Utah
Big 12 football power rankings: Utah asserts its position at the top, BYU makes a massive leap
If you’re a fan of one of the two Utah schools in the Big 12, it was a great weekend.
Many other schools in the league might feel a bit envious — Utah controlled its matchup at Oklahoma State, while BYU knocked off Kansas State.
Those two results — plus a must-see finish between Colorado and Baylor — highlighted Big 12 action during the fourth week of the college football season and shook up the latest conference power rankings.
Special Collector’s Issue: “1984: The Year BYU was Second to None”
Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football’s 1984 National Championship season.
Here’s our look at how the Big 12 stacks up through the fourth week of the 2024 season:
1. Utah Utes (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Welcome, Utah, back to the top spot. They’re going to be here awhile, after making Oklahoma State look out of its element for much of the day and shutting down the Cowboys’ offense — especially All-American running back Ollie Gordon II, who never had an impact in the game.
Utah did this without Cam Rising, too — Isaac Wilson is proving he is more than capable leading the offense — and with Connor O’Toole and Karene Reid also out with injuries. Instead, guys like Micah Bernard, Dorian Singer and Elijah Davis came up with clutch plays, and the Utes collected the biggest win of Big 12 play thus far.
Now, it’s time for the revenge game for the Utes. Last year, Arizona beat them in Tucson — and scored on a long TD pass in the final minute to boot. What does Utah have in store for the Wildcats?
2. Iowa State Cyclones (3-0)
- Poll movement: Cimbed two spots
- Last week: Beat Arkansas State, 52-7
- Next game: Saturday at Houston, 5 p.m. MDT (FS1)
Why do the Cyclones get the edge here at the No. 2 spot? Because of the three unbeaten teams behind Utah, they have the next-best win — beating ranked Iowa on the road (had BYU won at Kansas State, this would be a different story). Iowa State dominated Arkansas State in its return from a bye.
There probably won’t be much more to learn about Iowa State this week, as they take on the Big 12′s worst team. The Cyclones don’t potentially face a top 25 Big 12 team until the season’s final weeks, unless a team like UCF or Texas Tech enters the rankings.
3. BYU Cougars (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Where did that come from? BYU knocked off the top 15 Wildcats, and in the process, the Cougars look like someone who is going to be a factor in the Big 12 race this season.
A 31-point flurry over six and a half minutes of game time broke the game open — during that stretch, BYU turned three Kansas State turnovers into touchdowns, and Parker Kingston’s electric 90-yard punt return for a score dealt the final crushing blow.
Yes, it’s a huge win — but how will BYU respond going forward? The Cougars still haven’t won a road game in Big 12 play since joining the league last year, and Baylor could be a wounded animal this weekend, ready to fight back after a demoralizing loss.
4. UCF Knights (3-0, 1-0 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Climbed one spot
- Last week: Bye
- Next game: Sept. 28 vs. Colorado, 1:30 p.m. MDT (Fox)
That ended up being a good time for a bye for the Knights — they improved a spot in the power rankings despite being idle. There’s also a fun but challenging set of games coming up for UCF that will show us just how formidable the Knights are.
First up is Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes, which must travel to Orlando in what should be an entertaining matchup. After that, UCF plays at Florida and will also play at Iowa State and home against BYU before the end of October.
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Dropped two spots
- Last week: Lost to No. 12 Utah, 22-19
- Next game: Saturday at No. 23 Kansas State, 10 a.m. MDT (ESPN)
Oklahoma State had its chance to give Utah a “Welcome to the Big 12″ moment — but the Utes turned the table and showed the Cowboys, this is their league to lose. Utah’s defense shut down Oklahoma State’s offense until the last few minutes, and the Utes rode a successful offensive day behind true freshman Isaac Wilson to a convincing victory.
Will Oklahoma State’s MIA offense return? The game this weekend against Kansas State carries a lot more weight now — the loser will fall to 0-2 in Big 12 play and face an uphill climb to be a league contender.
6. Kansas State Wildcats (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Dropped five spots
- Last week: Lost to BYU, 38-9
- Next game: Saturday vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State, 10 a.m. MDT (ESPN)
Where did that come from? The Wildcats looked nothing like how they did the week before, when Kansas State handed then-ranked Arizona a 31-7 beatdown. It was strange to see such a lopsided loss to the Cougars, who stayed unbeaten with the shocking 29-point win and are clearly outpacing their projected 13th-place finish in the league.
This all sets up a critical game with Oklahoma State this week in a matchup that features two teams expected to contend for the Big 12 championship. At least for Kansas State, the Wildcats get the homefield advantage this time around.
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Climbed four spots
- Last week: Beat Arizona State, 30-22
- Next game: Saturday vs. Cincinnati, 6 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)
The Red Raiders made sure Arizona State wouldn’t knock them off in the Sun Devils’ inaugural Big 12 conference game — Texas Tech got out to a 14-0 lead after one quarter, and while ASU made it a one-score game several times after that, the Red Raiders found enough offense to fend off the Sun Devils.
There’s a favorable schedule ahead for the Red Raiders — over the next five weeks, they host Cincinnati and Baylor, while also playing at Arizona and TCU. Texas Tech should be favored in most — if not all — of those games, which would set up an interesting November.
8. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Dropped two spots
- Last week: Lost to Texas Tech, 30-22
- Next game: Oct. 5 vs. Kansas, 6 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)
Welp, Arizona State’s Big 12 debut didn’t go quite as planned — the Sun Devils fell behind early and never led in falling at Texas Tech. It was a much better effort than ASU showed through much of last year, but the result also shows the Sun Devils still have plenty of work to do.
There are some winnable games — like hosting Kansas and Houston — mixed in with some difficult top 25 matchups for Arizona State over the next month. If the Sun Devils can head into November with a couple more wins, they’ll be in a solid position to qualify for the postseason.
9. Arizona Wildcats (2-1)
- Poll movement: Dropped two spots
- Last week: Bye
- Next game: Saturday at No. 10 Utah, 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN)
The shimmer on the Wildcats’ hopes to be a factor in the conference race took a sizable hit two weeks ago, when Arizona lost big to Kansas State in a matchup that didn’t count in the Big 12 standings. Questions surround the team under first-year coach Brent Brennan, though there’s enough talent in Tucson to impact the league race.
There’s some unfortunate luck for Arizona, though, that its next game comes on the road against the league favorite, Utah. Surely the Utes remember getting beat handily by the Wildcats last year, which included a long TD pass in the final minute.

10. Colorado Buffaloes (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Climbed four spots
- Last week: Beat Baylor, 38-31
- Next game: Saturday at UCF, 1:30 p.m. MDT (Fox)
Colorado sure knows how to deliver a thriller — thanks to a Hail Mary followed by a game-winning touchdown in overtime, the Buffaloes rallied to beat Baylor in a loss that could have sunk Colorado in its league opener. Instead, Shedeur Sanders’ 43-yard touchdown to LaJohntay Wester made SportsCenter’s top play of the day, and the Buffaloes improved to 3-1.
We’ll learn more about how competitive the Buffaloes will be in the Big 12 race over the next few weeks. Following this weekend’s game at UCF, Colorado takes a bye before hosting Kansas State and playing at Arizona.
11. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-2, 1-0 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Climbed two spots
- Last week: Beat Kansas, 32-28
- Next game: Oct. 5 at No. 20 Oklahoma State, 2 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)
One week after the Mountaineers blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead, West Virginia looked like it was headed straight away to a 1-3 record. Then the Mountaineers engineered their own fourth-quarter comeback, rallying from down 11 with 5:39 to play with two late touchdown drives — that included the game-winner on a 15-yard TD pass with 26 seconds to play.
After an up and down first month of the season, now is a good time for the Mountaineers to have a bye. The upcoming schedule is brutal — West Virginia will play three teams currently ranked in October, but at least Iowa State and Kansas State have to visit Morgantown.
12. Cincinnati Bearcats (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Climbed three spots
- Last week: Beat Houston, 34-0
- Next game: Saturday at Texas Tech, 6 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)
With Cincinnati’s first Big 12 home win — the shutout victory over Houston, which came in its second year in the league — the Bearcats have already matched their win total from last year. Cincinnati, under transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby, has shown it has a strong enough offense to compete.
The schedule for the next month, though, is tough for a program trying to turn things around after a 3-9 campaign last year. Three of their next four games are on the road — at Texas Tech, UCF and Colorado, all three teams who’ve shown they’re capable of finishing in the upper half of the Big 12.
13. TCU Horned Frogs (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Dropped four spots
- Last week: Lost to SMU, 66-42
- Next game: Saturday at Kansas, 1:30 p.m. MDT (ESPN+)
It’s panic time in Fort Worth — the Horned Frogs have lost two straight, after rival SMU blitzed TCU in what is now a Power Four matchup. The Mustangs had at least a three-score lead at the end of every quarter, and TCU gave up five turnovers.
Now, the Horned Frogs will have to bounce back on the road against an equally desperate Kansas squad. Who will get the much-needed shot of momentum a win can bring?
14. Baylor Bears (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Dropped four spots
- Last week: Lost to Colorado, 38-31
- Next game: Saturday vs. No. 22 BYU, 10 a.m. MDT (FS1)
That was a gut punch for Baylor Nation — the Bears looked like they had wrapped up a road win to open conference play, but Shedeur Sanders’ Hail Mary on the final play of regulation wiped out the Baylor lead, then it lost in overtime. It feels like Dave Aranda is losing his grip on a season where he is squarely on the hot seat, even when the Bears are still 2-2 on the year.
Can Baylor rebound to knock off the now-ranked Cougars? BYU is coming off its wild 38-9 win over Kansas State, though the Cougars are still looking for their first road win in league play after joining the Big 12 last year. It’s a critical game for both schools.

15. Kansas Jayhawks (1-3, 0-1 Big 12)
- Poll movement: Dropped three spots
- Last week: Lost to West Virginia, 32-28
- Next game: Saturday vs. TCU, 1:30 p.m. MDT (ESPN+)
All the good vibes and positive expectations for Kansas going into the 2024 season are seemingly gone after the Jayhawks lose for the third straight game — and quarterback Jalon Daniels continued to struggle with turnovers. This time, Kansas couldn’t hold onto an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter and fell to West Virginia in the Big 12 opener for both schools.
Can a visit from TCU this weekend be the elixir to winning again? The Horned Frogs have lost two straight in painful fashion, and the loser of Saturday’s game will fall to 0-2 in league play. There’s winnable games for the Jayhawks over the next few weeks — including games at Arizona State and home against Houston — but they need to turn things around now.
16. Houston Cougars (1-3, 0-1 Big 12)
- Poll movement: No change
- Last week: Lost to Cincinnati, 34-0
- Next game: Saturday vs. No. 18 Iowa State, 5 p.m. MDT (FS1)
Houston’s offense was absent in a shutout loss to Cincinnati, one of the other Big 12 teams that not much was expected from this season. The Cougars turned over the ball three times, reached the red zone just two times — that included a missed field goal — and put up only 233 total yards.
When could the Cougars’ next win come? It might be awhile. Houston’s next three home games all come against teams currently ranked in the top 25, and they play back-to-back road games at TCU and Kansas — though both of these schools have underwhelmed as well.
Utah
Golden Knights vs. Mammoth Game 1 prediction: NHL odds, picks, best bets for Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Utah Mammoth is going to be a trendy underdog pick in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Not only does Utah have the novelty of this being its first-ever appearance in the postseason going for it, but the Mammoth tick plenty of other boxes that punters look for in a dark horse. They’re fast, dynamic, and create plenty of quality scoring chances.
The only problem is that they are running into the Vegas Golden Knights, arguably the best defensive team in the Western Conference, in Round 1.
Vegas is a -170 favorite to win the series, and it is -152 to win Game 1 on Sunday night.
Mammoth vs. Golden Knights odds, prediction
The Golden Knights had a weird season. Vegas started hot, took its foot off the pedal, and struggled to regain its form down the stretch. That led to a surprising coaching switch late in the campaign, but the move paid immediate dividends as John Tortorella led the Knights to a 7-0-1 record in his eight games behind the bench.
It should be noted that Tortorella benefited from an easy schedule since taking over in Vegas, but it’s hard to deny that the team looks sparked with a new voice in their ear.
What’s especially encouraging for Vegas is that its most glaring weakness, the play of goaltender Carter Hart, has started to trend in the right direction at the exact right time.
And Vegas is so good in its own zone that Hart doesn’t need to stand on his head to get the team over the line against Utah. If he’s just average, the Knights will stand a chance, especially since Utah’s goaltending situation is just as much of a question mark.
Betting on the NHL?
Outside of Vejmelka outplaying Hart, the Mammoth will also need to get this series on their terms if they want to pull the upset. Utah grades out as a slightly above-average defensive outfit, but its strength is up front with dynamic playmakers like Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller, plus sharp-shooter Dylan Guenther.
For those stars to have an impact, the Mammoth will need to get Vegas to open up and engage in a back-and-forth style. I just don’t see that happening with a team that was so disciplined in its own zone all season. The Knights led the NHL in expected goals against and high-danger chances conceded at 5-on-5, which shouldn’t be a shocker given the personnel in Sin City.
Not only does Vegas boast a deep blueline, but forwards Mitch Marner and Mark Stone are regarded as two of the best defensive minds in the entire sport.
Perhaps Utah can blitz Vegas and pull the upset, but I’d need a bigger number to go against the experienced, defensively savvy Knights in a best-of-7.
And if you’re looking for a play with more upside, have a good look at Vegas to pull off the sweep at 12/1.
The Play: Vegas moneyline (-152) | Vegas to sweep the series (12/1, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Utah
Multiple earthquakes detected near Kanosh
KANOSH, Utah — The United States Geological Survey recorded multiple earthquakes near Kanosh Sunday morning, each of them having an average magnitude of 3.0.
The first earthquake, magnitude 3.0, was detected just after 12:30 a.m., with the epicenter located half a mile south of Kanarraville.
The second quake, magnitude 3.2, was detected around 5:45 a.m., with the epicenter nearly five miles south-southwest of Kanosh. This was followed by two more quakes in the same area, a magnitude 2.5 quake coming in around 6:35 a.m., followed by a third around 7:45 a.m, which measured at magnitude 3.3.
This has since been followed by another quake, measuring at magnitude 3.7, being detected around 8:45 a.m. The geographic location in the USGS report places the epicenter approximately over two miles south of the Dry Wash Trail, about six miles south-southwest of Kanosh.
FOX 13 News previously spoke with researchers at University of Utah, who said that earthquake swarms are relatively common. A study published in 2023 posits that swarms may be triggered by geothermal activity. The findings came after a series of seismic swarms were detected in central Utah, within the vicinity of three geothermal power plants.
The study also says that the swarms fall into a different category than aftershocks that typically follow large quakes, such as the magnitude 5.7 earthquake that hit the Wasatch Fault back in 2020.
Utah
Embattled Utah Rep. Trevor Lee loses county GOP convention — but wins enough support to make primary
Earlier in the week, House Speaker Mike Schultz said lawmakers asked the attorney general to investigate allegations of fraud and bribery against Lee.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, running for reelection, addresses delegates during the Davis County Republican Party nominating convention at Syracuse High School on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
-
Culture22 minutes agoWhat America’s Main Characters Tell Us
-
Lifestyle28 minutes agoWe beef with the Pope and admire the Stanley Cup : Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
-
Technology40 minutes agoThis pasta sauce wants to record your family
-
World46 minutes agoMassive 7.5-magnitude earthquake hits off Japanese coast, tsunami alert issued
-
Politics52 minutes agoUS military announces another deadly strike against ‘narco-terrorists’
-
Health58 minutes agoCancer tied to woman’s vaping habit since age 15 as she’s now given just months to live
-
Sports1 hour agoPolice report details Zachariah Branch’s arrest days before NFL Draft over sidewalk incident
-
Technology1 hour agoBMW puts humanoid robots to work building EVs