The Big 12 has four teams ranked in the latest AP Top 25, including a new Top 10 team following Week 3 of the college football season.
BYU leads the way for the conference, moving up two spots from No. 11 to No. 9 following Saturday’s 41-23 road win over Colorado State. The Cougars improved to 3-0 behind another huge performance from running back LJ Martin, who rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s also BYU’s earliest appearance in the AP Top 10 since the 2009 season.
Texas Tech is right behind the Cougars at No. 11, moving up two spots after surviving Houston 28-26 on Friday night in Lubbock.
The Red Raiders weren’t dominant, but they did enough to remain undefeated while picking up their first Big 12 victory of the season. Texas Tech will now return to non-conference play in Week 4 as a massive favorite against Sam Houston.
Utah continues its steady climb as well.
The Utes moved from No. 17 to No. 15 after improving to 3-0. Utah entered the season at No. 21 and has now climbed six spots through the first three weeks.
And despite losing to Texas Tech on Friday night, Houston remains in the AP Top 25.
The Cougars dropped three spots from No. 22 to No. 25, but voters clearly gave Houston some credit for taking Texas Tech down to the wire on the road. That means the Big 12 still has four ranked teams heading into Week 4.
Big 12 Teams in the AP Top 25
- No. 9 BYU (3-0)
- No. 11 Texas Tech (3-0)
- No. 15 Utah (3-0)
- No. 25 Houston (2-1)
West Virginia Makes a Big Jump
West Virginia isn’t ranked yet, but the Mountaineers suddenly aren’t far away.
WVU received 93 votes following its 38-27 upset of No. 25 Virginia on Saturday night. That puts the Mountaineers behind only Washington and Kentucky among teams outside the Top 25.
Virginia, meanwhile, dropped completely out of the rankings following the loss.
West Virginia wasn’t the only Big 12 team receiving votes. Oklahoma State received 50 votes, Arizona picked up 12 and Kansas State received three.
For the Big 12, BYU’s move into the Top 10 is the biggest development, but the conference now has three teams inside the Top 15 and another sitting at No. 25.
And with West Virginia suddenly knocking on the door, the Big 12 could have an opportunity to add a fifth ranked team in the coming weeks.
