Big 12 Power Rankings: BYU, West Virginia Make Jumps Entering Red River Week
Oct 2, 2023, 3:48 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – As we enter week six of the college football season, it’s time for another installment of Big 12 power rankings.
Every week me and KSL Sports Zone host Alex Kirry drops our Big 12 power rankings on our radio show, “First & 12.”
It airs Sundays at 10 a.m. until Noon, then re-airs from 3-5 p.m. on KSL NewsRadio and the KSL Sports Zone.
You can also listen to the show on the KSL Sports app and all major podcasting platforms.
All eyes this week will be in Dallas for the final installment of the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma as members of the Big 12 Conference. The two programs look to be on a collision course for Arlington, Texas, and the Big 12 Championship Game, if nothing drastically changes between now and the first week of December.
That’s probably not music to the ears of folks at Big 12 headquarters in Irving. But that’s how the season has played out thus far.
Texas is off to its first 5-0 start since 2009. At the same time, Oklahoma’s offense continues to roll as it did in the heyday of the Lincoln Riley era.
Those two are atop the power rankings once again this week after the Longhorns and Sooners, BYU and West Virginia made big jumps. Both the Cougars and Mountaineers were picked 11th and 14th in the preseason polls respectively. They’ve jumped out to 4-1 records overall and are looking like threats to contend in the upper half of the conference this season.
Big 12 Power Rankings 2023 Season: Week Six
Here’s how we have the power rankings stacked up in the Big 12 entering the week six slate.
1. Texas (5-0, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 1
Texas 40, Kansas 14
This week: vs. No. 12 Oklahoma | 10 a.m. | ABC
2. Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 2
Oklahoma 50, Iowa State 20
This week: vs. No. 3 Texas | 10 a.m. | ABC
3. Kansas State (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 3
Bye
This week: at Oklahoma State (Friday) | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN
4. Kansas (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 5 (Up 1)
Texas 40, Kansas 14
This week: vs. Kansas | 2 p.m. | FOX
5. BYU (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 8 (Up 3)
BYU 35, Cincinnati 27
This week: Bye
6. West Virginia (4-1, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 7 (Up 1)
West Virginia 24, TCU 21
This week: Bye
7. TCU (3-2, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 4 (Down 3)
West Virginia 24, TCU 21
This week: at Iowa State | 6 p.m. | FS2
8. Texas Tech (2-3, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 11 (Up 3)
Texas Tech 49, Houston 28
This week: at Baylor | 6 p.m. | ESPN2
9. Baylor (2-3, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 13 (Up 4)
Baylor 36, UCF 35
This week: vs. Texas Tech | 6 p.m. | ESPN2
10. UCF (3-2, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 6 (Down 4)
Baylor 36, UCF 35
This week: at Kansas | 2 p.m. | FOX
11. Cincinnati (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 9 (Down 2)
BYU 35, Cincinnati 27
This week: Bye
12. Iowa State (2-3, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 10 (Down 2)
Oklahoma 50, Iowa State 20
This week: vs. TCU | 6 p.m. | FS2
13. Houston (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 12 (Down 1)
Texas Tech 49, Houston 28
This week: Bye
14. Oklahoma State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 14
Bye
This week: vs. Kansas State (Friday) | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.
