Big 12 Power Rankings: Texas is Back Edition

A wild weekend of college football left us more questions than answers. Is Texas actually back? Do the Red Raiders actually have a defense? Is Oklahoma actually as good as we all thought? Does Kansas actually have a football team the ability to win another game this season?

We’ll likely learn a lot about our conference this Saturday. Onward!

1. Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) (Last Week: 1) - The Sooners gave the Big 12 a collective scare by struggling to beat Army, requiring OT to do so. Does that detract from the effort Iowa State put forth two games ago? Time will tell. For now, the top spot remains theirs, and they will not face much resistance from Baylor at home.
Pick Em: vs. Baylor - OKLAHOMA

2. West Virginia (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) (Last Week: 2) - The Mountaineers are hot on Oklahoma’s tail after an inspiring effort against Kansas State last week. They look as stout as ever, and seem to be a nightmare matchup for any opponent.
Pick Em: at Texas Tech - WEST VIRGINIA

3. Texas (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) (Last Week: 5) - Are the Longhorns back? What a convincing performance against TCU last week, winning 31-16. A road game in Manhattan, Kans. this weekend doesn’t seem nearly as daunting as it once did.
Pick Em: at Kansas State - TEXAS

4. Texas Tech (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) (Last Week: 8) - We can hardly believe this ascent either, but a 41-17 romp on the road against Oklahoma State may have shown some of the defenive hype was not just kool-aid before the season started. A true test awaits vs. West Virginia this week.
Pick Em: vs. West Virginia - WEST VIRGINIA

5. TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) (Last Week: 4) - What a disappointing loss last weekend, and the Frogs will look to bounce back against a still relatively-unknown Cyclones team. It’s a big home game for Gary Patterson and Co.
Pick Em: vs. Iowa State - IOWA STATE

6. Oklahoma State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) (Last Week: 3) - The Cowboys have this week’s biggest drop after a stunning loss at home to Texas Tech. Perhaps more stunning than that, though, was the announcement that Jalen McCleskey would be transferring. Not to fear, though, Kansas is on deck, so Oklahoma State is safe for at least one more week.
Pick Em: at Kansas - OKLAHOMA STATE

7. Iowa State (1-2, 0-1 Big 12) (Last Week: 7) - A truly vanilla performance saw the Cyclones earn their first win of the season, but didn’t tell us much in the process. TCU is no longer a ranked opponent, however, a road game against the Frogs will still be a true test of Iowa State’s mettle.
Pick Em: at TCU - IOWA STATE

8. Baylor (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) (Last Week: 9) - Yes, it’s odd to see Baylor at number 8 with a 3-1 record, but considering wins over ACU (who?), UTSA (who?), and Kansas (who?), there’s still much to be proven with this team. Saturday’s road test at Oklahoma isn’t likely to show us much more.
Pick Em: at Oklahoma- OKLAHOMA

9. Kansas State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) (Last Week: 6) - What the heck happened to the Wildcats? Is West Virginia THAT good? The road doesn’t get any easier, matching up against a rejuvinated Longhorns team on Saturday at home. Kansas State has lost to ranked opponents by an average of 25 points this season.
Pick Em: vs. Texas - TEXAS

10. Kansas (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) (Last Week: 10) - Bless their hearts.
Pick Em: vs. Oklahoma State - OKLAHOMA STATE

Last Week’s Pick Em: 4-2

Overall Record: 19-6