Big 12 Power Rankings: Week Five

Wow, what a weekend for the Big 12. Baylor completed the biggest comeback in their school history, West Virginia shocked TCU at home, and BYU’s offense finally came to life.

Oklahoma didn’t stumble before their showdown with Texas, shoving 50 points down Iowa State’s throat. Houston may be the worse team in the Big 12 and we were left disappointed when Jalon Daniels was scratched from the matchup against Texas.

1. Texas (5-0) (2-0 Conf.)

It’s a good win, but Kansas was in this game for three quarters without their starting quarterback. Without Daniels, it was all Texas. Ewers played solid, but Jonathan Brooks was the main star. The sophomore rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns on just 20 carries. Adonai Mitchell caught 10 balls for 141 yards and a score. Xaiver Worthy added to the offensive party, with seven receptions and 93 yards. Texas came to play and now they are headed to the Cotton Bowl for one of their biggest games of the season.

This Week: vs. #12 Oklahoma

2. Oklahoma (5-0) (2-0 Conf.)

Oklahoma was up just 21-20 at one point during the game. Then the Sooners went on a 29-0 run to end the game. Dillon Gabriel carved up Iowa State, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed from two scores on eight carries. The defense stepped up after a slow start, finished with nine tackles for loss and two interceptions. Oklahoma looks to be playing their best ball right in time for their rival.

This Week: vs. #3 Texas

3. Kansas State (3-1) (1-0 Conf.)

The Wildcats are coming off their bye with a very winnable game up next. Off to Stillwater they go, looking to move to 2-0 in conference play. K-State last played against UCF where they won 44-31. Kansas State’s schedule looks very good before their match with Texas. That includes; at Oklahoma State, at Texas Tech, vs TCU, and vs Houston. That's 7-1 or 6-2 and potentially in a great spot to compete for the Big 12 Title.

This Week: @ Oklahoma State

4. Kansas (4-1) (1-1 Conf.)

Ya, so not exactly what Jayhawk fans were hoping for. No Daniels and there was little hope once the Texas offense got going. Kansas hung with them but when Jason Bean had to make a play, the hope quickly disappeared. Still, it’s not an awful loss, it just sucked not to see the explosive Daniels in this matchup.

This Week: vs. UCF

5. BYU (4-1) (1-1 Conf.)

Okay we see you BYU! Kedon Slovis threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the 35-27 win. Though they did give up 27 points to Cincinnati, the offense was finally awake. BYU suddenly becomes a very interesting team when their offense is on the attack like this week. Wide receiver Chase Roberts, also had a big night, grabbing six receptions for 131 yards and a score.

This Week: Bye Week

6. West Virginia (4-1) (2-0 Conf.)

I need to apologize for my West Virginia comments. I thought they had a shot to be the worst team in the Big 12 and they responded with a 4-1 start. Garrett Greene simply outplayed the Horned Frogs by himself. He threw for 142 yards, ran for 80, and scored two touchdowns on the ground. To seel the deal West Virginia blocked a potential game-tying field goal. Now they head to Houston and then get Oklahoma State at home the following week. Can West Virginia start 4-0 in conference play?

This Week: @ Houston

7. TCU (3-2) (1-1 Conf.)

Holy buckets, that’s a tough loss for TCU. After winning four straight the Horned Frogs were stopped in their tracks by the Mountaineers. Chandler tried his best, throwing for two touchdowns and running for one. However he did have trouble completing some passes and the late game magic just didn’t last. A bad loss at home and now they hit the road and head to Ames.

This Week: @ Iowa State

8. UCF (3-2) (0-2 Conf.)

Lol. What a meltdown. After up 28 points in the third quarter, a disaster for the ages happened. On the offense or defense the Golden Knights didn’t do anything to stop the comeback. The amazing fourth down play was fun to watch but it ended sadly for UCF fans as the game-tying field goal was no good. Now with losses in the last two weeks, UCF is 0-2 in the conference play and that is not the start they wanted to have in the Big 12.

This Week: @ Kansas

9. Texas Tech (2-3) (1-1 Conf.)

After the rough loss at West Virginia the Red Raiders bounced back in a big well. They dropped a 49 burger on Houston, coming away with a 49-28 victory. Yes, Houston isn’t great but a big win like this is good for anyone. Texas Tech had two players who rushed for exactly 106 yards, Tahj Brooks and Cam’Ron Valdez. Brooks would add two touchdowns to his stat total and Valdez added just one. It was a solid win and now they head to Waco in what will close to a must-win for two 2-3 teams.

This Week: @ Baylor

10. Iowa State (2-3) (1-1 Conf.)

Well, we had them in the first half (for a little bit). The Air-Raid offense looked good to start, with Rocco hitting Noel and Higgins for big touchdowns. However after that it was a goose egg on the scoreboard after the second quarter. Becht completed less than 50% of his passes, threw two picks, and had under 200 passing yards. The Sooners’ defense is for real, but Iowa State needed better play out of their Cyclone QB. Nevertheless the problem was with the defense. A 50 burger was disgusting to watch especially when the Cyclone defense had no answer.

This Week: vs. TCU

11. Baylor (2-3) (1-1 Conf.)

Down 35-7 with 3:19 left in the third quarter, Baylor did the impossible and stormed back for the comeback win. Blake Shapen had a good game, throwing for 293 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for one as well. Receiver Monaray Baldwin also added to the mix with 150 yards on seven receptions and a touchdown. It was an all-time comeback win in a game that was much needed for the Bears.

This Week: vs. Texas Tech

12. Cincinnati (2-3) (0-2 Conf.)

With their loss to BYU, Cincinnati now has lost three straight after starting 2-0. Emory Jones played pretty good, but really struggled in the fourth quarter trying to move down the field. He finished with 256 yards, three touchdowns, and 94 rushing yards. The Bearcats just were unable to finish drives, especially towards the end. A tough loss as they head into their bye week with home games against Iowa State and Baylor next up.

This Week: Bye Week

13. Oklahoma State (2-2) (0-1 Conf.)

The Cowboys didn’t play this past week and moved up one spot in the rankings. After their bye week it will be interesting to see how Oklahoma State comes out at home against Kansas State. The Wildcats are a good team and the Cowboys are close to having their backs to the wall. If there was ever a time to show some life before the schedule hits, it’s right now.

This Week: vs. Kansas State

14. Houston (2-3) (0-2 Conf.)

Well Houston, at least you have basketball. The Cougars dropped their game against Texas Tech, 49-28. They could not stop the Red Raiders, giving up 400 total yards of offense. However, the loss isn’t on the offense. They mounted 489 yards on offense and Donovan Smith got four touchdowns in his revenge game against his former team. Now Smith and the offense did disappear in the second half, not scoring any points, but you can’t give up 49 points and expect the offense to keep you in it all game long.

This Week: vs. West Virginia