Big 12 Football Power Rankings: Kansas, Kansas State Looking Up...Way Up

Eight Big 12 teams are still unbeaten after three weeks in the new college football season.  No other conference can make that claim. That number is certain to go down by at least one when unbeaten and top-ten-ranked Oklahoma State and Texas A&M square off on Saturday afternoon. Kansas State takes its perfect record on the road, heading down to South Florida to take on the embattled but still very potent Miami Hurricanes.

No. 1-ranked Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas Tech will also put their perfect records on the line in a shortened slate of games this weekend involving Big 12 schools.

It's not often that a team sports a perfect 2-0 record and yet ranks among the weaker teams in its conference, but that's precisely the position Kansas State finds itself in. With Iowa State and Texas Tech starting off stronger than many expected, the two Sunflower State teams find themselves scrapping for what's left. Kansas hit their wall last week in a humiliating defeat at Georgia Tech, and this week it will be K-State's time to get exposed by the "U" of Miami.

Texas may be the power school in the Big 12, but that's not the way things are playing out so far this season on the football field. Here is how conference teams stack up in football from a pure power perspective:

Big 12 Power Rankings

•1.    Oklahoma - Sooners' most immediate challenge is preventing a letdown.

•2.    Oklahoma State - A win over Texas A&M most likely will set up a season-ending championship clash with OU.

•3.    Texas A&M - No one outside of College Station will be rooting for A&M to do well.

•4.    Missouri - The Tigers have played three very different games thus far. The weekend test with OU at OU will either bring out the best of the worst in this year's Mizzou squad.

•5.    Texas - With big wins over BYU and UCLA, Texas is making a strong statement that this year is going to be different.

•6.    Baylor - Putting up points is a given with this team; preventing them may be another matter when the Bears get into Big 12 play.

•7.    Texas Tech - The Red Raiders look impressive thus far, but against whom?

•8.    Iowa State - The Cyclones are 3-0 for the first time since 2005 and could pull off some more surprises before the season's over.

•9.    Kansas State - Coach Bill Snyder's team will play tough and hopefully smart, but the Cats won't return home from Miami with a win.

•10. Kansas - The Jayhawks' defense was nonexistent in the second half against Georgia Tech. At least they won't embarrass themselves this weekend.