Big 12 Power Rankings - Week 7: Jayhawks Back On Track

The Power Rankings get a big shakeup after some huge upsets over the weekend.

Just when it seemed like things were getting figured out, the weekend of Big 12 action decided to throw a wrench into everything. There were plenty of teams that were able to get back on track or build from what have done to this point, but also plenty of teams that still have gigantic questions. So let's sort through the conference to figure out who the best teams are.

Don't think of this as my definitive prediction for the final Big 12 standings, but more of an educated guess about the relative strengths of the teams, without accounting for potential injuries or additional development/regression between now and when the games are played.

1. Oklahoma Sooners (6-0, 3-0 Big 12, LW: 2, High 1)

Last Week: 34-30 Win vs Texas
Up Next: BYE

It was a sloppy game full of huge plays back and forth, and the Sooners came out on top. The questions that many had about their defense weren't completely answered, but it's fair to say now that they have a borderline great one. That is a huge improvement. They have a quick tune-up against UCF coming out of the bye, and then they head to Kansas for what is likely the best remaining chance for a loss.

2. Texas Longhorns (5-1, 2-1 Big 12, LW: 1, High 1)

Last Week: 34-30 Loss vs Oklahoma
Up Next: BYE

The Longhorns left behind an offense that holds onto the ball and ran into a team that could match up with them physically in all phases. If they played that game another 9 times, I think the Longhorns probably win 6 of them, but it's clear that they still have some issues. But they should be favored the rest of the way. Can they avoid more let-downs?

3. Kansas Jayhawks (5-1, 2-1 Big 12, LW: 5, High 2)

Last Week: 51-22 Win vs UCF
Up Next: at Oklahoma State (3-2)

The worries about this offense without Jalon Daniels is still there, but Jason Bean showed that he is more than capable of running this high-powered attack. The defense still rates poorly in the overall rankings, but they are markedly improved. If they can get a win this week then the bye will come at a perfect time.

4. West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1, 2-0 Big 12, LW: 3, High 3)

Last Week: BYE
Up Next: at Houston (2-3)

The defense is dominant. Garrett Greene has returned. But will the offense continue to improve? The Mountaineers are a dark-horse Big 12 Championship candidate given the start, but they will need to see their offensive fortunes improve to get there. What a turnaround for Neal Brown.

5. Kansas State Wildcats (3-2, 1-1 Big 12, Last Week: 4, High: 1)

Last Week: 29-21 Loss at Oklahoma State
Up Next: at Texas Tech (3-3)

Will Howard looked frazzled, the defense had issues stopping an anemic Oklahoma State offense at times, and there wasn't enough juice late to finish off a comeback. It's clear that this team misses Deuce Vaughn. While they can be successful without him, there is nowhere near the same margin for error that this squad had last year.

6. BYU Cougars (4-1, 1-1, Big 12, LW: 6, High 6)

Last Week: BYE
Up Next: at TCU (3-3)

Not a lot to take away from a bye week, but they get an opportunity to take advantage of some injury issues for TCU. We are in "must-win" territory for the Horned Frogs, so BYU will get a huge test this week. The running game hasn't gotten any better, with just 70 yards against Cincinnati, so we'll see if they can continue to survive as a one-dimensional offense.

7. Iowa State Cyclones (3-3, 2-1 Big 12, LW: 10, High 7)

Last Week: 27-14 Win vs TCU
Up Next: at Cincinnati (2-3)

The offense isn't "fixed", but it is no longer an utter trainwreck. The defense still gives up more than it should, but they have been able to make some really big plays at opportune times. The Cyclones will need to get improvement in at least one of those areas to keep climbing, but they still have a decent shot at bowl eligibility if they can score one big upset.

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-3, 2-1 Big 12, LW: 11, High 5)

Last Week: 39-14 Win at Baylor
Up Next: vs Kansas State (3-2)

Texas Tech seems to be getting back towards what we expected them to be early in the year, but it is happening against the worst teams in the conference. They have a chance this week to see how well the defense has come along, with a Kansas State offense that has talent but hasn't performed as expected.

9. TCU Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2 Big 12, LW: 7, High 3)

Last Week: 27-14 Loss at Iowa State
Up Next: vs BYU (4-1)

The injury to Chandler Morris could be devastating to this team, as there isn't a play-ready backup on the roster like Max Duggan was last year. The offense has struggled, even with one of the better running backs in the conference. The defense has been very lackluster. They need to figure things out quickly if they want to get back to a bowl game.

10. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-2, 1-1 Big 12, LW: 13, High 9)

Last Week: 29-21 Win vs Kansas State
Up Next: vs Kansas (5-1)

I still don't know how much improvement we've actually seen from the offense here, as Kansas State was still able to bog down the offense in this last game. Additionally, the Cowboys took advantage of some big mistakes to score defensively or set them up immediately for field goals. The defense is good, but it has some real weaknesses, especially in the running game. It's time to see if they can stop a dangerous Kansas offense to jump up in the rankings.

11. UCF Knights (3-3, 0-3, Big 12, LW: 8, High 5)

Last Week: 51-22 Loss at Kansas
Up Next: BYE

I had such high hopes for UCF coming into the season. Sure you can say that the loss of John Rhys Plumlee is a huge deal, but there is no excuse for the recent collapses. The defense has some serious problems. There are concerns about focus. The offensive line hasn't been as strong as expected. They still have a lot of talent on this team, but they need to start playing like it.

12. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-3, 0-2 Big 12, LW: 9 High 4)

Last Week: BYE
Up Next: vs Iowa State (3-3)

Some early surprising results may have unfairly moved the goalposts for expectations. Cincinnati is still working in a lot of new players and a brand new coaching staff. They will continue to surprise some people, but they are going to have issues keeping up with most of the conference with their talent level.

13. Baylor Bears (2-4, 1-2 Big 12, LW: 12, High 8)

Last Week: 39-14 Loss vs Texas Tech
Up Next: BYE

What is going on with this team? The comeback against UCF should have been a launching point for this team. But they weren't even competitive in their next game. This team has talent issues, injury issues, coaching issues and just a bunch of undefined problems that are holding them down. If things don't turn around soon, the coaching staff may not make it through the season.

14. Houston Cougars (2-3, 0-2 Big 12, LW: 14, High 10)

Last Week: BYE
Up Next: vs West Virginia (4-1)

Holgorsen has absolutely no leg to stand on in trying to justify why he is still employed. The team doesn't have enough talent, they seem to have quit on the coach, and there isn't a bunch of talent in the pipeline. I'm not going to call for him to be fired, but it definitely seems like he is in danger.

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