Are Iowa State and BYU on a collision course for the Big 12 championship game?

The Cyclones and Cougars remained 1-2 for the fourth consecutive week in the Big 12 Power Rankings. Iowa State received 10 of a possible 16 first-place votes from a panel of media who regularly cover the league. BYU received the remaining six first-place votes (down from seven).

Kansas State remained third, while Colorado and Cincinnati moved into the top 5.

TCU made the biggest move of the week, climbing from 14th to ninth after beating Utah.

After a two-week reprieve, Houston was last among the 16 teams.

1. Iowa State

Previous ranking: 1

Points: 250 (10 first-place votes)

Record: 7-0 (4-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat UCF, 38-35

This week: Open date

Comment: The No. 10 Cyclones’ top two wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel entered last week’s game with zero drops. Higgins dropped one pass in the comeback win over UCF, and Noel dropped three — including one that caromed off his body and turned into a Knights touchdown. But Higgins still made his team-best sixth touchdown grab of the season, and Noel made crucial catches in Iowa State’s game-winning touchdown drive. He finished with 153 receiving yards, the second-highest single-game total in his career.

Did you know? The Cyclones are 7-0 for the first time since 1938 and gave up the most rushing yards (354) in a game they won since at least 1996. — Rob Gray, The Cedar Rapids Gazette

2. BYU

Previous ranking: 2

Points: 246 (six first-place votes)

Record: 7-0 (4-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Oklahoma State, 38-35

This week: at UCF

Comment: Jake Retzlaff led a 75-yard drive in just over a minute to keep BYU’s perfect season alive. He found wide receiver Darius Lassiter for a 35-yard touchdown with 10 seconds left.

Did you know? BYU has scored nine touchdowns this season on drives that started inside the 50-yard line. The offense scored twice more this week thanks to short fields created by turnovers. — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune

3. Kansas State

Previous ranking: 3

Points: 226

Record: 6-1 (3-1 Big 12)

Last week: beat West Virginia, 45-18

This week: vs. Kansas

Comment: K-State is 6-1 for the first time since 2014 when they opened the year with a 7-1 record before falling in a top-10 matchup with Treyvone Boykin and TCU in Fort Worth.

Did you know? Even though they trail in the overall series, the Wildcats have won the last 15 editions of the Sunflower Showdown stretching back to 2008. K-State has won 27 of the last 31 meetings between the two schools that sit just an hour and a half apart. — Tim Everson, The Manhattan Mercury

4. Colorado

Previous ranking: 6

Points: 202

Record: 5-2 (3-1 Big 12)

Last week: beat Arizona, 34-7

This week: vs. Cincinnati

Comment: For the first time since the season opener, the Buffaloes scored on their opening possession of a game and that set the tone for a convincing victory in Tucson. Shedeur Sanders had another good game throwing the ball, the Buffs ran effectively (148 yards) and CU dominated Arizona in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Did you know? Colorado has won three consecutive road games within a season for the first time since 1996. All three wins have been dominant, too, by a combined 73 points. Before this stretch, their previous 15 road wins (from 2012-23) were decided by a combined total of 72 points. — Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera

5. Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 8

Points: 189

Record: 5-2 (3-1 Big 12)

Last week: beat Arizona State, 24-14

This week: at Colorado

Comment: Cincinnati scored all 24 of their points in the first half as quarterback Brendan Sorsby had a pair of touchdown runs and reserve back Evan Pryor had a 55-yard scoring trot. Both teams ran for 191 yards with Corey Kiner of the Bearcats finishing with 102. The UC defense was able to hold Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo to 75 yards, though he did score twice.

Did you know? The Bearcats play Colorado for the first time in 52 years Saturday. In 1972, the 2nd-ranked Buffaloes defeated the Bearcats soundly, 56-14. Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders had two stints as a Cincinnati Red in his baseball career. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer

6. Arizona State

Previous ranking: 5

Points: 156

Record: 5-2 (2-2 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Cincinnati, 24-14

This week: Open date

Comment: The Sun Devils led 7-0 but gave up 24 unanswered points in losing to resurgent Cincinnati. ASU played without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt who was out with a fractured rib sustained in the first half of last week’s game against Utah. Veteran Jeff Sims, with starts under his belt at both Georgia Tech and Nebraska, got the start in his place.

Did you know? Despite the loss ASU is just one win away from being bowl-eligible for the first time since 2021 when they went to the Las Vegas Bowl. — Michelle Gardner, Arizona Republic

7. Texas Tech

Previous ranking: 4

Points: 147

Record: 5-2 (3-1 in Big 12)

Last week: lost to Baylor, 59-35

This week: at TCU

Comment: Dave Aranda’s ultimate trump card is humiliating Joey McGuire in Jones AT&T Stadium. Any goodwill the Red Raiders had before the open date is out the window after giving up the most points in the McGuire era. Not much positive came from Saturday’s game, except it had to end at some point.

Did you know? Running back Tahj Brooks has run for at least 95 yards in each of his last 17 games dating back to last season. Tight end Johncarlos Miller II also spent some time as a defensive end against Baylor, though it didn’t mean much in the rout. — Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

8. West Virginia

Previous ranking: 7

Points: 129

Record: 3-4 (2-2 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 17 Kansas State, 45-18

This week: at Arizona

Comment: Coming off two straight losses, West Virginia won’t get a break with upcoming road games against Arizona and Cincinnati. That might not necessarily be a bad thing for the Mountaineers, who have dropped three straight contests at home.

Did you know? Left tackle Wyatt Milum is ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation with a 92.1 grade, according to Pro Football Focus. His 90.1 run-blocking grade is tied for No. 2 and his pass-blocking grade is No. 5. He has not allowed a pressure, sack or quarterback hit in 193 snaps this season. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle

9. TCU

Previous ranking: 14

Points: 127

Record: 4-3 (2-2 Big 12)

Last week: beat Utah, 13-7

This week: vs. Texas Tech

Comment: TCU put together their best defensive performance of the season, holding Utah to season lows in yards (267), rushing yards (68) and points (7). Was it a mirage, or is TCU turning a corner? This weekend against the Red Raiders will go a long way to answering that question as Tech offers a much greater challenge with their fleet of wide receivers and Tahj Brooks.

Did you know? TCU didn’t convert a third down attempt in the second half against Utah, as the offense struggled mightily. — Jamie Plunkett, Horned Frog Blitz

T10. Arizona

Previous ranking: 9

Points: 89

Record: 3-4 (1-3 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Colorado, 34-7

This week: vs. West Virginia

Comment: Arizona’s offense continued its downward spiral and scored 7 points at home for the first time since the Wildcats’ 70-7 loss to Arizona State in the pandemic-influenced season in 2020, which ultimately got Kevin Sumlin fired by the UA. Additionally, the Wildcats’ defense continues to deal with key injuries amid the offensive struggles.

Did you know? The Wildcats surrendered more sacks in their loss to Colorado than the previous six games combined. Arizona also had just as many punts as points on Saturday. — Justin Spears, Arizona Daily Star

T10. UCF

Previous ranking: 11

Points: 89

Record: 3-4 (1-2 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 9 Iowa State, 38-35

This week: vs. No. 11 BYU

Comment: Jacurri Brown became the third quarterback to start for UCF this season. The redshirt sophomore rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Knights build a double-digit lead, but it wasn’t enough as the Cyclones outscored them 24-7 in the final 24 minutes to pull off a last-minute win.

Did you know? Over the last twenty games, UCF has suffered through losing streaks of four and five games. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel

12. Utah

Previous Ranking: 10

Points: 88

Record: 4-3 (1-3 Big 12)

Last week: lost to TCU, 13-7

This week: at Houston

Comment: Utah’s offense has hit rock bottom. Former offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig has since resigned from the program after being hired in 2019. Former Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian is now the interim offensive coordinator after being fired from the Wildcats following the 2023 season.

Did you know? With Ludwig’s departure and Bajakian’s promotion, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has now hired nine different offensive coordinators (Ludwig two times) since taking over the head coaching job in 2004. —Jason Batacao, The Salt Lake Tribune

13. Baylor

Previous ranking: 15

Points: 82

Record: 3-4 (1-3 Big 12)

Last week: beat Texas Tech, 59-35

This week: vs. Oklahoma State

Comment: Sawyer Robertson grew up in Lubbock, was the Texas Player of the Year as a senior in high school and wanted to go to Texas Tech. He showed the Red Raiders exactly what they missed out on, tossing a career-high five touchdowns for Baylor in a lopsided win. Saturday was the first time during Big 12 play that the Bears played a complete game. With a seemingly manageable schedule for the rest of the season, the vibes have shifted in Waco in the blink of an eye.

Did you know? With a career-high three touchdowns, former walk-on Josh Cameron is the first Baylor receiver to have six or more touchdowns in a season since Tyquan Thornton had 10 for the Bears in 2021. — Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald

14. Kansas

Previous ranking: 16

Points: 61

Record: 2-5 (1-3 Big 12)

Last week: beat Houston, 42-14

This week: at No. 16 Kansas State

Comment: Coming out of their bye week, treating the second half of the year like a new season, the Jayhawks looked like the team they were supposed to be from the start, tallying 467 yards of offense and forcing four turnovers in a blowout win over Houston. Now they have to take the show on the road to try to beat rival K-State for the first time since 2008.

Did you know? With injuries debilitating KU’s safety room, Taylor Davis and Kaleb Purdy played a total of 66 defensive snaps against Houston, according to Pro Football Focus. They had previously played 69 combined in their careers, and most of those came in the previous game. — Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World

15. Oklahoma State

Previous ranking: 13

Points: 48

Record: 3-4 (0-4 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 13 BYU, 38-35

This week: at Baylor

Comment: Against the Cougars, Oklahoma State lost its starting quarterback to a season-ending injury, leaving the team down to two scholarship quarterbacks, and its starting left tackle to a multi-week injury. Additionally, two starting safeties, one rotational safety and another rotational defender either missed Saturday’s game entirely or left the game with an injury.

Did you know? Despite a depleted secondary, Oklahoma State recorded three interceptions at BYU and is now tied for 15th nationally and fifth in the Big 12 with nine total picks this season. — Tyler Waldrep, Tulsa World

16. Houston

Previous ranking: 12

Points: 28

Record: 2-5 (1-3 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Kansas, 42-14

This week: vs. Utah

Comment: Quarterback Zeon Chriss is expected to be available this week after leaving early in Saturday’s loss at Kansas with a hamstring/quad injury. It didn’t matter who was the starter as Houston’s defense had its worst game of the season, allowing a season-high 42 points and 467 yards.

Did you know? This week’s matchup against Utah is just the second between the schools. The only other meeting was in 1978, a 42-25 win by Houston in the Astrodome. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle