Your turn, Colorado.
After a loss to Kansas by previously unbeaten Brigham Young, Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes moved into the top spot in the Big 12 Power Rankings entering the penultimate week of the regular season.
The Buffaloes received 13 of a possible 16 first-place votes from a panel of media that regularly covers the Big 12.
BYU, which lost to Kansas 17-13, was second followed by Arizona State and Iowa State. Baylor, winners of four in a row, and Kansas State are tied for fifth. The Sun Devils moved up two places after a 24-14 road upset of Kansas State, edging into third place by only one point over Iowa State.
1. Colorado
Previous ranking: 2
Points: 253 (13 first-place votes)
Record: 8-2 (6-1 Big 12)
Last week: beat Utah, 49-24
This week: at Kansas
Comment: Shedeur Sanders threw an interception on the first play of the game, but then went 30-of-40 for 340 yards and three touchdowns the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Buffs got a special teams touchdown from LaJohntay Wester on a punt return and the defense picked off Utah’s Isaac Wilson three times and sacked him four times.
Did you know? During CU’s current four-game win streak, all the wins have come by at least 11 points. The last time a CU team beat four opponents in a row by at least 11 points was in 1994. The last time the Buffs did it in four straight conference games was in 1989. — Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera
2. Brigham Young
Previous ranking: 1
Points: 236 (three first-place votes)
Record: 9-1 (6-1 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Kansas, 17-13
This week: at No. 21 Arizona State
Comment: BYU has been flirting with destiny too many times this year. And it finally came back to bite it. The Cougars had several chances to beat Kansas but kept coming up empty in the red zone. Out of their four red zone trips, they tallied just six points.
Did you know? BYU’s offense has sputtered of late, recording just two touchdowns in the last two weeks. — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune
3. Arizona State
Previous ranking: 5
Points: 220
Last week:beat No. 16 Kansas State, 24-14
This week: vs. No. 14 BYU
Comment: Jordyn Tyson caught 12 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns as the Sun Devils upset Kansas State, which had entered the game 5-0 at home and ranked No. 16 in the College Football Playoff. The Sun Devils stormed out to a 24-0 lead before the Wildcats scored for the first time.
Did you know? The win coupled with BYU’s loss to Kansas means the Sun Devils control their own destiny. Arizona State has a shot at a berth in the conference title game in Kenny Dillingham’s second season, just a year removed from a 3-9 record.— Michelle Gardner, Arizona Republic
ASU football makes the rankings:Where are Sun Devils in Top 25 after Kansas State upset?
4. Iowa State
Previous ranking: 4
Points: 219
Record: 8-2 (5-2 Big 12)
Last week: beat Cincinnati, 34-17This week: at Utah
Comment: Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht extended his program-record streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 14. The sophomore also became the sixth player in school history to throw 40 or more touchdown passes in a career.
Did you know? The Cyclones field the nation’s third-stingiest pass defense (153.4 yards per game) but are tied for 106th in the country in rushing defense, allowing 184.5 yards per game. — Rob Gray, The Cedar Rapids Gazette
T5. Baylor
Previous ranking: 8
Points: 181
Record: 6-4 (4-3 Big 12)
Last week: beat West Virginia, 49-35
This week: at Houston
Comment: Baylor exorcized a few demons on Saturday, winning a game in Morgantown for the first time ever and clinching bowl eligibility after a one-year hiatus. The Bears have been carried by their offense, as quarterback Sawyer Robertson threw for a career-high 327 yards and running back Bryson Washington finished with four touchdowns for the second game in a row. Dave Aranda improved to 29-29 overall as head coach and will be back for a sixth season as head coach at Baylor after clinching bowl eligibility. A win against Houston on Saturday would give the Bears their first five-game winning streak since 2021.
Did you know? Saturday’s road game between the Bears and Cougars will be their first game between the two teams in Houston since 1995— Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald
T5. Kansas State
Previous ranking: 3
Points: 181
Record: 7-3 (4-3 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Arizona State, 24-14
This week: vs. Cincinnati
Comment: A week off did Kansas State no good as a terrible first half dug the Wildcats into a hole too deep to crawl out of. Hanging on to Big 12 title game hopes by just their fingertips at this point, a K-State team in disarray needs to find a way to reset fast before a Cincinnati team more than capable of beating them comes to town.
Did you know? The Wildcats, who entered the season picked to finish second overall in the Big 12, have lost games to teams picked 13th (BYU), 15th (Houston) and 16th (Arizona State). They play the team picked to finish 14th (Cincinnati) on Saturday. — Tim Everson, The Manhattan Mercury
7. TCU
Previous ranking: 9
Points: 148
Record: 6-4 (4-3 Big 12)
Last week: Open date
This week: vs. Arizona
Comment: TCU’s second open week came with a goal of getting healthy, specifically along the defensive line. TCU’s two starting defensive tackles hope to be back and healthy against Arizona. Getting pressure on Noah Fifita will be critical to slowing down the Wildcats’ offense.
Did you know? TCU has four players with 500-plus receiving yards for the first time since 2015. — Jamie Plunkett, Horned Frog Blitz
8. Texas Tech
Previous ranking: 7
Points: 144
Record: 6-4 (4-3 Big 12)
Last week: Open date
This week: at Oklahoma State
Comment: Texas Tech’s preseason projected record of 8-4 is still very much in play with a trip to Oklahoma State and a home date with West Virginia left to go. That would be another step in the right direction for Joey McGuire’s tenure, even if it hasn’t come in the fashion many had hoped.
Did you know? This year will mark the fewest number of games against ranked opponents in the regular season for Texas Tech since 2006. The Red Raiders have faced just two ranked foes, going 1-1 in those games. 1995. — Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
9. West Virginia
Previous ranking: 6
Points: 126
Record: 5-5 (4-3 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Baylor, 49-35
This week: vs. UCF
Comment: For the fifth week in a row, West Virginia was outscored in the second half, preventing any chance of a comeback against the surging Baylor Bears. The Mountaineers have two shots — against UCF and Texas Tech — to win one game and become bowl-eligible for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons.
Did you know? West Virginia has lost four home games for the first time since 2019. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle
10. Kansas
Previous ranking: 12
Points: 115
Record: 4-6 (3-4 Big 12)
Last week: beat No. 6 BYU, 17-13
This week: vs. No. 16 Colorado
Comment: After a season plagued by bad luck in the fourth quarter, the Jayhawks got the break they had long been waiting for when a pooch punt by quarterback Jalon Daniels bounced off the helmet of a BYU player for a fumble that set up the go-ahead touchdown. KU will hope for some more good fortune in its matchup against surging Colorado.
Did you know? KU has now beaten ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time in school history. To secure bowl eligibility, it’ll need to continue its unprecedented run by taking down a third in Colorado, then beating Baylor on the road for the first time ever. — Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World
11. Cincinnati
Previous ranking: 10
Points: 106
Record: 5-5 (3-4 Big 12)
Last week: lost at Iowa State 34-17
This week: at Kansas State
Comment: Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby ran for a career-high 141 yards but was limited to 66 passing yards by Iowa State. The Bearcats led 10-7 until a Kyle Konrardy field goal tied it at halftime. The Cyclones and Rocco Becht would eventually go up 20-10 in the third quarter. Sorsby got the Bearcats within three in the fourth quarter on a 41-yard scamper, but Becht and running back Abu Sama scored in the game’s final minutes for the 17-point margin of victory. Cincinnati has dropped three straight games.
Did you know? Cincinnati is 0-3 in night games this season, falling at Texas Tech, Colorado and Iowa State. They haven’t played Kansas State since 1996. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer
12. Central Florida
Previous ranking: 13
Points: 76
Record: 4-6 (2-5 Big 12)
Last week: Open date
This week: at West Virginia
Comment: UCF comes off the bye week needing to win its final two games to become bowl-eligible for the ninth straight season. The Knights are 1-1 under new starting quarterback Dylan Rizk, who has completed 75% (44 of 59) of his passes for 523 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
Did you know? UCF is 3-7 in regular-season road contests since joining the Big 12 last July, with seven games decided by five points or less. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel
13. Houston
Previous ranking: 11
Points: 68
Record: 4-6 (3-4 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Arizona, 27-3
This week: vs. Baylor
Comment: Houston has been horrendous coming out of open dates, the latest a lifeless 27-3 loss to Arizona that severely hurt its already slim bowl chances. The Cougars were stopped four times on fourth down, including at the 1-yard line early in the second quarter. In two games this season after an off week, the Cougars have been outscored 69-17 and committed seven turnovers.
Did you know? UH has converted just 57.9% of its red-zone trips this season, last among 134 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle
14. Arizona
Previous ranking: 15
Points: 59
Record: 4-6 (2-5 Big 12)
Last week: beat Houston, 27-3
This week: at TCU
Comment: Arizona kept its bowl hopes alive with a win over Houston, which snapped the Wildcats’ five-game losing streak. UA defensive back Genesis Smith was named Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Week after recording seven tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. Kicker Tyler Loop’s 62-yard field goal on Friday set a program record.
Did you know? TCU head coach Sonny Dykes was an offensive coordinator at Arizona for three seasons and mentored Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles for one season in 2009. — Justin Spears, Arizona Daily Star
15. Utah
Previous Ranking: 14
Points: 32
Record: 4-6 (1-6 Big 12)
Last Week: lost to Colorado, 49-24
This week: vs. No. 22 Iowa State
Comment: After starting the season undefeated, Utah is now among the worst teams in the Big 12 this season. The Utes offense continues to struggle, as they now rank second-to-last in the conference for total offense.
Did you know? Utah’s six-game losing streak is the worst skid the program has had in the 20-year Kyle Whittingham era. — Jason Batacao, The Salt Lake Tribune
16. Oklahoma State
Previous ranking: 16
Points: 17
Record: 3-7 (0-7 Big 12)
Last week: Open date
This week: vs. Texas Tech
Comment: Oklahoma State swapped quarterbacks, and by extension offensive strategies during its last open week and forced BYU to retake the lead in the final seconds. Such a drastic change seems less likely now, but Mike Gundy is 6-8 against nine-win teams after an open week which is the best record Texas Tech could achieve.
Did you know? Oklahoma State’s ongoing seven-game losing streak ties the longest in program history. — Tyler Waldrep, Tulsa World
