Big 12 Power Rankings: BYU sinks to the bottom as K-State, UCF and Texas Tech climb
Just when it looked like the Big 12 was starting to make sense, last weekend happened.
Cincinnati, a team that hadn’t won a conference game all year, went on the road and whipped Houston by double digits.
Oklahoma State, a team that seemed destined to reach the league championship game along with Texas, stumbled and bumbled its way to a humiliating 42-point loss at UCF.
Texas Tech, a team that many left for dead weeks ago, pulled off a road upset at Kansas.
Now the race for a conference championship is more wide open than ever. Texas is all alone in first at 6-1. Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma and OSU are all one game back at 5-2. KU and Texas Tech are still alive at 4-3.
Unfortunately for West Virginia, there appears to be no scenario in which it can win the league title.
But we do have clarity on the other end of the conference. It seems pretty clear who the worst team in the Big 12 is right now.
That leads us into this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings:
1. Texas (9-1, 6-1 Big 12)
Last game: 29-26 win at TCU
Next game: at Iowa State
Analysis: The Longhorns got starting quarterback Quinn Ewers back this week and he didn’t look rusty while throwing for 317 yards and a touchdown in a win over TCU. As long as he stays healthy, Texas will probably win its final two games and finish first in the Big 12 standings. But Iowa State and Texas Tech could both be tricky games. So nothing can be taken for granted.
2. Oklahoma State (7-3, 5-2 Big 12)
Last game: 45-3 loss at UCF
Next game: at Houston
Analysis: It was fair to assume that Oklahoma State would suffer a letdown coming off an enormous rivalry win over Oklahoma. But nobody expected the Cowboys to play as badly as they did during a 45-3 loss at UCF. Mike Gundy’s team suffered from much more than a Bedlam hangover. It looked like OSU players spent the previous week partying instead of practicing. Now the Cowboys may face a harsh penalty for not taking that game seriously. They no longer control their own destiny in the Big 12 championship race.
3. Kansas State (7-3, 5-2 Big 12)
Last game: 59-25 win over Baylor
Next game: at Kansas
Analysis: The Wildcats are rooting for chalk the rest of the way. If K-State wins its final two games of the season and Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State all take care of business as favorites in their remaining games then Chris Klieman’s team is likely heading back to the Big 12 championship game. If it happens, credit new tiebreakers and uneven schedules for the assists.
4. Oklahoma (8-2, 5-2 Big 12)
Last game: 59-20 win over West Virginia
Next game: at BYU
Analysis: When Dillon Gabriel gets hot, watch out. The Oklahoma quarterback bounced back from a couple average games with an astounding 423 yards and five touchdowns during a blowout victory over West Virginia. It’s hard to see the Sooners losing either of their final two games now that they have their confidence back.
5. Kansas (7-3, 4-3 Big 12)
Last game: 16-13 loss to Texas Tech
Next game: K-State
Analysis: The Jayhawks haven’t beaten Kansas State since 2008. This could be the year that KU finally wins a game in the Sunflower Showdown ... if it has Jalon Daniels or Jason Bean at quarterback. Of course, the KU quarterback position has never been murkier than it is at the moment. Freshman Cole Ballard finished out a 16-13 loss to Texas Tech over the weekend. It’s hard to envision anything other than another victory for EMAW nation if he starts this game. But we could get a much more competitive game than usual if Bean or Daniels is able to suit up.
6. Iowa State (6-4, 5-2 Big 12)
Last game: 45-13 win at BYU
Next game: Texas
Analysis: Don’t sleep on the Cyclones. There are more than a few scenarios that could see Iowa State make it to the Big 12 championship as the No. 1 seed if it beats Texas and K-State over the next two weeks. That is obviously easier said than done, as Iowa State will not be favored in either of those games. But Matt Campbell’s team kept its dreams alive by demolishing BYU last week.
7. Texas Tech (5-5, 4-3 Big 12)
Last game: 16-13 win at Kansas
Next game: UCF
Analysis: I wouldn’t put it past the Red Raiders to win out now that they have Behren Morton at quarterback. This is a talented team that is starting to play well after a miserable start. It’s probably too little too late, but there are some scenarios in which Texas Tech can still reach the Big 12 championship game.
8. West Virginia (6-4, 4-3 Big 12)
Last game: 59-20 loss at Oklahoma
Next game: Cincinnati
Analysis: The Mountaineers sure have benefited from playing one of the easiest schedules in the Big 12 this season. West Virginia has a winning record thanks to victories over Texas Tech, TCU, UCF and BYU. Honestly, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Oklahoma boat raced West Virginia for 59 points last week. Fortunately for WVU, it finishes the season against softer competition with Cincinnati and Baylor on deck.
9. UCF (5-5, 2-5 Big 12)
Last game: 45-3 win over Oklahoma State
Next game: at Texas Tech
Analysis: The Knights should wear their throwback, powder blue uniforms more often. When they broke them out for a big game against Oklahoma State on Saturday Gus Malzahn’s team responded by gaining 592 yards of offense and winning by 42 points. UCF will make a bowl if it can win one of its final two games against Texas Tech or Houston.
10. TCU (4-6, 2-5 Big 12)
Last game: 29-26 loss to Texas
Next game: Texas
Analysis: What a disappointing season it has been for the Horned Frogs. The only potential silver lining here is that freshman quarterback Josh Hoover has thrown for more than 300 yards in three of his four starts.
11. Houston (4-6, 2-5 Big 12)
Last game: 24-14 loss to Cincinnati
Next game: Oklahoma State
Analysis: The Cougars are impossible to figure out. On certain weeks they are capable of beating teams like UTSA and West Virginia. On others they can push Texas for a full four quarters. And then they are also capable of losing to teams like Rice and Cincinnati. Houston could pull off an upset against Oklahoma State this week or lose to the Cowboys by 50. Nothing seems impossible with this group.
12. Cincinnati (3-7, 1-6 Big 12)
Last game: 24-14 win at Houston
Next game: at West Virginia
Analysis: Congratulations to the Bearcats, who won their first conference game as a Big 12 member at Houston on Saturday. That was enough for them to move out of last place in these rankings. I still don’t think much of Cincinnati, but at least it is playing hard under a first-year coach. That is not the case for the teams ranked below.
13. Baylor (3-7, 2-5 Big 12)
Last game: 59-25 loss to K-State
Next game: at TCU
Analysis: The Bears are fortunate to have three wins. Their two conference victories came on a miracle comeback against UCF and a three-point win at Cincinnati. Other than that, Baylor has mostly struggled to stay competitive. K-State jumped to a 35-7 lead against the Bears on Saturday. Dave Aranda’s job is probably safe, but this season is testing that logic.
14. BYU (5-5, 2-5 Big 12)
Last game: 45-13 loss to Iowa State
Next game: Oklahoma
Analysis: I’m sure the Cougars are happy that they are in the Big 12 after spending years in the wilderness of college football as an independent, but this season has felt like a torture machine for them. And things are getting worse. BYU has lost three straight games by ugly scores. It seemed to hit rock bottom with a 45-13 home loss to Iowa State on Saturday, but it still has two difficult games remaining. This team looks like a zombie. It will walk its way through the remainder of the season, but it won’t do much more than that.