After the first week of Big 12 play, we can have a true conversation about Big 12 Power Rankings.
14. Houston (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)
It has not been pretty for the Cougars to start the season. While they finished with an easy win over Sam Houston this past Saturday, Houston got rolled by TCU in week three and lost to Rice the week prior.
Next Up: @ Texas Tech
13. Baylor (1-3, 0-1 Big 12)
Things were not pretty for the Bears against Texas this past Saturday as they were handled by their in-state counterpart. Baylor’s only win this season is a 23-point win over FCS opponent Long Island, with losses to Texas State and Utah. While the Utah loss isn’t a bad loss by any means, the Bears are struggling right now and it doesn’t get any easier for them as they head to Florida this week.
Next Up: @ UCF
12. Oklahoma State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)
Fresh off a bad loss to South Alabama, the Cowboys fought hard in Ames, but it wasn’t enough for them. They lost 34-27, with their final touchdown coming in the final three minutes of the game. Wins over Central Arkansas and Arizona State aren’t the flashiest either but the Cowboys return home for their next two games to face both Sunflower state teams.
Next Up: vs Kansas State
11. Cincinnati (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)
Cincinnati had their first ever Big 12 game this past weekend when they hosted Oklahoma. The UC offense could never really get it going, scoring just six points, but their defense was able to hold Dilon Gabriel and company to a season-low 20 points. The Pitt win is looking less impressive by the week while the Miami of Ohio loss is less than ideal.
Up Next: @ BYU
10. Texas Tech (1-3, 0-1 Big 12)
Texas Tech has lost three games this year, all by one possession. That’s a brutal outlook if you are a Red Raider fan, especially considering they very well could be 4-0 and be ranked inside the top-15 right now. Texas Tech received an even bigger blow when they lost starting quarterback Tyler Shough for the year this past week against West Virginia. The Red Raiders return home looking to get right against Houston.
Up Next: vs Houston
9. UCF (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)
UCF was not match against Kansas State’s offesne as they had 536 yards of total offense on Saturday. It was good to see the Knights be able to score a good amount of points without John Rhys Plumlee, but they get to host their first Big 12 game this week while also hoping to get right at home in Orlando.
Up Next: vs Baylor
8. BYU (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)
BYU’s win over Arkansas looks better with the Razorbacks losing by three on the road to LSU. However the Cougars couldn’t carry over positive momentum from that win to their first Big 12 game against Kansas. Kansas’ offense was too much for BYU, but they will be too much for most teams in the Big 12 this season.
Up Next: vs Cincinnati
7. Iowa State (2-2, 1-0 Big 12)
Iowa State’s win over Oklahoma State was impressive scoring a season-high 34 points, but they also bounced back from an ugly loss to Ohio. Still, the Cyclones look to have to try to repeat that offensive performance over the next two weeks against Oklahoma and TCU.
Up Next: @ Oklahoma
6. West Virginia (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
Winning ugly vs winning in general is the conversation in Morgantown after another defensive slugfest for the Mountaineers. They were with backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol, but a win is a win for this team and they have three of them through the first four games. This next week will be a prove it game on the road against TCU.
Up Next: @ TCU
5. TCU (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
TCU looks to be just fine after their week one loss to Colorado. They have pulled off three wins in a row by an average of 25 points per game, including a win by 17 over SMU this past weekend. TCU’s next three games all seem winnable, before they head to Manhattan to face Kansas State.
Up Next: vs West Virginia
4. Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
The Sooners just haven’t been that Impressive at times with just a 14-point win over Cincinnati. However, as I type this, I fully believe this team is capable of winning the Big 12 especially if their defense continues to play this well. The Sooners have a home game against the Cyclones before Red River which should be super fun to watch.
Up Next: vs Iowa State
3. Kansas State (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
Kansas State looked back to what we expected after they suffered a road loss to Missouri last week. They controlled the game against UCF, and won big, 44-31. Kansas State has now scored at least 42 points in three of their first four games this season. The Wildcats now hit the road for their next two games, looking to stay in that discussion near the top of the league.
Up Next: @ Oklahoma State
2. Kansas (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Kansas’ offense might be the best in the Big 12 and quarterback Jalon Daniels does it all for this team. His numebrs didn’t pop off the screen against BYU, but a Cobee Bryant scoop and score sure did stand out for the Jayhawks. The Illinois win isn’t the highest quality win, but we get a real showdown between the Jayhawks and Longhorns this week in Austin.
1. Texas (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
The Longhorns are currently the best team in the Big 12 and I don’t think that is much of a question mark. They thumped Baylor this past week and even though they were close for the majority of the game against Wyoming, it doesn’t matter. Right now, Texas is the team to beat in the Big 12. We will see how legit they are over the next two weeks hosting Kansas and then playing Oklahoma in Red River.
Next Up: vs Kansas
