Big 12 Power Rankings After Week Six
Week six of the college football season is in the books. Of the 14 teams in the Big 12, 10 teams played games this weekend. Today, we unveil our second iteration of the Big 12 power rankings. These will be updated as the season progresses.
14. Houston
Houston had a bye this weekend, so they didn’t have an opportunity to win their way out of the last spot. Besides a win against UTSA in week one, few things have gone right for Houston. The Cougars suffered an embarrassing nonconference loss to Rice before league play. In two conference games, the Cougars have lost by an average of 22 points to TCU and Texas Tech. Houston allows the most points and yards per game in the conference and the schedule doesn't get any easier. Houston has West Virginia, Texas, and Kansas State up next. It might be November before Houston wins a conference game.
13. UCF
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for UCF. Two games ago, UCF gave up a 28-point lead to Baylor at home. The Knights looked to bounce back yesterday on the road at Kansas. Instead, the Jayhawks dominated from start to finish in a lopsided 51-22 game. The Knights rack up a lot of yards on offense, but they've struggled to capitalize and score a proportionate amount of points. The Knights take on Oklahoma next, so it might be a few weeks before they win a conference game.
12. Baylor
Outside of the second half against UCF, Baylor has looked miserable against FBS competition this season. This week, Baylor was dominated on its home turf by Texas Tech. Now the Bears are 2-4 this season. It's now or never for the Bears if they want to turn around their season. They take on Cincinnati, Iowa State, and Houston next.
11. Cincinnati
Cincinnati had a bye week this week. The Bearcat's red zone deficiencies on offense are keeping them out of games. The loss to to Miami Ohio was a really bad one and while the Bearcats have been competitive in both league games, they haven't been able to get over the hump.
10. TCU
TCU has suffered back-to-back losses to Iowa State and West Virginia. Things went from bad to worse for the Horned Frogs when starting quarterback Chandler Morris suffered an injury against Iowa State. The Horned Frogs need to figure out the quarterback situation to get back to their winning ways.
9. Texas Tech
Texas Tech came into the season as a dark horse to win the conference. The Red Raiders' season didn't start as planned. They lost early games to Wyoming and Oregon before losing starting quarterback Tyler Shough for the season. Tech has bounced back with consecutive wins over Houston and Baylor.
8. Iowa State
Iowa State got off to a bad start with losses to Iowa and Ohio. The Cyclones rebounded with a win over Oklahoma State before getting blown out by Oklahoma. Last week, Iowa State looked more balanced in a win over TCU.
7. Kansas State
The defending Big 12 champs looked out of sorts at times against Oklahoma State. Still, Kansas State is one of seven teams in the conference with a winning record.
6. Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State hit a low point with a blowout loss to South Alabama. The Pokes looked like the Oklahoma State of old in a win over Kansas State this weekend.
It's hard to forget the South Alabama loss, but Oklahoma State earned a spot in the top half of our power rankings due to their winning record.
5. BYU
BYU had a bye this weekend. BYU had one of the best non-conference wins in the Big 12 with the win at Arkansas. BYU has been opportunistic and inconsistent, but opportunistic enough to be 4-1. If the Cougars can figure out more consistent production on offense, they will be a dangerous team in the Big 12.
BYU's next game at TCU could solidify BYU's chances to finish in the top half of the conference standings.
4. Kansas
Kansas bounced back from a blowout loss to Texas with a blowout win over UCF. If Jalon Daniels can get healthy and stay healthy, Kansas will have have an opportunity to beat everyone they play.
3. West Virginia
West Virginia had a bye this weekend. The Mountaineers have been perhaps the biggest surprise in the conference. The Mountaineers were voted last in the Big 12 preseason poll. The Mountaineers are 2-0 in conference play with wins over TCU and Texas Tech. West Virginia is one of only two teams undefeated in conference play.
2. Texas
Texas lost an instant classic to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Even with the loss, the Longhorns have looked like one of the two best teams in the conference. The Longhorns had the best win in the nonconference with their road win at Alabama.
1. Oklahoma
Oklahoma looked like a College Football Playoff contender against Texas. The Sooners have always been great on offense. This season, the Sooners look equally dominant on the defensive side of the ball. If the defense can sustain that level of performance, the Sooners will be tough to beat.
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