Big 12 Football Power Rankings: Week 11

With three weeks left, where the teams rank is becoming more apparent.

Oklahoma State won the last Bedlam game for the foreseeable future. With that, the Pokes and Texas look to be setting up a game in Arlington in a few weeks, as both teams have just one conference loss.

Oklahoma State, after beating Oklahoma in the Bedlam game, jumped up to No. 2 in this week's Big 12 Football Power Rankings.  :: © SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Five others have two losses and have hopes of making it to Arlington. With this log jam at the top of the standings, how did it impact our Week 11 Big 12 Football Power Rankings?

Texas remains at the top of the list this week, and Cincinnati remains at the bottom. UCF is the only other team not to move up or down this week. OSU and OU flipped between No. 2 and No. 5 this week. The three-point change was the largest movement this week.

Teams moving up this week include Houston (+2), Kansas (+1), Texas Tech (+2), and West Virginia (+1). Teams moving down this week include Baylor (-2), BYU (-1), Iowa State (-1), Kansas State (-1), and TCU (-1).

For a complete recap of the Week 10 games, click here.

How Power Rankings Are Determined

Once again, we have brought together a group from across the league to vote each week during the season on the Big 12 Power Rankings.

• 44 Total Participants
• TCU FanNation (KillerFrogs) Editorial Staff (13)
• Not all are TCU homers – fans of teams in the SEC and Big Ten are part of our editorial staff.
• One to two fans from each of the other current schools in the Big 12 (23)
• Two fans from each of the 2024 incoming “Four Corners” schools (8)
• Each week, each participant provides their rankings 1-10. Those rankings are compiled, and the average rank is then listed below.

Here's where our panel of voters ranked the teams this week:

Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 11

14. Cincinnati (2-7, 0-6)

(Last week #14)

Lost to UCF 28-26

Dream big, that’s what they say. Just two years removed from a historic CFP run, the Bearcats dreamed of playing with the big boys every week. They also say that the grass is not always greener. Will Cincy get a conference win this year? Doubtful.

13. Baylor (3-6, 2-4)

(Last week #11)

Lost to Houston 25-24 OT

Like Cincinnati, this team is not what it was two years ago. It’s been a bad year for the Bears. And it’s about to get worse. A trip to Manhattan this weekend against a K-State squad playing their best football of the season spells disaster.

12. UCF (4-5, 1-5)

(Last week #12)

Beat Cincinnati 28-26

Read the comments about Cincinnati above. Sure, the Knights won, but it was over the Bearcats. However, this week, UCF is playing with nothing to lose and can be a big-time spoiler when they host surging Oklahoma State. Beat them and watch UCF move up next week.

11. Houston (4-5, 2-4)

(Last week #13)

Beat Baylor 25-24

The Coogs have two conference wins by a total of three points, with both wins coming in dramatic fashion – a Hail Mary walk-off against West Virginia and a successful 2-point conversion attempt in overtime against Baylor last week. They may have a flare for the dramatic but need two wins to go bowling. They may just get those as they play both Cincinnati and UCF.

10. BYU (5-4, 2-4)

(Last week #9)

Lost to West Virginia 37-7

BYU, with Kedon Slovis as quarterback, has not been a good team this year. BYU without Slovis is an “atrocious” team (to quote a word frequently used by one of our writers). Slovis is injured, so expect BYU not to move much for the rest of the season. They are one win away from going bowling but must face Iowa State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. Good luck with that.

9. TCU (4-5, 2-4)

(Last week #8)

Lost to Texas Tech 35-28

The Frogs are in danger of being the first team to play in the national championship game one year and not make a bowl game the next after playing an entire season. Sure, LSU did not make a bowl game in 2020 after their championship, but that was also the Covid-shortened year. Put a fork in these Frogs. They are done.

8. Texas Tech (4-5, 3-3)

(Last week #10)

Beat TCU 35-28

PossumGate! Last week, Tech hosted TCU on a Thursday night. It was two teams with disappointing seasons, and the only real excitement on the field was the angry possum. The win, though, was enough for the Red Raiders to bump ahead of TCU and keep their dreams of going bowling alive.

7. Iowa State (5-4, 4-2)

(Last week #6)

Lost to Kansas 28-21

With just two conference losses, the Cyclones are still in contention for the title game, but they sure need a lot of losses ahead of them. They do, though, hold the tiebreaker over OSU. Watch for them to at least get bowl-eligible this week after beating BYU. But also watch them just stay right here in the middle of the pack in next week’s rankings.

6. West Virginia (6-3, 4-2)

(Last week #7)

Beat BYU 37-7

Six of the seven Big 12 matchups in Week 10 were decided by one possession. Not the Mountaineers game. But their big win was over a bad BYU team. But the win moved them up a spot. If they can travel to Norman and give the Sooners a third-straight loss, watch for them to move up further.

5. #17 Oklahoma (7-2, 4-2)

(Last week #2)

Lost to Oklahoma State 27-24

How the mighty have fallen. The Sooners were riding high just a month ago, having come out of the Red River Rivalry with the win. Since then, they barely escaped UCF and lost to Kansas and OSU. It’s enough to drop them down three spots this week. Now, they must beat West Virginia to stop the downslide.

4. #25 Kansas State (6-3, 4-2)

(Last week #3)

Lost to Texas 33-30 OT

It was a tough loss last week for the Cats. Down by 20 in Austin, they scored three touchdowns in just minutes and forced overtime. They had a chance to win it but failed on a 2-point conversion attempt. Despite the loss, K-State is playing some of their best football of the season. They will be pulling for any team not wearing bright or burnt orange these next three weeks.

3. #16 Kansas (7-2, 4-2)

(Last week #4)

Beat Iowa State 28-21

It’s not just basketball these days in Lawrence. Lance Leipold has the Jayhawks going bowling for the second straight season. Like Iowa State, they are still in contention for the championship game and hold a tiebreaker over Oklahoma, but they need a lot of other teams to lose to see that come to fruition.

2. #15 Oklahoma State (7-2, 5-1)

(Last week #5)

Beat Oklahoma 27-24

Don’t look now, but the Pokes are in the driver’s seat to return to Arlington in December. In September, after an embarrassing loss at home to South Alabama, everyone started writing off the Pokes. Now look at them. They have wins over Kansas, Kansas State, and Oklahoma. The Bedlam win allowed them to flip spots with their in-state rival.

1. #7 Texas (8-1, 5-1)

(Last week #1)

Beat Kansas State 33-30 OT

Texas must be back. At least Quinn Ewers is back. Not only are the Longhorns looking for a Big 12 title game berth, but they are hoping for some upsets with ranked teams ahead of them to put them into the CFP conversation as December rolls around. But first, they must face the Horned Frogs. TCU holds an 8-3 record over Texas since the Frogs joined the Big 12. Even in bad seasons, TCU has found a way to beat the Horns. Stay tuned!

Other FanNation Power Rankings

How do other FanNations rank the Big 12? Check them out here:

• Oklahoma State – All Pokes
• West Virginia – Mountaineers Now

Big 12 Football Week 11: Which Games Should You Watch?

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Note: Power Rankings are determined by a group of fans representing most schools in the Big 12 Conference.

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