BYU and Utah have quickly pushed themselves to the front of the Big 12 conversation, and both teams are doing it from the same state.
After two weeks, the Cougars and Utes look like the league’s clear top tier. BYU is sitting at No. 1 in the composite power rankings after opening Big 12 play with a quality win over Arizona, while Utah checked in right behind them after a 43-10 home win over Arkansas that the ranking notes was not as close as the final score suggests.
The numbers back up the early surge. BYU’s run game is averaging 228 yards per game through the first two weeks. Utah, in Morgan Scalley’s first year as head coach, is putting up 54.5 points per game through its first two contests.
There’s also a big Week 3 matchup on deck Friday night, when Texas Tech hosts Houston in a spotlight TV window. Both teams had their share of trouble against Oregon State over the last two weeks, but both still walked away with wins. The question now is what we learn about them in West Texas.
Here’s how the Big 12 stacks up heading into the weekend, based on the composite ballot from KSL Sports reporters Steve Bartle, Josh Furlong, and Mitch Harper.
BYU remains No. 1 at 2-0 overall and 1-0 in league play after beating Arizona 28-17. The Cougars head to Colorado State on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
MDT on CBS and KSL NewsRadio, with an extended pregame beginning at noon from Ft. Collins.
Utah moved up to No. 2 at 2-0 overall and 0-0 in the Big 12 after the 43-10 rout of Arkansas. The Utes host Utah State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MDT on FOX.
Texas Tech dropped one spot to No. 3 after beating Oregon State 35-24. The Red Raiders face Houston on Friday at 6 p.m. MDT on FOX.
Houston stays at No. 4 after a 77-6 win over Southern and heads to Texas Tech for that Friday showdown.
Kansas State climbs to No. 5 after a 34-7 win over Washington State and now gets Tulane on Saturday at 10 a.m. MDT on ESPN2.
Arizona comes in at No. 6 after the 28-17 loss to BYU and will host Northern Illinois on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. MDT on TNT.
Oklahoma State made the biggest leap in the composite, jumping to No. 7 from No. 16 after its 39-31 win over Oregon. The Cowboys play Murray State on Saturday at 5 p.m. MDT on ESPN+.
Cincinnati holds at No. 8 after beating Western Carolina 62-10 and will host Miami (Ohio) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MDT on ESPN+.
Colorado is up to No. 9 after a 52-21 win over Weber State and visits Northwestern on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Arizona State slides to No. 10 after a 48-20 loss to Texas A&M and will face Kansas in London on Saturday at 10 a.m. MDT on FS1.
West Virginia moves up to No. 11 after a 52-7 win over UT-Martin and travels to Virginia on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MDT on ACC Network.
Baylor is No. 12 after beating Prairie View A&M 44-3 and will host LA Tech on Saturday at 2 p.m. MDT on ESPNU.
Iowa State checks in at No. 13 after a 16-13 loss to Iowa and plays Bowling Green on Saturday at 10 a.m. MDT on ESPNU.
Kansas drops to No. 14 after a 38-21 loss to Missouri and meets Arizona State in London on Saturday at 10 a.m. MDT on FS1.
TCU sits at No. 15 after a 63-7 win over Grambling and hosts Arkansas State on Saturday at 6 p.m. MDT on ESPNU.
UCF rounds out the rankings at No. 16 after a 12-7 loss to Pitt and returns home to face Georgia State on Saturday at 5 p.m. MDT on ESPN+.
The three individual ballots were slightly different near the top. Steve Bartle put Utah first and BYU second, while Josh Furlong and Mitch Harper both had BYU at No. 1 and Utah at No.
- All three agreed on Texas Tech at No. 3 and Houston at No.
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