Big 12 power rankings after week 4: Texas Tech is on the rise

Week four of the college football season is in the books and it was another interesting week in the Big 12 as many conference games were contested. Let's take a look at our updated conference Power Rankings.

Week 4: Cincinnati 34 - Houston 0

Being shut out by Cincinnati this week, Houston stays at the bottom of our power rankings. In the 34-0 drubbing, the Cougars mustered only 233 total yards while turning the ball over three times. Will they show any fight when No. 18 Iowa State comes to town in week 5?

Week 4: West Virgina 32 - Kansas 28

My how the preseason Big 12 darlings have fallen. Kansas' last-minute loss to WVU drops the Jayhawks to 1-3 overall and pushing their losing streak to three games. Now they host TCU in a battle of teams headed in the wrong direction. Who will get a much-needed win?

Week 4: Cincinnati 34 - Houston 0

It is hard to know what to make of Cincinnati through four games. At 3-1 overall, they have already come close to matching preseason win total projections. However, their three wins have come against Townsend, Miami (OH), and Houston. If they win in Lubbock this weekend, their stock will soar.

Week 4: SMU 66 - TCU 42

Losing by 24 points to SMU is not indicative of how bad TCU's loss to their cross-town rival was. A program that was for decades built around defense gave up 238 yards on the ground to a pedestrian SMU ground game. Now, they travel to Kansas to face a Jayhawk team that will be desperate to end a three-game losing streak.

Week 4: Texas Tech 30 - Arizona State 22

The Sun Devils got cooled off in Lubbock for their first loss of the season. In that game, three failed fourth-down tries proved to be pivotal. After a week off, ASU hosts Kansas and Utah in two games that will reveal quite about about the rebuilding job Kenny Dillingham is doing in the desert.

Week 4: West Virginia 32 - Kansas 28

The Mountaineers clawed their way back to .500 with a comeback win over Kansas. Now, though, they face three-straight games against teams that are currently ranked. How they handle that stretch could define their season.

Week 4: Colorado 38 - Baylor 31

All Baylor had to do was stop Colorado from scoring a TD on one play from mid-field. But the Bears let the Buffs pull off a miracle and they will be cursing that play for the rest of the season. It will be interesting to see how the morale in Waco holds up after such a crushing loss.

Week 4: Colorado 38 - Baylor 31

It took two miraculous plays for the Colorado Buffaloes to beat a mediocre Baylor squad on Saturday night. Still, it was the first conference win for the Buffs since October 7, 2023. Now, they will look to build upon that by beating a very talented UCF team on the road.

Week 4: Texas Tech 30 - Arizona State 22

The Red Raiders picked up their best win of the season by taking down Arizona State in Lubbock. It appears that Joey McGuire's team is starting to stabilize after a rough start in the first two weeks. Now they can continue to build on that upward movement if they can beat a resurgent Cincinnati team at Jones Stadium this week.

Week 4: Off

Arizona had a week off to recover from their humbling loss at Kansas State in week three. Now comes a trio of tricky games with road trips to No. 10 Utah and No. 22 BYU sandwiched around a home game with Texas Tech.

Week 4: BYU 38 - Kansas State 9

Losing a night game in Provo, Utah isn't a shame. In fact, it's almost impossible to win after dark at BYU. But getting humiliated the way K-State was on Saturday is inexcusable. QB Avery Johnson is going to have to quickly improve as a passer if the Wildcats hope to compete for a Big 12 title.

Week 4: Utah 22 - Oklahoma State 19

Oklahoma State scored a pair of garbage-time touchdowns that made their loss to Utah look respectable. However, don't forget that the Cowboys lost a home game to a team playing its backup QB. What's more, OSU had to bench starting QB Alan Bowman in the middle of this game raising questions about their struggling offense as it moves forward.

Week 4: Off

Following week three's dramatic comeback win over TCU, UCF had a week off to prepare for Colorado in week five. FOX's Big Noon Kickoff will be in Orlando this weekend marking the first time that pregame show has ever been broadcast from the state of Florida. With a win, the Knights could really open some eyes around the nation.

Week 3: BYU 38 - Kansas State 9

Picked 13th in the preseason Big 12 poll, BYU is the surprise of the conference thus far. Sitting at 4-0 on the season, the Cougars scored an eye-opening blowout win over Kansas State in week four. Can they carry that momentum with them to Waco this week or was Saturday's win just another product of Provo night game magic?

Week 4: Iowa State 52 Arkansas State 7

After an open week in week three, the Iowa State Cyclones got a pseudo-open week in week four by beating up on Arkansas State. What's more, they could have another easy week when they travel to face lowly Houston in week four. Look for the Cyclones to continue to be one of the Big 12's hottest teams for a while given that they don't face another team that is currently ranked until the second to last game of the season.

Week 4: Utah 22 - Oklahoma State 19

The Utah fans chirped all off-season about how they were going to run the new Big 12 in 2024. Through four weeks, that confidence has been rewarded. Beating a ranked Oklahoma State team on the road with your backup QB was a statement. Utah has to be considered the Big 12 favorite now but they do host a dangerous Arizona team this week meaning they can't revel in last week's win too long.