College Football Big 12 power rankings entering Week 5
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They’re not in the top 10 this week, but what in the world is going on at Colorado? They’ve dismissed players, benched quarterbacks, and endured a cavalcade of injuries through four weeks of the season. They could be one of the stories of the college football season in the Big 12 if they can’t get things turned around. But enough about a bad football team, let’s get to this week’s top 10.
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Ranks 10-8
10. Arizona
Noah Fifita did Noah Fifita things against Washington State. After falling down 14-0, he led the comeback effort, throwing for 4 TDs. Worth noting: fifth-year player Ismail Mahdi got back into the swing of things in this game, with 10 carries for 63 yards.
9. West Virginia
It was a solid start for the Mountaineers against Oklahoma State, jumping out to a 14-3 lead. Both Michael Hawkins and Cam Cook topped 100 rushing yards. But the defense just couldn’t stop a nosebleed in the second half, and the Mountaineers lost 41-24. They won’t get knocked too far down this list for a respectable showing against a quality opponent.
8. Kansas State
Some of the preseason concerns about the Wildcats came to light in Week 4 against Cincinnati. The offensive line injuries in training camp are proving to have an impact, as the line could not generate a push in the run game. And Avery Johnson has not improved enough as a passer to carry the team with his arm alone.
Ranks 7-4
7. Cincinnati
I will continue to bang the drum for the Cincinnati offensive line, who completely overwhelmed Kansas State in the Bearcats’ Week 4 victory. Both Gi’Bran Payne and Cole Tabb topped 100 rushing yards. They’re good backs, but that doesn’t happen without elite offensive line play.
6. Arizona State
The Sun Devils had a well-deserved week off after the trip to London in Week 3. And fortunately for them, their first game after their return is a home contest against Baylor, where the Sun Devils will surely be favored.
5. Houston
Conner Weigman accounted for 6 total TDs in Houston’s 42-28 victory over Georgia Southern. This is still one of the best teams in the league, but their results haven’t been overly impressive, and the running backs have struggled. We’ll see if that comes back to bite them as conference play continues.
4. Oklahoma State
The longer the season goes on, the more the Week 1 loss to Tulsa looks like a complete outlier for this Oklahoma State team. The Pokes’ high-octane offense scored on 5 straight possessions after trailing West Virginia 21-13 to win 41-24. The North Texas transfers — Mestemaker, Hawkins, and Young in particular — are proving that they belong in the Big 12.
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Top 3
3. Utah
Wayshawn Parker completely dominated in the Utes’ 31-17 victory over Iowa State, leading the team in rushing and receiving and accounting for 239 total yards. The defense shut down the Iowa State run game, and this was a fairly stress-free Saturday.
2. Texas Tech
The Red Raiders’ Week 4 game against Sam Houston State was a little close for comfort after the first quarter, and then Austin Romaine happened. The former Kansas State linebacker had two pick-sixes on two consecutive offensive snaps to bust the game open. Personally, I’ve always referred to this feat as the “Kuechly,” as the most notable instance of the feat was when Luke Kuechly did it against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in 2015.
1. BYU
The Cougars had a relatively early bye week in Week 4. They’ve been the class of the league to this point, and the remaining schedule is far from a gauntlet. They will be underdogs against Notre Dame. But they will likely be favored in every remaining game except at Utah, which would surely be a very close spread anyway.
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