Two weeks into the Big 12 season, the conference's pecking order has already flipped on its head. Texas Tech, the preseason favorite and top-ranked team in last week's power rankings, has tumbled to No. 3 after an unimpressive 35-24 win over Oregon State. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, which compiles the rankings, was blunt about the Red Raiders' standing: "Easily the most unimpressive 2-0 team in the conference, and that's saying something."
The label of fraudulent has been attached to Texas Tech, and it's not hard to see why. The Red Raiders needed a second-half push to put away a Beavers side that offered little resistance. They now face a Houston team that just dropped 77 points on Southern. The Cougars, sitting at No. 5, have a "very real offense that could put the Red Raiders into the cellar immediately," per the rankings, though they'll have to do it on the road.
At the top sits BYU, which jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 after suffocating Arizona in the second half of a 28-17 win. The Cougars are 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, and the rankings note they have "the early edge in the Big 12 race." It's a statement win, even if the Wildcats have yet to hit their stride. BYU travels to Colorado State this week, a 2-0 opponent that will provide a stiffer test than their record suggests.
Kansas State holds steady at No. 2 after a 34-7 demolition of Washington State. The Wildcats have scored 105 points in two games, and quarterback Avery Johnson has barely used his legs to do it. That's a terrifying thought for the rest of the conference, and the rankings note it plainly: "That'll play."
Arizona dropped to No. 4 after the loss to BYU. The rankings still believe Noah Fifitia and company "will have a say in the Big 12 title race, just not right now." They get Northern Illinois this week, a chance to reset before conference play heats back up.
The biggest mover of the week is Oklahoma State, which shot from No. 15 to No. 8 after a 39-31 win over Oregon. The rankings were almost giddy about quarterback Drew Mestemaker, calling him "a psychopath" while conceding that Oregon "might also be very mid." They split the difference, but the Cowboys suddenly look like a team with a pulse.
Baylor sits at No. 9 after a 44-3 win over Prairie View A&M, but the rankings flagged a concern: "Hard for DJ Lagway to shed the injury-prone label when he's already missing games two weeks into the season." Colorado is No. 10, with the jury still out on the Buffs despite a 52-21 win over Weber State. The rankings couldn't resist a note on Deion Sanders, mentioning his support for the Protect College Sports Act.
The middle of the pack is a muddle. Iowa State is No. 11 after a 16-13 loss to Iowa, with the rankings offering a lukewarm assessment: "Perhaps the Cyclones aren't as bad as expected, but I wouldn't say they're good either." Cincinnati is No. 12 at 2-0, though the rankings question whether the Bearcats are actually good. "Probably not," they write. "But they are 2-0, and you can't take that away from them."
West Virginia is No. 13 at 2-0, but the rankings warn that "things could get very ugly" against Virginia this week. TCU jumped to No. 14 after a 63-7 rout of Grambling, but the rankings were unimpressed: "Whooping Grambling isn't going to get the Horned Frogs back into our good graces."
Kansas fell hardest, dropping from No. 10 to No. 15 after a 38-21 loss to Missouri. The rankings were sardonic about quarterback Isaiah Marshall's future: "The Isaiah Marshall 2026 mixtape is going to be the most entertaining thing in the world, just not to the benefit of the Jayhawks." They face Arizona State in London this week.
UCF rounds out the rankings at No. 16 after a baffling 12-7 loss to Pittsburgh. The rankings were at a loss: "Not sure what UCF was doing in Week 2, but it certainly wasn't playing a football game." The Knights host Georgia State this week, a chance to right the ship against a 2-0 opponent that hasn't faced anything close to Big 12 competition.
According to Yahoo Sports.