Big 12 Power Rankings: Week Nine

For the first time since the 90’s, Kansas football has defeated Oklahoma! Now the Big 12 has quickly gotten more interesting with a five-way tie for first place.

Throughout the Big 12, Texas beat BYU without Ewers, Oklahoma State continues to roll, West Virginia went down south and secured a victory, and Kansas State blanked Houston. Also, Iowa State came out of Waco with a win, as Baylor, Cincinnati, and Houston all head to the bottom of the Big 12 standings.

1. Texas (7-1) (4-1 Conf.)

No Ewers, no problem. Texas took care of BYU with Maalik Murphy at QB. Everything was working for the Longhorns, including a punt return for a touchdown. Texas showed they could still get down to business without their star QB, but next week’s battle will tell us a lot more.

This Week: vs. #25 Kansas State

2. Oklahoma (7-1) (4-1 Conf.)

Down, but not at all out. Despite a loss to Kansas, the Sooners only dropped one spot in the power rankings. Gabriel played his worst game of the season and still had a chance to win it at the end. The Sooners really struggled on defense, giving up 38 points to Kansas and their backup quarterback, Justin Bean. Better recover quickly, because they head to Stillwater for the last Bedlam Rivalry in football.

This week: @ Oklahoma State

T3. Kansas State (6-2) (4-1 Conf.)

One heck of a show the Wildcats put on TV this past Saturday. Kansas State defeated Houston 41-0 and controlled the game from the first snap. Both Avery Johnson and Will Howards got their time at QB and played well. They combined for three touchdowns, 215 passing yards, and just one turnover. K-State’s defense was everywhere too. They forced two turnovers and only let up 208 yards of offense.

This Week: @ #7 Texas

T3. Iowa State (5-3) (4-1 Conf.)

The Cyclones are a much different team from when they played back in September. Iowa State has now won three straight and is tied for first place in the Big 12. Despite a couple of mistakes against Baylor, Becht and his Clones powered through. Rocco threw for 238 yards and a touchdown while Cartevious Norton and Eli Sanders were putting in work in the backfield. Sanders rushed for 90 yards on 14 attempts and Norton found the end zone twice. The defense continued to play well, getting stops when needed and forcing another interception on the season. A meaningful Kansas vs. Iowa State football game in November is mind-blowing but still true.

This Week: vs. #22 Kansas

T3. Kansas (6-2) (3-2 Conf.)

Now that’s a win to put yourself on the map. Bean struggled through the air throwing two interceptions but the Jayhawks found their grove on the ground. Neal and Hishaw Jr. rushed for three touchdowns and a combined 163 rushing yards. Bean also found the end zone via a rushing touchdown as well. One question with this team continues to rap around Jalon Daniels and his status. If Daniels can get back into the field, it’s huge news for Kansas. As for now, the Jayhawks are riding a high.

This Week: @ Iowa State

6. Oklahoma State (6-2) (4-1 Conf.)

Potential trap game? The Cowboys quickly disregarded that statement. A big 45-13 win as they head into Bedlam one last time. Alan Bowman threw for two touchdowns and 286 yards. However, the story of the game came from Ollie Gordon II. The sophomore running back rushed for 271 yards and two scores. That is Gordon II’s second straight game of rushing over 270 yards. Just a crazy stat, along with him scoring six touchdowns in the past two games as well. Stillwater will be rocking on Saturday.

This Week: vs. #10 Oklahoma

7. West Virginia (5-3) (3-2 Conf.)

The Mountaineers got back to their winning ways in South Florida. West Virginia bounced back with a nice 41-28 win vs UCF. Garrett Greene threw for just 156 yards but had his way on the ground. Greene rushed for 55 yards and totaled three touchdowns. The Mountaineers rushed for a total of 286 yards and UCF simply could not stop them.

This Week: vs. BYU

8. TCU (4-4) (2-3 Conf.)

The Horned Frogs come off their bye week with a visiting trip to Lubbock, Texas. TCU at 4-4 could really use a win for their bowl eligibility, especially with Texas and Oklahoma still on their schedule. A road game in Lubbock is no easy task and TCU will have to fight for the win.

This week: @ Texas Tech

9. BYU (5-3) (2-3 Conf.)

Every time the Cougars get some momentum in their season it quickly changes. BYU got smoked in Austin, losing 35-6 against the Longhorns. Kedon Slovis continues to struggle against good defenses, throwing under 200 yards and giving away two interceptions on Saturday. The Cougars couldn’t find the end zone through all four quarters and gave up 354 offensive yards to the Longhorns.

This Week: @ West Virginia

10. Texas Tech (3-5) (2-3 Conf.)

Off the bye, the Red Raiders are facing a must-win in most people’s eyes if they want to make a bowl game. Tech has put themselves in a tough poison already as they sit at 3-5. They have lost their past two games by multiple possessions and have struggled on offense since their win against Baylor. It’s now or never for Texas Tech.

This Week: vs. TCU

11. UCF (3-5) (0-5 Conf.)

Well, it couldn’t get much worse than what Central Florida is dealing with. A five-game losing streak and now they sit tied for last place in the Big 12. The defense has disappeared since the beginning of the season, giving up 29.9 points per game. John Rhys Plumlee couldn’t find a grove at all, throwing three touchdowns but also throwing three interceptions against West Virginia. Luckily we get the toilet bowl this week with UCF and the Bearcats.

This week: @ Cincinnati

12. Baylor (3-5) (2-3 Conf.)

Baylor has joined the bottom of the Big 12, and things are just getting worse. The only bright side for them is they get to face Houston this week. The Bears have struggled on both ends of the ball, especially with inconsistent play at quarterback. Baylor will have to go 3-1 down the stretch to just make a bowl game.

This Week: vs. Houston

13. Houston (3-5) (1-4 Conf.)

Talk about a disaster. The Cougars have lost three of their last four games and were shut out in embarrassing fashion in Manhattan. Houston was only able to muscle 208 yards of offense to add to their goose egg on the scoreboard. They have really struggled since entering Big 12 play with their only win coming via a Hail Mary. Vibes are very down in Houston, Texas right now.

This Week: @ Baylor

14. Cincinnati (2-6) (0-5 Conf.)

Well, at least they get UCF this week. Cincinnati’s six-game losing streak has put all Bearcat fans in a negative attitude. Emory Jones continues to play awful at the QB. He threw for just 117 yards, completed six passes, and threw an interception. A team simply cannot win with those stats. If the Bearcats want to win a game, a quarterback change has to be in the near future.

This Week: vs. UCF