👋 GOOD MORNING - Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway home, and I hope your week is going well.

What were your takeaways from the first week of NFL football? Can Aaron Rodgers keep it up in Pittsburgh? Are the Lions as lost as they appear? Have you EVER seen a comeback like what the Bills did?

I’m looking forward to seeing what the Cardinals can do against Carolina this Sunday — a win would set up an early NFC West showdown in San Francisco on Sept. 21. We are officially off and running.

On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

There’s been a shakeup, and I think you already know where this is heading.

The Sun Devils have been dethroned at the top of the PHNX Sports Big 12 power rankings.

Not something I wanted to type this week, but Arizona State’s loss to Mississippi State — its first regular season loss since falling 24-14 at Cincinnati on Oct. 19, 2024 — means there’s a new leader at the top.

Remember, ASU fans: This does not derail anything the Sun Devils are trying to accomplish this season, including the defense of their Big 12 title — it’s a big week to see how the team responds to coach Kenny Dillingham.

Here’s how Week 3 stacks up across the conference:

Friday, Sept. 12:

Saturday, Sept. 13:

1 - No. 14 Iowa State (3-0, 1-0 Big 12): The Cyclones have wins over two Power 5 schools already (Kansas State and Iowa), though the victory over the Wildcats has lost some luster following their loss to Army last weekend. Can ISU avoid a letdown against Arkansas State this weekend?
Last Week’s Result: W, 16-13 vs. Iowa
Last Week’s Ranking: 2

2 — No. 20 Utah (2-0): It’s early, but it sure looks like the Utes are kicking off a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2024 campaign. Utah has outscored its opposition 106—19 over its first two games, and even if it has come against inferior opponents, it’s hard to ignore. Not a huge test this week at Wyoming, but buckle up for next week’s home contest vs. No. 21 Texas Tech
Last Week’s Result: W, 63-9 vs. Cal Poly
Last Week’s Ranking: 4

3 - No. 21 Texas Tech (2-0): Speaking of the Red Raiders, their differential has been just as prolific, as their lowest point output in the first two game was 62. 62! That’s pretty crazy, but to be fair the competition was Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kent State.
Last Week’s Result: W, 62-14 vs. Kent State
Last Week’s Ranking: 3

4 - TCU (1-0): The Horned Frogs jumped way up after their Week 1 win over the Tar Heels, and I just have a standing policy to not penalize teams after their bye week. Cupcake matchup against Abilene Christian this week before they get into the meat and potatoes of their schedule, so we’ll learn much more about them soon.
Last Week’s Result: Idle
Last Week’s Ranking: 5

5 - Arizona State (1-1): Tough loss in Starkville on Saturday, and while I’ve seen other outlets drop the Sun Devils significantly, I don’t think it’s fair to penalize them for losing by four on the road to an SEC team. ASU impressively crawled out of a 17-0 hole to almost come away with the win, but defensive lapses proved costly at the end of the game.
Last Week’s Result: L, 24-20 at Mississippi State
Last Week’s Ranking: 1

6 — Arizona (2-0): U of A has demolished the opposition, putting together a combined 88-9 score in its first two games. This week features a battle of the Wildcats (again!), and Arizona has an opportunity to topple a reeling Kansas State team to establish early positioning in what’s looking like a wide open Big 12 race.
Last Week’s Result: W, 48-3 vs. Weber State
Last Week’s Ranking: 7

7 — BYU (2-0): Fantastic win over Stanford (even if the Cardinal are not off to a good start), and the Cougars could certainly make a push to win the Big 12 this season. A favorable schedule helps, as well, considering East Carolina, Colorado and West Virginia are all on deck before they head to Tucson to face the Wildcats.
Last Week’s Result: W, 27-3 vs. Stanford
Last Week’s Ranking: 8

8 — Houston (2-0): Meh — wins over Stephen F. Austin and Rice haven’t exactly moved the needle, but hard to penalize a team for still being undefeated. Houston may not be challenged until a Week 5 meeting with No. 21 Texas Tech.
Last Week’s Result: W, 35-9 at Rice
Last Week’s Ranking: 9

9 — UCF (2-0): It’s the biggest jump of the week, and well deserved, even if it is short lived. The Knights toppled North Carolina A&T last weekend, and though this may be fool’s gold, I rank by what has been done, not what we think will be done. UCF is unbeaten and deserves a spot in the top 10 heading into a bye week.
Last Week’s Result: W, 68-7 vs. North Carolina A&T
Last Week’s Ranking: 16

Best of the Rest:

10 — Baylor (1-1)
Last Week’s Result: W, 48-45 at No. 17 SMU
Last Week’s Ranking: 12

11 — Kansas (2-1)
Last Week’s Result: L, 42-31 at Missouri
Last Week’s Ranking: 7

12 — Cincinnati (1-1)
Last Week’s Result: W, 34-20 vs. Bowling Green
Last Week’s Ranking: 15

13 — Colorado (1-1)
Last Week’s Result: W, 31-7 vs. Delaware
Last Week’s Ranking: 14

14 — Kansas State (1-2)
Last Week’s Result: L, 24-21 vs. Army
Last Week’s Ranking: 10

15 — Oklahoma State (1-1)
Last Week’s Result: L, 69-3 at No. 6 Oregon
Last Week’s Ranking: 11

16 — West Virginia (1-1)
Last Week’s Result: L, 17-10 at Ohio
Last Week’s Ranking: 13

Agree? Disagree? Email me at [email protected] OR by simply responding to this email and sound off!

Giant Task: The D-backs’ fading playoff hopes took another hit following a 5-3 loss to San Francisco last night, and though Arizona fought back after falling down 4-0, it wasn’t enough to avoid its fourth consecutive loss. They remain 4.5 games back from the final Wild Card spot following the Mets’ fourth straight defeat.

The D-backs wrap up their series in San Francisco this afternoon (12:45 pm), hoping to salvage a game before heading to Minnesota.

More History: The Mercury fell 88-83 in their regular season home finale, but that didn’t stop Alyssa Thomas from making more history. She finished with 10 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds, and officially recorded the fastest triple-double in WNBA history — 21 minutes and 52 seconds.

It was her eighth triple-double of the season, and 23rd of her career, and there have only been 57 recorded in league history!

The Mercury wrap up their regular season on Thursday at Dallas, with sights set on the 2025 postseason.

Danny Gonzales isn’t biting on any bulletin board material as UA approaches a winnable game against Kansas State.

Sun Devils, if they can’t topple Texas State at home this weekend: