Big 12 Power Rankings After Week 9: A huge mess gets even messier.
Just when we think we know what is going one with the Big 12, we get a weekend of carnage like last
The top contenders will spend the next few weeks beating each other up and trying to avoid random trap games, so let's get into this week's snapshot of the conference.
A quick reminder on how I intend to do this power ranking. It is NOT just going to be restating the standings. It is entirely possible that a team that has a worse record lands higher on the list, especially if they are playing really well as of late. Similarly, it is also not going to be a "who's hottest" list. Instead, it will be a subjective mix of which team is playing better and which team I think IS better, with a tiebreaker going to teams that have significantly outperformed my expectations.
Previous Power Rankings:
So with that, here are the Blue Wings Rising Big 12 Football Power Rankings after Week 9:
1. TCU Horned Frogs (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) (LW: 1 High: 1)
Last Week: 41-31 W at West Virginia
This Week: vs Texas Tech (4-4, 2-3 Big 12)
There isn't much more to say about TCU at this point. They took the best shot that West Virginia had for them and still came out victorious. Being a great team in any sport requires a combination of being good and lucky, and the Horned Frogs have done it in spades.
They have the best offense in the conference, and a defense that is good enough to compete with everyone else. It's hard to see where the loss comes from on this schedule until the championship game.
2. Kansas State Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) (LW: 5 High: 1)
Last Week: 48-0 W vs #9 Oklahoma State
This Week: vs #24 Texas (5-3, 3-2 Big 12)
I was worried last week about Kansas State would look like without Adrian Martinez, but Will Howard played spectacularly against Oklahoma State. It is fair to question how much of that was because of how beat up the Cowboys are, but much like you can't hold freak QB injuries against TCU, there is no denying that they are playing really well right now with one of the better defenses in the conference.
3. Texas Longhorns (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) (LW: 3 High: 5)
Last Week: BYE
This Week: at #13 Kansas State (6-2, 4-1 Big 12)
I don't really feel good about this placement for Texas, but it's difficult to put any team that is below them in these rankings up above them. Yes they lost to Oklahoma State in their last outing, but the Wildcats did enough to change my opinion of how the Cowboys look moving forward. Outside of TCU, it's a jumbled mess in the second tier of the conference, and Texas just happens to come out towards the top. A big test this week will determine whether they can hold on to this spot.
4. Oklahoma Sooners (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) (LW: 4, High 3)
Last Week: 27-13 W at Iowa State
This Week: vs Baylor (5-3, 3-2 Big 12)
Yes, it was a win over Iowa State, and yes, the defense shut down an offense that has struggled all year long to be even mildly competent. But Oklahoma still continued to put together solid performances, and there is more confidence in what their offense can do than most of the teams still below them. Win at home against Baylor and a top half finish is all but guaranteed.
5. Baylor Bears (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) (LW: 7 High: 6)
Last Week: 45-17 W at Texas Tech
This Week: at Oklahoma (5-3, 2-3 Big 12)
Baylor got back on track against the Jayhawks, and then showed out against Texas Tech, dominating on both sides of the ball against a Red Raider team that had been building some confidence with strong performances against some of the better teams in the conference.
Richard Reese has finally broken through as the lead rusher for this team, and it has made a huge difference for the Bears in the last couple weeks. If he can continue those performance, Baylor will continue to climb the conference standings.
6. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) (LW: 2, High: 1)
Last Week: 48-0 L at #22 Kansas State
This Week: at Kansas (5-3, 2-3 Big 12)
That was an ugly loss from start to finish for Oklahoma State, and with rumors swirling of a significant injury to Spencer Sanders, it's hard not to change some opinions about the ceiling of this team. At the very least, Sanders has not been playing at full strength. Unfortunately, the defense has taken a step back this season, and the offense isn't doing enough to overcome that. There isn't any "easy" game left on the schedule, so it will be important for the Cowboys to do whatever they can to get as healthy as possible as soon as they can.
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) (LW: 6 High: 3)
Last Week: 45-17 L vs Baylor
This Week: at #7 TCU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12)
It was bound to happen at some point for Texas Tech, as Behren Morton's first two starts had been phenomenal efforts. Unfortunately, Baylor had an answer for everything he tried to do, and the Red Raiders couldn't adjust. There will still be growing pains for this team, but the future is bright under Joey McGuire, even if they aren't able to get the final two wins they need this year to be bowl eligible.
8. Kansas Jayhawks (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) (LW: 8, High: 1)
Last Week: BYE
This Week: vs #18 Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2 Big 12)
Even though there are indications that the Jayhawks will be getting a lot of injured players back after the idle week, it's hard to tell how successful they are going to be, especially right away. The Jayhawks have the talent and coaching to be able to get at least one more win, but the two best chances are coming up in the next two games against a beat up Oklahoma State team and a Texas Tech team that finally seems to be showing some warts. Kansas has the best chance to make some big jumps the next two weeks, but nothing is guaranteed in a conference this tough..
9. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-5, 1-4 Big 12) (LW: 9 High: 8)
Last Week: 41-31 L vs #7 TCU
This Week: at Iowa State (3-5, 0-5 Big 12)
West Virginia has had a rollercoaster of a season. Every big up seems to be followed by some significant downs, so it is hard to put too much stock in a closer than expected loss to TCU. The defense has a ways to go, and JT Daniels hasn't been the big spark that the offense needed. There is a good chance they will win this week to stay out of the conference cellar, it's hard to imagine that they win at any point after that.
10. Iowa State Cyclones (3-5, 0-5 Big 12) (LW: 10 High: 5)
Last Week: 27-13 L vs Oklahoma
This Week: vs West Virginia (3-5, 1-4 Big 12)
The Iowa State offense has some very serious issues, as they were completely shut down by an Oklahoma defense that has had problems essentially all season long. The defense is still in the elite range, but it is very difficult to keep a team from scoring for an entire game, which is what it seems they will have to do in order to score a victory..
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