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Big 12 Power Rankings: Two League Newcomers Are Trending Up

Sep 17, 2023, 12:00 PM | Updated: 8:25 pm

BYU Football, Big 12 Power Rankings, LJ Martin...

BYU football surges up the Big 12 Power Rankings like LJ Martin moved through blockers for the endzone. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)

(Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As we enter week four 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. until Noon, then re-airs from 3-5 p.m. on KSL NewsRadio and the KSL Sports Zone.

You can also listen to the show on the KSL Sports app and wherever you get your podcasts.

It wasn’t a pretty week for the Big 12 Conference as Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Cincinnati all suffered embarrassing losses.

Texas was stretched into the fourth quarter by Wyoming and Kansas State lost as a road favorite against old Big 12 rival Missouri in Columbia.

BYU was one of the biggest winners as they went into the SEC and won at Arkansas, 38-31.

The same goes for West Virginia, who gutted out a win without QB Garrett Greene, who left with an injury in the first quarter.

UCF with Timmy McClain at QB in replace of Jon Rhys-Plumlee. The former USF Bull showed that the Knights high-powered offense can still put up points with him at QB.

Big 12 Power Rankings 2023 Season: Week Four

Here’s how we have the power rankings stacked up in the Big 12 entering the week four slate.

1. Texas (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 1

Texas 31, Wyoming 10

This week: at Baylor | 5:30 p.m. | ABC

2. Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 3 (Up 1)

Oklahoma 66, Tulsa 17

This week: at Cincinnati | 10 a.m. | FOX

3. UCF (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 4 (Up 1)

UCF 48, Villanova

This week: at K-State | 6 p.m. | FS1

4. Kansas State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 2 (Down 2)

Missouri 30, K-State 27

This week: vs. UCF | 6 p.m. | FS1

5. TCU (2-1, 1-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 5

TCU 36, Houston 13

This week: vs. SMU | 10 a.m. | FS1

6. BYU (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 10 (Up 4)

BYU 38, Arkansas 31

This week: at Kansas, 1:30 p.m., ESPN & KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)

7. Kansas (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 6 (Down 1)

Kansas 31, Nevada 24

This week: vs. BYU | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN | KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)

8. West Virginia (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 11 (Up 3)

West Virginia 17, Pitt 6

This week: vs. Texas Tech | 1:30 p.m. | Big 12 Now on ESPN+

9. Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 9

Miami (OH) 31, Cincinnati 24 (Overtime)

This week: vs. Oklahoma | 10 a.m. | FOX

10. Texas Tech (1-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 8 (Down 2)

Texas Tech 41, Tarleton State 3

This week: at West Virginia | 1:30 p.m. | Big 12 Now on ESPN+

11. Houston (1-2, 0-1 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 10 (Down 1)

TCU 36, Houston 13

This week: vs. Sam Houston | 5 p.m. | Big 12 Now on ESPN+

12. Baylor (1-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 13 (Up 1)

Baylor 30, LIU 7

This week: vs. Texas | 5:30 p.m. | ABC

13. Oklahoma State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 7 (Down 6)

South Alabama 33, Oklahoma State 7

This week: at Iowa State | 2 p.m. | FS1

14. Iowa State (1-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Last week’s power ranking: No. 14

Ohio 10, Iowa State 7

This week: vs. Oklahoma State | 2 p.m. | FS1

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.

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Big 12 Power Rankings: Two League Newcomers Are Trending Up