Hotline Big 12 power rankings for Week 4: Utah is the new No. 1 as Colorado slides

The Big 12 football power rankings are published on the Hotline each Monday throughout the regular season. The placement of teams reflects both the latest results and season-long performance. (Call them objectively subjective.) For comparative purposes, we have included each team's position in last week's rankings.

The Big 12 survived September with its reputation intact — we can't say the same for the Big Ten — and enough undefeated teams (four) to remain on pace to accomplish its primary goal: securing two berths in the College Football Playoff, one for the conference champion, the other an at-large pool participant.

If that competitive dynamic holds through October, it sets up the conference for an epic stretch run.

Here is a look at the best and worst of the first month.

Theme of the month: Parity returns

Preseason favorite Texas Tech might be undefeated, but it hasn't been dominant. The Red Raiders struggled to escape on the road against Oregon State and were three points from losing at home to Houston -- all of which suggests the Big 12 race will look more like it did in 2024, when mayhem ruled, than last year, when the Red Raiders rolled. That's ideal for the weekly thrill ride but suboptimal for CFP bids.

Stat of the month: 5-7

The Big 12 is just two games under .500 in head-to-head matchups against the other power conferences. That's better than the records posted by the ACC (6-9) and the Big Ten (4-10) in the closely watched data point. The SEC has dominated inter-Power Four games with a 10-2 record. The success should provide the Big 12 with an indirect boost in the CFP selection process.

Twist of the month: Oklahoma State

It has been forever since a team posted a combination of results quite like the Cowboys, who opened the season with a ghastly 24-10 loss at Tulsa and followed that up with a resounding 39-31 upset of then-No. 6 Oregon. They were 12.5-point favorites in the game they lost by 14 and 24-point underdogs in the game they won by nine. An incredible eight days.

Game of the month: Texas Tech 28, Houston 26

There have been far too few down-to-the-wire finishes for our liking. This was the exception, and it came on a Friday night (Week 3) with eyeballs from coast-to-coast glued to the action in Lubbock. The Cougars trailed by eight points late, then went 88 yards for a touchdown with 49 seconds remaining. But quarterback Conner Weigman's lunge for the two-point conversion was short by inches, giving the Red Raiders a pulsating victory.

Best offensive player: Arizona QB Noah Fifita

To call Fifita a fringe Heisman Trophy candidate is perhaps a stretch. He doesn't have the gaudy stats, prime-time platform or national profile at this point in the proceedings. But the senior has been superb on a weekly basis, completing 75.6 percent of his passes for 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Yes, BYU's Bear Bachmeier owns a higher passer rating, but Fifita's completion percentage is better, and he has thrown more than twice as many passes as Bachmeier. No team leans on its quarterback more than Arizona does with Fifita, and he has more than met the moment.

Best defensive player: Kansas State DE Wendell Gregory

Gregory was the Big 12's Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2025 ... for Oklahoma State. The former blue-chip recruit started his career at South Carolina, switched to OSU, then transferred to Manhattan and has continued to wreak havoc. He has 8.5 tackles-for-loss, the second-highest total in the nation and 0.5 TFLs behind the leader. Gregory is the prime reason Kansas State currently owns the stingiest defense in the Big 12, allowing just 246 yards per game.

Best coach: Utah's Morgan Scalley

An easy call. Scalley is one of four Big 12 coaches with an undefeated record but the only member of the quartet who is new to his post. The Utes' longtime defensive coordinator has managed the transition from Kyle Whittingham deftly thus far, particularly in his management of the other side of the ball: Utah's offense is a steamroller, and Scalley made all the right decisions with his playcaller (Kevin McGiven) and Utah's playbook.

Best transfer: Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker

No surprise here: Mestemaker entered the season as one of the most touted transfers on the market after sizzling for North Texas last season. His performance against Oregon, the best non-conference victory for the Big 12, was a master class in playmaking. The first round of the NFL draft awaits.

Best freshman: BYU WR Legend Glasker

The former three-star recruit is averaging a stellar 24.6 yards-per-catch (sixth nationally) and has 11 receptions in three games. Glasker, whose cousin, Isaiah, plays linebacker for the Cougars, has been named Big 12 Freshman of the Week twice. That would be a solid full-season total, but Glasker has only played three games.

To the power rankings ...

(All times Pacific)

1. Utah (4-0/1-0)

Result: won at Iowa State 31-17

Next up: idle

Comment: The schedule doesn't get any tougher after the bye week: The Utes host Kansas, then visit struggling Colorado. Their first true test comes Oct. 24, when Houston pays a visit. (Last week: 2)

2. BYU (3-0/1-0)

Result: did not play

Next up: at TCU (4 p.m. on ESPN)

Comment: Like their peers, the Cougars have a barrage of assistant position coaches, offensive and defensive analysts and quality control coaches on the staff. Forget about preparing for TCU and Iowa State. They should all be focused on Notre Dame. (Last week: 1)

3. Texas Tech (4-0/1-0)

Result: beat Sam Houston 49-14

Next up: at Colorado (4:30 p.m. on Fox)

Comment: Last year, the Red Raiders held their opponents to an average of 3.94 yards-per-play, tops in the country. This year, they are allowing 5.12 ypp, which is 64th. But hey, 4-0 is 4-0. (Last week: 3)

4. Oklahoma State (3-1/1-0)

Result: won at West Virginia 41-24

Next up: idle

Comment: With each passing week, the loss to Tulsa looks more like an outlier result than the win over Oregon. But having two options is quite the accomplishment in a single month. (Last week: 7)

5. Arizona (3-1/0-1)

Result: won at Washington State 34-24

Next up: vs. Cincinnati (8 p.m. on Fox)

Comment: The RichRod Bowl in two weeks will mean something to Arizona fans but nothing to the players, who weren't yet in high school when Rich Rodriguez last coached the Wildcats. That dynamic dramatically reduces the chances of Arizona looking past the Bearcats to their looming trip to Morgantown. (Last week: 5)

6. Houston (3-1/0-1)

Result: won at Georgia Southern 42-28

Next up: vs. UCF (9 a.m. on ESPN2)

Comment: Road games against Group of Six teams are always risky. Both Houston and Arizona survived Saturday without much difficulty. (Last week: 4)

7. Arizona State (2-1/1-0)

Result: did not play

Next up: vs. Baylor (7:30 p.m. on ESPN)

Comment: If you agree to play overseas, the best way to limit the risk of long-haul season derailment is with a bye the following weekend and then a home game against a second-tier opponent. The Sun Devils should not have much trouble with Baylor. (Last week: 6)

8. West Virginia (3-1/0-1)

Result: lost to Oklahoma State 41-24

Next up: at Iowa State (9 a.m. on TNT)

Comment: It's not lost on the Hotline that coach Eric Morris took over an Oklahoma State program that was in far worse shape than WVU when Rich Rodriguez took charge and, in half the time, has already surpassed the Mountaineers. (Last week: 8)

9. UCF (3-1/1-0)

Result: beat TCU 21-13

Next up: at Houston (9 a.m. on ESPN2)

Comment: We are not believers in the Knights, not in any way, shape or form. But if they win Saturday, that sentiment will rapidly give way to the first inklings of faith. (Last week: 11)

10. Cincinnati (4-0/1-0)

Result: beat Kansas State 31-26

Next up: at Arizona (8 p.m. on Fox)

Comment: Would this be a good time to remind fans that the Bearcats won seven of their first eight games last season before collapsing down the stretch? If not, we'll do it sometime next month, if they keep winning. (Last week: 14)

11. Kansas State (3-1/0-1)

Result: lost at Cincinnati 31-26

Next up: idle

Comment: Quarterback Avery Johnson's accuracy has improved markedly. To assume that trend will continue is to ignore the previous three seasons, although first-year coach Collin Klein is the best match for Johnson during his time in Manhattan. (Last week: 9)

12. Baylor (3-1/1-0)

Result: beat Colorado 23-13

Next up: at Arizona State (7:30 p.m. on ESPN)

Comment: We won't make the mistake of reading much into the penalty-filled victory over Colorado. If the Bears win in Tempe, the situation changes. (Last week: 12)

13. Colorado (2-2/0-1)

Result: lost at Baylor 23-13

Next up: vs. Texas Tech (4:30 p.m. on Fox)

Comment: Remember all that optimism in Boulder after CU opened the season with a come-from-behind victory at Georgia Tech? Well, the Yellow Jackets are 1-3 and just lost to Stanford. (Last week: 10)

14. Iowa State (2-2/0-1)

Result: lost to Utah 31-17

Next up: vs. West Virginia (9 a.m. on TNT)

Comment: Good chance the Cyclones' best result of the season ends up being the three-point loss at Iowa. (Last week: 13)

15. TCU (2-2/0-1)

Result: lost at UCF 21-13

Next up: vs. BYU (4 p.m. on ESPN)

Comment: We can't help but wonder if Sonny Dykes slides onto the warm seat by November. That might sound implausible given TCU's string of nine-win seasons. But things change quickly with so much money at stake in the sport's post-modern era. (Last week: 15)

16. Kansas (1-2/0-1)

Result: did not play

Next up: vs. Middle Tennessee State (9 a.m. on ESPNU)

Comment: Only two-and-a-half weeks until the basketball team takes the floor for an exhibition against Pittsburg State. (Last week: 16)