Big 12 Power Rankings: ‘What if’ questions for every team as Baylor and Kansas stay hot
Nothing sums up this wild and wacky Big 12 football season better than Saturday’s regular-season finale between Baylor and Kansas.
The Bears and the Jayhawks are the two hottest teams in the conference. Baylor has won five straight games, mostly all by blowout margins. Kansas has won three consecutive games against ranked teams.
This matchup has the makings of a league championship preview with playoff implications ... and yet you can’t find either team in the top 25.
That’s because Baylor began the season 2-4 and Kansas started 2-6. Too bad there aren’t do-overs in college football. Change an outcome here and there and these two teams might be on a collision course for Arlington, Texas.
Many other Big 12 teams are thinking the same way today. With nine teams still mathematically alive in the conference championship race, fan bases across the league are asking the same thing: What if?
With that in mind, let’s take some time to analyze everything we have seen up to this point — heading into Week 14 — with a new edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.
Start slow, finish fast
1. Arizona State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12)
What if Sam Leavitt was healthy when the Sun Devils played a road game against Cincinnati? Looking back, it’s hard to fathom how the Bearcats beat Arizona State in mid-October. The Sun Devils have won four straight since then, while the Bearcats have lost four straight. Well, Jeff Sims played quarterback for ASU that day and the Sun Devils only scored 14 points.
2. Kansas (5-6, 4-4 Big 12)
What if the Jayhawks didn’t blow fourth-quarter leads against West Virginia, Arizona State and Kansas State? Lance Leipold’s team would be in the championship mix if any of those games had gone the other way. Nobody in the Big 12 is playing better than Kansas at the moment. Just ask Iowa State, BYU and Colorado.
3. Baylor (7-4, 5-3 Big 12)
What if the Bears properly defended a Hail Mary pass against Colorado? An overtime loss to the Buffaloes is the only thing keeping Baylor out of first place.
Too bad there are no mulligans in football
4. Iowa State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12)
What if the Cyclones came up with one more stop against Texas Tech? Iowa State has lived a charmed life this season, but it may have already clinched a spot in the Big 12 championship game if not for a last-minute loss to the Red Raiders.
5. Kansas State (8-3, 5-3 Big 12)
What if the Wildcats won at Houston? K-State held a 19-10 lead in the fourth quarter of that game but allowed the Cougars to score two touchdowns in the final minutes for a major upset. Chris Klieman’s team would likely control its destiny in the Big 12 championship race if not for that collapse.
6. Colorado (8-3, 6-2 Big 12)
What if Travis Hunter didn’t get hurt against Kansas State? The Buffaloes lost a heart-breaker against the Wildcats 31-28 with their Heisman Trophy candidate watching most of the game from the sideline. Deion Sanders would be lobbying for an at-large berth into the playoff without that loss.
7. BYU (9-2, 6-2 Big 12)
What if the Cougars weren’t caught off guard by a pooch punt from KU quarterback Jalon Daniels? It’s hard for BYU to have many regrets about this season, seeing as how it pulled off improbable come-from-behind victories against Oklahoma State and Utah. But the Cougars were unlucky when a surprise punt bounced off the helmet of an unsuspecting BYU player and KU jumped on the loose ball a few yards shy of the goal line.
Choke artists
8. TCU (7-4, 5-3 Big 12)
What if the Horned Frogs didn’t blow a 31-13 lead to UCF? Losing that game, and failing to show up in a 30-19 home loss to Houston, cost TCU a shot at the Big 12 championship.
9. Texas Tech (7-4, 5-3 Big 12)
What if the Red Raiders didn’t blow a 31-14 lead to TCU? Texas Tech would be in first place if not for that choke job.
10. West Virginia (6-5, 5-3 Big 12)
What if the Mountaineers could win more home games? Things were set up nicely for West Virginia to make a run in the Big 12 this season, but home losses to Iowa State, K-State and Baylor spoiled that opportunity.
Start fast, finish slow
11. Cincinnati (5-6, 3-5 Big 12)
What if the season ended in mid-October? Sorry, it’s hard to think of a big regret for the Bearcats. But they did start Big 12 play 3-1 and beat Arizona State by double digits.
12. Arizona (4-7, 2-6 Big 12)
What if Jedd Fisch stayed in Tucson?
Not good enough to have regrets
13. Houston (4-7, 3-5 Big 12)
What if the Cougars could play every game in Texas? Houston has a winning record this season in its home state.
14. UCF (4-7, 2-6 Big 12)
What if the Knights recruited a better transfer quarterback? KJ Jefferson was a disaster in Orlando.
15. Utah (4-7, 1-7 Big 12)
What if Cam Rising stayed healthy?
16. Oklahoma State (3-8, 0-8 Big 12)
What if Alan Bowman didn’t return for his seventh season of college football? The Cowboys have played their best with other quarterbacks leading the offense.