The Big 12 enters Week 3 with a fresh set of questions after a mixed weekend that included a 10-4 mark in non-conference play, but only a 3-4 record against other Power Four teams. The league also got its first conference game of the season, with BYU holding serve at home against Arizona.
That backdrop shakes out into a new round of power rankings, and Texas Tech stays on top after another week in which the conference’s top spots shifted around it. BYU sits right behind the Red Raiders, with Houston at No. 3 and Arizona at No. 4.
Here’s how the full board looks heading into Week 3:
No. 16: Iowa State
No. 15: Colorado
No. 14: Kansas
No. 13: Baylor
No. 12: UCF (9)
No. 11: West Virginia
No. 10: Cincinnati
No. 9: Arizona State (8)
No. 8: TCU (6)
No. 7: Oklahoma State (12)
No. 6: Kansas State
No. 5: Utah
No. 4: Arizona
No. 3: Houston
No. 2: BYU
No. 1: Texas Tech
The weekend scoreboard told the story of a league that had plenty of wins, but not always against the kind of competition that moves the needle. Missouri beat Kansas 38-21, Oklahoma State knocked off Oregon 39-31, West Virginia rolled UT Martin 52-7, and Texas Tech handled Oregon State 35-24.
BYU’s 28-17 win over Arizona was the conference’s first league result, while Utah beat Arkansas 43-10 and Iowa edged Iowa State 16-13. Houston blasted Southern 77-6, Kansas State took care of Washington State 34-7, Colorado beat Weber State 52-21, Cincinnati crushed Western Carolina 62-10, TCU routed Grambling 63-7, and Baylor topped Prairie View A&M 44-3.
Texas A&M also beat Arizona State 48-20, while Pitt slipped past UCF 12-7.
Week 3 brings a packed slate across the league, starting with Tulane at Kansas State and Bowling Green at Iowa State, both at noon ET. Arizona State visits Kansas in another noon kickoff, while Utah State heads to Utah at 3:30 p.m.
ET and Miami (OH) plays at Cincinnati at the same time. Louisiana Tech visits Baylor at 4 p.m.
ET, Georgia State goes to UCF at 7 p.m. ET, and Murray State visits Oklahoma State at 7 p.m.
ET. BYU is at Colorado State at 7:30 p.m.
ET on CBS, Colorado plays at Northwestern at 7:30 p.m. ET, and West Virginia faces Virginia at 7:30 p.m.
ET on the ACC Network. Arkansas State is at TCU at 8 p.m.
ET, and Northern Illinois closes the night at Arizona at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
Two games stand out immediately. Arizona State at Kansas gives both teams a chance to stop the bleeding after back-to-back losses and get Big 12 play moving in the right direction.
West Virginia, though, has the biggest opportunity to make noise for the conference. The Mountaineers travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face No.
25 Virginia, and a win there would mean plenty for the league - and even more for West Virginia, which hasn’t opened a season 3-0 since 2018 under Dana Holgorsen.
In Other News...
WVU Could Finally Add A Needed Weapon Against Virginia
West Virginia came out of the UT Martin game in good shape, and that alone gave Rich Rodriguez a little more room to breathe heading into a bigger test against Virginia. The Mountaineers are still trying to settle in offensively, but the possibility of getting wide receiver Prince Strachan into the mix offers a timely lift for a group that could use another proven target as quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. continues to build rhythm with the passing game.
Strachan has been practicing with limited contact, and his status for the Virginia game may hinge on how he handles the next stretch of practices. If that goes well, West Virginia could finally add another weapon to an offense that already needs every available piece, especially with the Mountaineers looking to sharpen the connection between Hawkins and a deeper receiver rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Jahiem White Is Already Reopening An Old WVU What-If
Two weeks after his return to the field, Jahiem White is already stirring up one of those old West Virginia questions that never really goes away. Now playing for North Texas under Neal Brown, White opened his season with 61 rushing yards and a touchdown against Indiana, then followed it with a 124-yard, one-score outing that pushed him past 2,000 career rushing yards.
For Mountaineers fans, the pull is obvious. White was already the programs 27th all-time leading rusher before a season-ending knee injury interrupted his time in Morgantown, and his latest run of production only adds fuel to the sense that WVU once had a back capable of being much more than a steady contributor. The what-if is back on the table, even if the answer will have to wait. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Just Framed West Virginias Biggest Concerns Before Virginia
Rich Rodriguez spent part of his media session Wednesday laying out the pressure points West Virginia is carrying into its matchup with Virginia, and the focus started up front. He praised the experience and discipline of his defensive line, the kind of steady interior presence the Mountaineers will need if they want to control the game and avoid chasing it from the opening series.
Rodriguez also pointed to the challenge posed by one of Virginias players, a reminder that this one may hinge on a few individual matchups as much as overall structure. On the roster front, he said one player has a hearing scheduled for Thursday in Indiana, while Talleys injury status remains day-to-day with a possible return in one to two weeks, leaving West Virginia with a little more uncertainty as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]