Colorado’s embarrassing 41-7 loss to Northwestern in Evanston absolutely rocked the Big 12 power rankings, sending the Buffaloes plummeting four spots after Week 3.
The Biggest Jumps and Jaw-Dropping Falls
Alright, Week 3 was a roller coaster for some of these Big 12 squads, that’s for sure. West Virginia, man, they absolutely put on a clinic. Taking down a ranked Virginia team on the road with a 38-27 win? That’s not just a win, that’s a statement! They shot up an incredible four spots in the power rankings, making it clear they’re not messing around. What a move!
Then you got Oklahoma State, who just went out there and flat-out dominated. A 59-9 blowout win against Murray State? That’s how you make a statement and jump three spots. When a team plays like that, everyone in the league takes notice, right?
But on the other side of the coin, my jaw hit the floor watching Colorado. An embarrassing 41-7 loss to Northwestern, in Evanston no less? Ouch. That kind of performance sends you straight down, and they dropped a brutal four spots. That’s a huge tumble for a team heading into conference play. It just makes you wonder how they bounce back from something like that.
And talk about a tough break, Texas Tech still slipped one spot even with a 28-26 win over Houston. That tells you the competition is fierce, and barely scraping by isn’t enough to impress. Cincinnati also dropped a spot, even after their 35-31 close call win against Miami (OH). Barely escaping at home? That doesn’t exactly scream confidence, does it? Arizona State even beat Kansas 24-17 but still dropped two spots. This league is cutthroat!
Who’s Dominant, Who’s Sweating It Out?
Looking at the rest of the action, some teams were just on another level. Arizona laid the smack down on Northern Illinois with a 42-17 victory. Utah? They posted a dominant 33-0 shutout against Utah State. BYU rolled over Colorado State 41-23. TCU handled Arkansas State 31-7 without breaking a sweat. And Iowa State came out swinging, dropping a massive 55 points in a 55-7 win over Bowling Green. These are the teams that are hitting their stride early and look ready to roll.
Then you have the squads that probably breathed a huge sigh of relief when the final whistle blew. Kansas State got a 31-20 win over Tulane, but it was closer than they might have liked. UCF really had to dig deep against Georgia State, securing a 44-30 victory but definitely getting pushed. Baylor got their win on the road at Louisiana Tech, 36-19. When you’re pulling out those close ones, it’s a testament to mental toughness, but also a sign that maybe things aren’t quite clicking yet.
So, with Week 3 wrapped up, the Big 12 hierarchy is definitely starting to solidify, or maybe, just get even more chaotic. Most of these teams are about to dive headfirst into conference play next week. That’s when the real battles begin, and every game means so much more. Will West Virginia keep their momentum? Can Colorado even recover? Get ready, because it’s about to be pure, unadulterated Big 12 football, and I can’t wait to see what happens!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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