Week 14 Big 12 Power Rankings

Obviously, nothing new at the top since we’re just waiting for Bedlam to decide everything. A few other teams were on bye over Thanksgiving weekend, but we still have some movement in the middle and at the bottom.

1. Oklahoma State [9-2]: W @ TCU (LW: 1)

2. Oklahoma [9-2]: W @ West Virginia (LW: 2)

3. West Virginia [9-2]: W @ Iowa State (LW: 3)

Coming off a 30-point win at Iowa State, the Mountaineers get a Baylor squad reeling from five straight losses. Unless the Bears go from completely demoralized to suddenly trying to play motivated football, this looks good for West Virginia at home.

4. Kansas State [7-4]: W vs. Kansas (LW: 4)

The Wildcats close out the season against TCU in a fitting game that pits two teams which appear about equal at this point in time. Though to be fair, TCU was picked by some as Big 12 champs in the preseason, while Kansas State was picked near the bottom of the conference.

5. TCU [6-5]: W @ Texas (LW: 6)

The Frogs simultaneously earned bowl eligibility and officially got Charlie Strong fired in Austin.

6. Iowa State [3-9]: L vs. West Virginia (LW: 5)

The Cyclones came back down to earth last weekend, falling at home to West Virginia. Still, they have shown a lot of improvement this year in my opinion and appear on the right path with Matt Campbell at the helm. Even with a 3-9 record, I would pick them to beat any team below them in this week’s power rankings at a neutral site.

7. Texas Tech [5-7]: W vs. Baylor (LW: 10)

On one hand, 5-7 is disappointing as all get out for Texas Tech. On the other, save two blowouts at the hands of West Virginia and Iowa State, Texas Tech was in nearly every game this season. Not that it’s any excuse or consolation, but the Red Raiders easily could have gone 7-5, 8-4, or even better had they been able to finish at the end of games. They also managed their first wins over TCU since 2013 and first win over Baylor in the Kingsbury era, which could be great for in state recruiting purposes.

8. Texas [5-7]: L vs. TCU (LW: 7)

With the hiring of Tom Herman, one would think Texas is back, folks.

9. Kansas [2-10]: L @ Kansas State (LW: 9)

2-10 on the season is better than some may have predicted, highlighted by a signature win over Texas. Good for the Jayhawks, and hopefully this is a season they can build upon.

10. Baylor [6-5]: L @ Texas Tech (LW: 8)

It’s a good thing Baylor became bowl eligible early on. If they were in a must-win situation now, I’m not sure they could pull it off. To think, their fans were upset Baylor wasn’t ranked higher in the polls back when they were 3-0 and 4-0. Baylor needs to keep scheduling weak non-conference opponents to ensure it can scrape up six wins and go to a bowl game.