Unlike the other major sports of basketball, baseball, and softball, only two teams will get the chance to play for the Big 12 Football Championship in December.
With conference play officially underway, now is the perfect time to take stock from what we’ve seen through the first three weeks of the 2024 season and start to separate the contenders from the pretenders when it comes to the Big 12 race and, ultimately, the College Football Playoff.
In this weekly feature, we aim to do just that. Here are the top five teams in the Big 12, ranked, and a few squads on the bubble looking in.
1. Kansas State Wildcats
Sure, there’s a chance that Arizona just isn’t as good as many expected it to be heading into 2024, but what Kansas State did on Friday night was extremely impressive. Not only did K-State hold Arizona to 56 yards rushing (2.9 yards per carry), but they also held Noah Fifita without a score and forced an interception on top of that. Offensively, it felt like Avery Johnson took a big step forward in this game, tossing for 156 yards and two touchdowns and adding another 110 yards on the ground. If he continues to play like that, and his defense dominates the way that it did Friday night, there’s not a team on their schedule that they shouldn’t be favored against.
2. Utah Utes
Getting Cam Rising back will be huge for the Utah offense, but how long will they be able to keep him on the field? His health will determine how far the Utes can go this season, but if he does stay on the field, there’s a better chance than not that Utah is bound for the College Football Playoff. If Rising’s health weren’t a concern coming into this week, I’d likely have Utah at the No. 1 spot on this list. However, I don’t have the same belief in this team if Isaac Wilson is under center. That’s not a detriment to what Wilson will be for the Utes going forward; it’s just a fact that he doesn’t have the experience to carry this team to the heights that Rising can.
3. UCF Knights
After TCU tacked on its fourth touchdown of the day just after halftime on Saturday, I was starting to think that I’d been totally wrong about UCF. Down 28-7 at that point, it appeared that Gus Malzahn’s squad was more bark than bite and that its rushing attack wasn’t quite as lethal as we’d believed through the first two weeks. Then, UCF answered to cut the lead to 14 points, and something magical happened — the UCF passing attack found a pulse. KJ Jefferson and Kobe Hudson connected six times for 145 yards and two scores in the second half, and RJ Harvey tacked on 180 yards and two scores on the ground, with another 29-yard score through the air. UCF outscored TCU 28-13 in the second half and looked like a team that could cause significant issues in the Big 12. That team is one worth watching, and one I’d expect to break into the Top 25 soon.
4. Iowa State Cyclones
It appears that folks have already forgotten what Iowa State did in Week 2 because the Cyclones had the week off. Still, there’s no denying that one of the best wins for the conference to this point in the year was Matt Campbell’s team going into Iowa City and beating the Hawkeyes. If Rocco Becht and his cast of wideouts can continue to stretch the field vertically, Abu Sama and the rushing attack will find their footing. Defensively, Iowa State might be the last team in the league I’m concerned about. As long as Jon Heacock is in Ames, the Cyclones will be good on that side of the ball. Iowa State has the makeup to be one of Campbell’s best teams, and that makes them dangerous in the Big 12 race.
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Yes, Oklahoma State looked better defensively against Tulsa this week. The passing offense was also impressive behind Alan Bowman’s best performance as a Cowboy. The problem is, I just can’t get past what I saw against Arkansas a couple of weeks ago. The way that the Razorbacks were able to run the football and keep Oklahoma State on its heels was concerning. Despite being outgained 648 yards to 385, the Pokes found a way to win the football game, and there’s something to be said about that. The defense has got to be better against the run, and Ollie Gordon can’t go missing for long stretches. Mike Gundy is as steady as they come, and he’ll get things worked out, but for now, they’re lower on this list than I would’ve expected them to be.
On The Bubble
Three teams are in contention to make this list, but they haven’t done enough to qualify.
Arizona State (3-0): Sam Leavitt’s performance against Texas State gives me reason to believe the Sun Devils might be much more formidable than anticipated. The defense has been great at forcing turnovers, and Cam Skattebo has been fantastic. It’s Forks Up from here.
BYU (3-0): BYU has been impressive over the last two weeks, and when Jake Retzlaff is comfortable, the Cougars offense has some juice. But, it’s really been the defense that has me believing BYU could be a surprise team this year. This week’s game against Kansas State will tell us a lot.
TCU (2-1): Even though they lost to UCF in heartbreaking fashion, TCU did some great things in the game. The Horned Frogs imposed their will in the first 30 minutes of the game and appeared to have the Knights right where they wanted them. If they can do that for a full 60 minutes, TCU is a team to watch.
