ASU takes a tumble as Big 12 power poll sees major shuffle

Arizona State and Kansas State suffered surprising losses in the second full week of college football play.

A few other teams cruised for a second straight week, but they played overwhelmed foes, so the debate is still on as to whether they are as advertised. For now, we have a new No. 1 in The Republic’s latest Big 12 power ranking.

1. Texas Tech (2-0)

Last week: 2.

Defeated Kent State 62-14: The Red Raiders racked up 601 yards, one week after tallying 608. They have scored 129 points in two games, although those opponents combined for a 3-21 record in 2024. Tougher tests remain, but for now, they inherit the top spot. The reported $25 million spent on NIL is paying off

Next: vs. Oregon State, Sept. 13.

Last week: 3

Defeated Iowa 16-13: Kyle Konrardy booted a 54-yard field goal with 1:52 left for the decisive points as the Cyclones defeated their state rival for the third time in four years. It was a defensive game with Iowa State only managing 238 yards and the Hawkeyes 214.

Next: At Arkansas State, Sept. 13.

3. Utah (2-0)

Last week: 4.

Defeated Cal Poly 63-9: The Utes may have had a poor season in 2024, but everyone knew Kyle Whittingham would come back better than ever. QB Devon Dampier, a Scottsdale Saguaro High product, has been as good as advertised, probably the most impressive newcomer in the Big 12, at least so far.

Next: At Wyoming, Sept. 13.

Last week: 6.

Defeated SMU 48-45 in double overtime: Redshirt freshman Conner Hawkins kicked a 27-yard field goal in the second overtime for the winning points. QB Sawyer Robertson threw for 440 yards, with two of his four touchdowns coming in the final 5:30 of regulation

Next: vs. Samford, Sep. 13.

5. BYU (2-0)

Last week: 7.

Defeated Stanford 27-3: No Jake Retzlaff, no problem. The Cougars have outscored their first two foes 96-3, and they are one of many Big 12 teams yet to go on the road, where they might be tested. The jury is still out, but they still jump some.

Next: At East Carolina, Sept. 20.

6. Arizona State (1-1)

Last week: 1.

Lost to Mississippi State 24-20: The Sun Devils trailed 17-0, only to go ahead 20-17 with 1:38 left, and then gave the lead back with 30 seconds remaining. The true mettle of this team will be tested in the coming week. QB Sam Leavitt had a bad game and has to be the one to lead this team back.

Next: vs. Texas State, Sept. 13.

7. TCU (1-0)

Last week: 9.

Did not play: The Horned Frogs were idle on the weekend after opening the season on a Monday night.

Next: vs. Abilene Christian Sept. 13.

8. Kansas (2-1)

Last week: 8.

Lost to Missouri 42-32: The Jayhawks struggled early last season and lost a lot of close games late. This was shades of that as they led 31-28, with 8:45 left. Missouri responded with a 63-yard run by Jamal Roberts with 1:49 left, which was the icing on the cake.

Next: vs. West Virginia, Sept. 20.

9. Houston (2-0)

Last week: 10.

Defeated Rice 35-9: The Cougars look much improved. Dean Connors rushed for 132 yards in the latest win. Houston opens conference play next week in what will be one of the most interesting games on the schedule.

Next: vs. Colorado, Sept. 12.

10. Arizona (2-0)

Last week: 11

Defeated Weber State: The Wildcats also look much improved, but they have yet to play a formidable foe and they haven’t left their own stadium either.

Next: vs. Kansas State, Sept. 12.

11. Kansas State (1-2)

Last week: 5

Lost to Army 24-21: This is a team many picked to win the Big 12, but they’re not looking the part of a contender right now. They have played better foes than most of their Big 12 brethren and they have time to turn it around, but are running out of room for error.

Next: At Arizona, Sept. 12.

12. Colorado (1-1)

Last week: 12.

Defeated Delaware 31-7: Deion Sanders used three quarterbacks and the best performance came from the No. 3 guy, Ryan Staub. Nine different players caught passes, so it was a spread-the-wealth kind of win for the Buffaloes.

Next: At Houston, Sept. 12.

13. Central Florida (2-0)

Last week: 14.

Defeated North Carolina A&T 68-7: The Knights are still a work in progress with D.J. Harvey having graduated. Jaden Nixon ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns on only four carries, but tougher opponents lie ahead.

Next: vs. North Carolina, Sept. 20.

Last week: 13.

Defeated Bowling Green 34-20: Junior QB Brendan Sorsby threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns as the Bearcats beat Bowling Green for the first time in five tries.

Next: vs. Northwestern State, Sept. 13.

15. Oklahoma State (1-1)

Last week: 15.

Lost to Oregon 69-3: Time could be running out on the Mike Gundy era. After going 0-9 in Big 12 play a year ago, it didn’t look like it could get worse, but it just might. The latest loss was to Oregon, yes. But the Cowboys were not competitive. They gave up 631 total yards and managed only 211.

Next: vs. Tulsa, Sept. 19

16. West Virginia (1-1)

Last week: 16

Lost to Ohio 17-10: The Mountaineers got dominated in categories that aren’t the final score. Ohio finished with a time of possession advantage of 40:15 to 16:40, despite turning the ball over three times. Total yardage was 429-250.

Next: vs. Pittsburgh, Sept. 13.