Big 12 Power Rankings: Week Four

It was a tough week for the new kids on the block. UCF, Cincinnati, and BYU all lost this weekend in their Big 12 openers, as Houston lost theirs last week. The big dawgs in Oklahoma and Texas moved past their opponents, including Texas smacking Baylor around in Waco.

Kansas moves to 4-0 and TCU looks to have their grove back after their week one defeat. The Cyclones of Iowa State also won their conference opener and may of showed us that Oklahoma State could just be the worst team in the league.

1. Texas (4-0)

Potential upset? Nah, the Longhorns went into Waco and made a mockery out of Baylor on their own turf. Texas totaled 503 offensive yards and didn’t allow Baylor to score in the second half. Ewers once again played solid football and Jonathan Brooks ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns. The defense rallied up four sacks and Jaylan Ford came away with an interception. The 38-6 whomping showed the audience that Texas doesn’t look ahead of opponents.. Now Texas has their work cut out for them with Kansas and Oklahoma in the next two weeks. We will all see how special this Texas team really is.

This Week: vs. #24 Kansas

2. Oklahoma (4-0)

Oklahoma also went with Texas’ strategy of avoiding upsets as the Sooners went into Cincy and won 20-6. It wasn’t a special wins by any means, Oklahoma did not look like themselves but when they had to they showed up. Dillon Gabriel had his way through the air, throwing for 322 yards and one touchdown. The defensive side of the ball continues to show that last year was not the future look of Sooner defense. The Sooners forced two turnovers and didn’t allow the Bearcats to find the end zone.

This Week: vs. Iowa State (They might be back)

3. Kansas (4-0)

Kansas week after week has shown the viewers that they are here to stay. BYU, a very solid team, was unable to slow down this Jayhawk offense. Daniels threw three touchdowns, ran for 54 yards and avoided making any turnovers. The defense struggled at times, but did manage to pick-off Keon Slovis twice, and recovered a fumble and ran it back for a score. Now Kansas heads to Austin...

This Week: @ #3 Texas

4. TCU (3-1)

That loss against Colorado may have been blown up more than it should have. TCU has won three straight games by 17 or more points. Chandler Morris once again had his way against defenses as he threw for three touchdowns and 261 yards. Emani Bailey rushed for 126 yards and a score, as it became his third game where he rushed for over 120 yards.

This Week: vs. West Virginia

5. Kansas State (3-1)

A lot occurred in Manhattan, KS this past Saturday. UCF’s starting QB was out but yet, UCF hung with the Wildcats for most of the game. Will Howard had a below average game through the air, but he didn’t need to be a hero. The ground game worked every single drive and that included Howard running for 64 yards and two touchdowns. DJ Giddens ran for 207 yards and four scores. He was unstoppable against the Golden Knights and they could not stop him. Kansas State got their bounce back win with a 44-31 victory, as they now enter their bye.

This Week: Bye Bye Bye (Sorry, had to)

6. UCF (3-1)

Though they did lose, the Golden Knights don’t drop too far in the rankings. Once again they did not have their starting quarterback yet they were competitive in the game and had the lead in the third quarter. Kobe Hudson doesn’t seem to mind the change at QB as he went for 130 receiving yards for the third straight game. He also found the end zone twice while averaging 27.6 yards per catch. One of the negatives from the game includes the O-Line. They really struggled against an average K-State defense. Constant pressure and four sacks allowed surely was not in the gameplay for Saturday.

This Week: vs. Baylor

7. BYU (3-1)

Another team who lost this past weekend but didn’t drop too far. Slovis was inconsistent at times and was really unable to get it going. The run game was nonexistent, totaling for nine yards. This game shouldn’t worry BYU fans too much, especially after coming off a big win at Arkansas. Time and place. It’s always tough the next week after a big win and hit the road and try to do it again.

This Week: vs. Cincinnati

8. Iowa State (2-2)

The Cyclones were pretty close to being ahead of BYU and UCF, but it feels like we need to see one more game where Iowa State continues to pass through the air like that, especially against a team like Oklahoma. Rocco Becht had his way in the passing game with 348 yards and three touchdowns. Jaylin Noel and Daniel Jackson were the main targets; Noel with 146 yards and a score and Jackson with 90 total yards and two touchdowns. The defense had its up and downs with two interceptions, yet 27 points allowed to a poor Oklahoma State offense.

This Week: @ #14 Oklahoma

T9. Cincinnati (2-2)

The Bearcats were welcomed into the Big 12 with #16 ranked Oklahoma. For sure not an easy task, but Cincinnati gave it a try. Definitely not their best shot to say the least, the offense was unable to do anything against the Sooners’ defense. Emory Jones threw two picks and was sacked three times. A tough start to Big 12 and it it doesn’t let up as they head to Provo, Utah for a night game.

This Week: @ BYU

T9. West Virginia (3-1)

It’s still early so a full apology isn’t coming yet, but maybe a certain person was wrong about this West Virginia squad. Now at 3-1 with Houston and Oklahoma State (very winnable games) in two of their next three games. It was a full team effort for them as they came away with a 20-13 upset win against Texas Tech. To add on to the positives, the Mountaineers did not play well in the victory. Though the weather conditions weren’t great, the air and ground game could not get going. The defense stepped up, though they did give up 10 in the fourth quarter, West Virginia got stops when they had to and won the game.

This week: @ TCU

11. Houston (2-2)

Besides TCU, Houston was the other team who did not face a conference opponent this past week. The Cougars defeated Sam Houston 38-7 as Houston got a much needed win. Parker Jenkins had himself a day on the ground, running for 105 yards and three touchdowns. Through the air, Matthew Golden caught nine passed for 92 yards and a score. The offense was humming, though it was against Sam Houston.

This Week: @ Texas Tech

12. Texas Tech (1-3)

Yikes, what a falloff by the Red Raiders. Not only did they lose to West Virginia, but they now fall to 1-3 this season. Texas Tech was thought of by some as a sneaky pick to compete and appear in the Big 12 Championship Game. Tahj Brooks was the offense on Saturday for the Red Raiders. Brooks ran for 149 yards on 25 carries, averaging six yards an attempt. They were unable to do anything through the air, with Behren Morton only completing 13 of his 37 attempts. Next week’s game should tell the fans who is really the worst team in the Big 12 and who will play Oklahoma State in the true Toilet Bowl.

This Week: vs. Houston

13. Baylor (1-3)

So where are we at Baylor? That was a disgusting outing and they never stood a chance. Sawyer Robertson played so bad he was replaced by RJ Martinez. Robertson threw for 203 yards and one interception, while the Bears’ running game totaled 60 yards. A gross game from the Baylor side without a doubt. They drop to 1-3 and they now head to Florida.

This Week: @ UCF

14. Oklahoma State (2-2)

Probably the best time to have a bye. The Cowboys are really down on themselves and the road won’t get easier. Oklahoma State came off a 33-7 loss to South Alabama and headed over to Ames where the result was the same. The Cyclones won 34-27 and Gundy may be in trouble. The offense looked good, some of their best play from the season but the defense really struggled. Iowa State, who wasn’t looking the best on offense coming into the game, scored 34 points and reached 409 offensive yards. After the bye Oklahoma State gets both Kansas State and Kansas at home which won’t come easy.

This Week: Bye (Better now than ever)