The Big 12 Power Rankings after Week 3:

1. TCU (previous ranking: 1): The Horned Frogs’ 56-37 win over SMU was more difficult than anticipated, with the Mustangs cutting TCU’s lead to five points in the middle of the fourth quarter, but the Horned Frogs promptly scored a pair of touchdowns to put the game away. The injury bug hit Gary Patterson’s program yet again, however, with top cover man Ranthony Texada lost for the season in the win. TCU’s saving grace is the Big 12’s top player, Trevone Boykin, who leads one of the nation’s best offenses.

2. Baylor (2): The Bears had the week off, but that didn’t mean all was quiet as preseason All-Big 12 tight end Tre'Von Armstead was booted off the team. True enough, Armstead's All-Big 12 status had a lot to do with the lack of tight ends in the conference, but it’s been an unsettling trend of suspensions and off-the-field issues in Waco. On the field, however, Baylor remains very much in the conversation as a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff contender despite the distractions.

3. Oklahoma (3): Baker Mayfield is pushing the Sooners’ dreams to a higher level. The junior quarterback was exceptional in OU’s 52-38 win over Tulsa. The Texas Tech transfer passed for 487 yards and rushed for 85 yards to account for a school-record 572 yards of total offense. His mobility and ability to keep plays alive make the Sooners' offense explosive, but the defense has a ways to go before Oklahoma can think about leapfrogging Baylor and/or TCU.

4. Oklahoma State (4): The Cowboys looked like a dominant team for the first time this season, running UTSA off the Boone Pickens Stadium turf in a 69-14 win. Mike Gundy’s squad forced seven turnovers, while the offense averaged 8 yards per play. Oklahoma State travels to Texas this week, with the Jerrod Heard-led Longhorns set to provide the first real threat of the Cowboys' season. If Oklahoma State has any hopes of a Big 12 title, it needs to send a message to the rest of the conference with an impressive performance in Austin.

5. West Virginia (5): The Mountaineers quietly remain a real threat in the Big 12 but can’t slip up against Maryland this week after a bye on Saturday. A win over Maryland is important for West Virginia -- and the Big 12 -- as it would set up a huge battle the following week against Oklahoma and give the conference another victory over a Power 5 foe. With a brutal October just on the horizon, Dana Holgorsen’s team needs to finish nonconference play strong.

6. Texas Tech (8): The Red Raiders jump over Texas and Kansas State following the biggest win of Kliff Kingsbury’s career. Texas Tech rolled into Arkansas and walked away with a 35-24 win over the Razorbacks after a devastating loss to Arkansas in 2014. Texas Tech sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes is proving proficient, while David Gibbs' defense showed it is improving each week. Every Big 12 team should be scared of the combination of Mahomes and an opportunistic Gibbs defense.

7. Texas (7): Charlie Strong and the Longhorns have some splainin' to do. Quarterback Jerrod Heard proved his debut as a starter against Rice wasn’t a fluke with 364 passing yards and 163 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a heartbreaking 45-44 loss to California. Regardless, Heard has proved he should have gotten a chance earlier and has cemented his place as the starter. With Heard at the helm, the Longhorns will probably play a significant role in the Big 12 title race, even if they aren’t in it themselves.

8. Kansas State (6): It took the Wildcats three overtimes to knock off Louisiana Tech 39-33 at home. Kansas State drops, quite simply, because its offense hasn’t given anyone a reason to think it can keep up with the explosive, high-scoring offenses the Wildcats will face in conference play. Defense and special teams can only do so much, so coach Bill Snyder needs playmakers to emerge on the offensive side of the ball if the Wildcats hope to rise in these rankings.

9. Iowa State (9): Last week we wrote: “It's difficult to envision any scenario in which the Cyclones make a bowl going 1-2 in nonconference play.” Well, now that’s a reality after Iowa State’s 30-23 double-overtime loss to Toledo. Bowl eligibility could be a real challenge for Paul Rhoads' team. The good news is Iowa State kicks off Big 12 play with a 0-0 conference record and Kansas visiting Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 3 after a bye week for the Cyclones.

10. Kansas (10): The Jayhawks head to Rutgers this week after a bye on Saturday. David Beaty’s program found a diamond in the rough in running back Ke'aun Kinner, who has 270 rushing yards, 6.28 yards per carry and three touchdowns in two games this season. Now all eyes will be on quarterback Montell Cozart to bring balance to the offense alongside Kinner.