Big 12 Power Rankings after Week 2: Colorado stumbles terribly while Utah leads the rally
So far, the 2024 season has gone basically according to form in the Big 12. There's only one 0-2 team and most of the league's best teams have had easy 2-0 starts. But here's an attempt to divide the good from the better. It's our post-Week 2 Big 12 Power Rankings.
Big 12 Power Rankings after Week 2
#16. Houston (0-2)
The Cougars almost gained the upset, but fell to 0-2 off an ugly 16-12 loss to Oklahoma. The good news was that Houston's defense held the Sooners to just 252 total yards. The bad news is their own offense put up just 12 points.
#15. Texas Tech (1-1)
Tech was blasted 37-16 by Washington State. The Red Raiders did rack up 491 yards but also gave away four turnovers. Washington State also rushed for 301 yards. So there are some major problems here.
#14. Cincinnati (1-1)
The Bearcats blew a 27-6 third quarter lead in losing 28-27. Pitt both passed (302 yards) and rushed (196 yards) with ease on the Bearcats, which suggests a long season ahead.
#13. Colorado (1-1)
All is not well at Colorado, where the Buff offense again has no semblance of a ground game and poor offensive line play, as shown in a 28-10 loss to Nebraska. Shedeur Sanders can only do so much without anyone blocking well in front of him.
#12. Baylor (1-1)
The Bears stuck with Utah in a 23-12 loss, but gained just 223 total yards in the game. Dequan Finn struggled, completing just nine passes for 115 yards.
#11. West Virginia (1-1)
The Mountaineers picked up an easy win over Albany by a 49-14 score. The 305 yards rushing might be a good sign for West Virginia... or it could be the product of a massive mismatch.
#10. BYU (2-0)
BYU ground out an 18-15 win over SMU. BYU was just 2 for 13 on third down attempts, so that's one issue to fix in Week 3.
#9. Iowa State (2-0)
The Cyclones came back from a 13-0 halftime deficit to best in-state rival Iowa by a 20-19 count. A 3.2 yards per rush ground game leaves some concerns remaining for the Cyclones.
#8. Arizona (2-0)
The Wildcats trailed at halftime to Northern Arizona, 10-6, but rallied in the second half for a 22-10 win. The biggest concern? Tetairoa McMillan had just two catches for 11 yards.
#7. Arizona State (2-0)
ASU had a 27-3 halftime edge and coasted home with a 30-23 win. Arizona State rushed for 359 yards on 54 carries, but only passed for 69 yards on 20 attempts. Cam Skattebo was phenomental, but balance will be necessary ahead.
#6. Kansas (1-1)
Kansas's loss to Illinois seems to establish a ceiling for the team which is well shy of competing for the league title. That said, it was a one-score loss on the road where Kansas outgained their opponent by 56 yards but was done in by a -3 turnover margin.
#5. TCU (2-0)
The Horned Frogs had an easy 45-0 win over Long Island. It's hard to take much away from a game like this, because of the gap in competition. QB Josh Hoover was sharp, which will be important moving forward.
#4. UCF (2-0)
An easy 45-14 win over Sam Houston State doesn't tell much, but RJ Harvey's four TD performance and KJ Jefferson's solid play are signs of UCF's status near the top of the Big 12. Saturday's matchup with TCU should be telling.
#3. Oklahoma State (2-0)
Things didn't start well for Oklahoma State, as they trailed 21-7 at halftime before rallying to beat Arkansas 39-31 in overtime. The Cowboys need more production than 17 carries for 49 yards from Ollie Gordon heading into Big 12 play.
#2. Kansas State (2-0)
The Wildcats had their own massive struggle at Tulane. Tulane led 20-10 at intermission, before K-State rallied for a 34-27 victory. Tulane outgained the Wildcats by 95 yards, which suggests some questions about the Kansas State defense.
#1. Utah (2-0)
The bigger story than the ugly 23-12 win was a hand injury that drove senior QB Cam Rising from the game. If Rising is fine, so is Utah as a likely Big 12 Champ and CFP pick. If not, they've got some significant concerns.
What do you think of our Big 12 Power Rankings? Share your twists below in our comments section!