1. Oklahoma – LW: 1↔️
Mason: 1 | Alec: 1 | Gabe: 1
Alec: Boomer Sooner boomed into Lincoln, Neb., and left with a 49-14 victory over the Cornhuskers in Brent Venables’ first big game as Oklahoma’s head coach. The Oklahoma offense is reminiscent of some of Lincoln Riley’s offenses in Norman and the defense is disciplined. The Sooners could be primed for a College Football Playoff if things continue to click.
T2. Texas – LW: 3⬆️
Mason: 2 | Alec: 2 | Gabe: 4
Gabe: Man that Bijan Robinson dude is good. The Texas running back tallied 183 yards and three touchdowns on the ground as the Longhorns avoided any trouble in a 41-20 win over UTSA. Now, we’ll see how they fare needing to string together consistent performances in league play.
T2. Oklahoma State – LW: 2↔️
Mason: 3 | Alec: 3 | Gabe: 2
Mason: The Cowboys offense has looked impressive this season, but there isn’t a ton to be gained from their first three wins of the season. The defense nearly collapsed against Central Michigan in the opener, and then they were able to hold off Arizona State, who just fired Herm Edwards, and the blitzing of Arkansas-Pine Bluff this weekend doesn’t change my opinion too much yet. The Cowboys are a prime candidate to slide in the rankings if the defense gets exposed in Big 12 play.
4. Baylor – LW: 5⬆️
Mason: 4 | Alec: 4 | Gabe: 3
Gabe: Baylor gets my third spot basically out of de facto respect for last year, but I don’t feel good about it. Coming off a loss to BYU – who subsequently went to Oregon and got demolished – Baylor won comfortably against Texas State. Still, Blake Shapen’s 15 for 26 for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception didn’t do a lot to calm worries about the Bears’ passing game.
5. K-State – LW: 4⬇️
Mason: 5 | Alec: 7 | Gabe: 5
Mason: Kansas State finds themselves in a very strange situation three games into the season. The defense is performing above expectations and the offense appears to have regressed, most of which has been attributed to Adrian Martinez and the passing game. There is no reason to overreact just yet to the Wildcats, but a reaction of some kind is warranted. I still think the Wildcats are capable of being a top half of the league team, but they are running out of chances to prove themselves. Saturday night in Norman needs to be a spirited performance, and they will be in an important battle with Texas Tech when they return home to start October.
T6. Iowa State – LW: 6↔️
Mason: 6 | Alec: 6 | Gabe: 7
Gabe: Realistically, I could see a world where Iowa State beats Baylor this weekend and we move them up significantly. I’ve been impressed with the Cyclones despite the turnover at key positions, I just don’t think their wins have been anything special – especially the more we see of Iowa.
T6. Kansas – LW: 9⬆️
Mason: 8 | Alec: 5 | Gabe: 6
Mason: Similar to Oklahoma State, what do the wins on the schedule really mean for Kansas relative to college football? They mean a lot to Kansas and the direction of the program, the offense has been impressive and they don’t look like the worst team in the league, but everyone should relax on the Jayhawk hype until they face someone other than West Virginia in the Big 12. Lance Leipold and Jalon Daniels appear to be the real deal though. The Jayhawks are 3-0 for the first time since 2009.
8. Texas Tech – LW: 7⬇️
Mason: 7 | Alec: 9 | Gabe: 8
Alec: I don’t think Texas Tech is bad, but the depth of the Big 12 necessitates putting the Ted Raiders near the bottom after a 27-14 loss to a quality NC State team. The Red Raiders have an opportunity to get right quickly with Texas coming to town this week, though the Longhorns are an early 6.0 favorite.
9. TCU – LW: 8⬇️
Mason: 9 | Alec: 8 | Gabe: 9
Gabe: TCU did nothing this week but the Horned Frogs hold a win over an FBS team and West Virginia does not.
10. West Virginia – LW: 10↔️
Mason: 10 | Alec: 10 | Gabe: 10
Alec: Neal Brown’s team was able to pound Towson 65-7, but beating lowly Towson won’t move you up in my power rankings. The Mountaineers get the treat of traveling to Virginia Tech on Thursday night for a date with the Hokies. This is a winnable game for West Virginia – and it might be a must-win for multiple reasons.
