | 59 |
| 3. Utah | 56 |
| 4. TCU | 51 |
| 5. Baylor | 46 |
| 6. Arizona State | 45 |
| 6. BYU | 45 |
| 8. Arizona | 30 |
| 9. Cincinnati | 28 |
| 9. Kansas | 28 |
| 11. Houston | 24 |
| 11. Kansas State | 24 |
| 13. Colorado | 22 |
| 14. UCF | 14 |
| 15. West Virginia | 10 |
| 16. Oklahoma State | 4 |
Comparing Week 2 to Week 3
The Week 3 Big 12 power rankings show a noticeable shake-up compared to Week 2, especially in the middle tier of the conference. Iowa State jumped into sole possession of the No. 2 spot after being tied with Arizona State last week, while Utah also climbed to No. 3 with steady momentum. Baylor made the biggest leap, surging from No. 9 all the way to No. 5, showing significant improvement in early-season form. On the flip side, Arizona State took one of the steepest drops, falling from No. 2 all the way down to a tie for No. 6. Kansas also slipped from a solid tie at No. 7 to a shared No. 9 spot, while Kansas State dropped even further, going from tied at No. 7 to No. 11. At the bottom, Oklahoma State continued to tumble, falling from 15th to last place, while UCF made a slight climb from No. 16 to No. 14. Overall, Week 3’s rankings reflect both Baylor’s rise as a contender and the struggles of traditional middle-of-the-pack teams like Kansas State and West Virginia.
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders have looked like one of the best teams in the country through the first few weeks. With another easy game coming up Tech will have another chance to flex how good they are.
2. Iowa State | The Cyclones have now beaten two Power 4 teams. They look to be one of the best in the big 12.
3. Utah | The Utes continue to take care of business. With Texas Tech coming up in a few weeks we will really see how good this team is.
4. BYU
5. TCU
6. Arizona
7. Arizona State
8. Baylor
9. Colorado
10. Houston
11. Kansas
12. Cincinnati
13. West Virginia
14. UCF
15. Kansas State | The wildcats are off to a disappointing start to the season. Its hard to look at their schedule and see any easy games the way they have been playing.
16.Oklahoma State | The Cowboys gave up over 600 yards of total offense while only putting up a little over 200 themselves. Its hard to look at their schedule and see any wins left.
Craig
1. Iowa State | The Cyclones kicked a 54 yard field goal to make it past Iowa and improve to 3-0. With the best quarterback and best defense in the league they’re an easy choice for the top spot.
2. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders had another good week, but without a quality win I have to leave them in the second spot. Regardless, this offense is no joke, Tech has scored 129 points in two weeks.
3. Utah | The Utes improve to 2-0 and will have one more easier matchup before facing Texas Tech in a couple weeks. They’ve been fantastic on both sides of the ball. Could they actually make a run this year?
4. Baylor
5. Arizona State
6. BYU
7. TCU
8. Kansas State
9. Arizona
10. Kansas
11. Colorado
12. Cincinnati
13. Houston
14. UCF
15. West Virginia | Am I too harsh for dropping the Mountaineers this low after losing to Ohio? The Bobcats had a solid record last season. But, when it comes to Power 4 versus Group of 5, West Virginia shouldn’t have lost this game.
16. Oklahoma State | What is there to say? The Pokes have now been outscored 121-3 against their last two FBS opponents. A 69-3 loss is the type of loss that can derail an entire season.
Matt
1. Utah | |Clearly the class of the league after dominant showings vs. UCLA and Cal Poly.
2. TCU | The Horned Frogs were off in Week 2, but that Week 1 UNC dismantling remains one of the most impressive single-game statements by a Big 12 team through the first few weeks of the season.
3. Texas Tech | Another big scoreboard night (Kent State), still very much a contender. Still very much unproven.
4. Baylor
5. Iowa State
6. BYU
7. Arizona State
8. Cincinnati
9. Houston
10. Kansas
11. Kansas State
12. Arizona
13. Colorado
14. UCF
15. West Virginia | The loss at Ohio was ugly; Mountaineers slide down after a disappointing performance.
16. Oklahoma State | The 69–3 drubbing at Oregon was historic — and not in a good way. The Pokes have bottomed out after Week 2.
Zack
1. Iowa State | It took a last second field goal, but the Cyclones beat rival Iowa in a nailbiter thanks to the outstanding play of Rocco Becht. They still look like the most proven team by a lot right now.
2. Texas Tech | Another blowout win for the Red Raiders against a pretty bad team, but still, they’re looking solid so far. They should have a pretty easy time with Oregon State this week before entering conference play.
3. TCU | No game this week for the Horned Frogs, but they move into the top 3 for me after Arizona State’s loss to Mississippi State.
4. Arizona State
5. Utah
6. Baylor
7. BYU
8. Cincinnati
9. Kansas
10. Kansas State
11. Arizona
12. Houston
13. Colorado
14. UCF
15. West Virginia | The Mountaineers dropped a tough loss to Ohio, but if they can figure out how to beat Pitt this week, they may move up a bit.
16. Oklahoma State | This team is in disarray, and I’m not sure if it’s Mike Gundy’s fault or just a straight up lack of talent. Either way, it doesn’t look good. They get a kong break before hosting Tulsa on the 19th. Maybe they can figure out a way to win that one.
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