Big 12 Power Rankings after Week 3: There is a new No. 1 in the conference

Week 3 was big in the Big 12. Kansas lost to UNLV because they could jump on a fumble, West Virginia blew a lead against Pitt, and Kansas State proved they are a force to be reckoned with in the conference. There was only one true Big 12 matchup and that was the crazy matchup of TCU vs. UCF.

The biggest storyline is Kansas State putting a beat down on Arizona on Friday night. The Wildcats looked unstoppable against Arizona and they made a statement to the rest of the conference.

So after a great football weekend, here are the Week 3 Big 12 power rankings.

16. Houston Cougars

Previous ranking: 16
Record: 1-2

Willie Fritz and the Houston Cougars finally got one in the win column this week with a big win over new American Athletic Conference member Rice. The Cougars were able to keep the momentum going after almost upsetting former Big 12 member Oklahoma. Even though Houston finally got a win, it wasn't enough to move them up in these rankings.

15. Cincinnati Bearcats

Previous ranking: 15
Record: 2-1

Like Houston, Cincinnati was able to get another win in the win column, but struggling against Miami (OH) is not something that will get the Bearcats out of the basement of these rankings. The Bearcats are not the team they were before they joined the conference and there are no signs of improvement on the horizon.

14. Colorado Buffaloes

Previous ranking: 14
Record: 2-1

Colorado got one win over Colorado State, but that doesn't mean they are automatically back in contention for the College Football Playoff. Two wins over North Dakota State and Colorado State don't give Colorado the auto bid just yet.

13. West Virginia Mountaineers

Previous ranking: 9
Record: 1-2

West Virginia didn't have their hand on the panic button in Week 2, but after a blown lead that turned into a loss to Pitt, they should do more than just have their hand on the button, they better be pushing it. The West Virginia defense has more holes than Swiss cheese right now, and things are not looking good for the Mountaineers heading into Big 12 play.

12. Kansas Jayhawks

Previous ranking: 8
Record: 1-2

The Kansas Jayhawks did have their hand on the panic button and they are pressing it over and over again right now. The Jayhawks were at "home" in Kansas City, but all they had to do was jump on the ball instead of trying to pick up the fumble toward the end of the game. The loss to UNLV will haunt the Jayhawks, and it just might have taken them out of playoff contention.

11. TCU Horned Frogs

Previous ranking: 10
Record: 2-1

TCU only dropped one spot in the power rankings after a blown 21-point lead against the UCF Knights. The offense was rolling, but the TCU defense also fell apart and allowed UCF's offense to run right through them. TCU looked better in these first three games than they did all of last season, so be on the lookout for these Horned Frogs.

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Previous ranking: 13
Record: 2-1

Texas Tech struggled in the first two weeks of the season, which included a loss to Washington State, who did just beat Washington. However, the Red Raiders got Tahj Brooks back, the biggest part of their offense, and were able to look like a contending team again, but let's not forget, they played North Texas, they have a tough slate ahead of them.

9. Baylor Bears

Previous ranking: 12
Record: 2-1

Baylor was coming off a tough loss to Utah in Week 2, but they were able to bounce back against Air Force. This game didn't show much for the Bears this week, and a big reason for them moving up in the rankings is that other teams fell.

8. BYU Cougars

Previous ranking: 11
Record: 3-0

BYU is undefeated to start the season, but their non-conference opponents don't hold much water. The SMU game is probably the best non-conference game they had, and they had to make a comeback to win that one. The Cougars are looking good, but they are up against Kansas State to start Big 12 play, and it will not be an easy game.

7. Arizona Wildcats

Previous ranking: 5
Record: 2-1

Arizona looked a bit embarrassed after the Kansas State game since they couldn't find the end zone after their first offensive drive. Arizona has a serious problem with its defense, as Kansas State was able to carve it up. They need to find a way to get things done outside of Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan.

6. Arizona State Sun Devils

Previous ranking: 8
Record: 3-0

Arizona State has been the surprise of the conference so far, starting out the season 3-0 with a win over Mississippi State. It will be made more clear whether or not the Sun Devils are a true contender or just had some lucky wins in non-conference play once they begin Big 12 play.

5. UCF Knights

Previous ranking: 7
Record: 3-0

It is hard to put UCF this high after being down 21 points to TCU. The Knights were able to make a comeback, but they probably never should have been put in this place to begin with. UCF is able to be this high in the rankings due to other big hitters falling so much. The Knights might be for real, but they have a tough conference slate ahead of them, and that will be more telling.

4. Iowa State Cyclones

Previous ranking: 4
Record: 2-0

No movement for the Cyclones here as they had a bye week.

3. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Previous ranking: 3
Record: 3-0

Oklahoma State put a beat down on Tulsa, but that should have been expected. The Cowboys looked better on offense, but the question still stands: are they really getting better, or was the opponent they were playing not good? The Cowboys have Kansas State in two weeks and that will be the first true test.

2. Utah Utes

Previous ranking: 1
Record: 3-0

Utah dropped one spot this week even though they beat Utah State, but as has been mentioned before, the line was fine between Utah and Kansas State. With things still looking a little uncertain for quarterback Cam Rising, the Utes could be in more trouble than they realize.

1. Kansas State Wildcats

Previous ranking: 2
Record: 3-0

Kansas State officially takes the top spot in these rankings after a big win over Arizona. The Wildcats are finally starting to play up to their potential, but they can't rest on their talents every week. Head coach Chris Klieman said the team has to have good weeks of practice because their schedule is not going to get any easier.