Big 12 Power Rankings: Baylor on the rise as Arizona State, Iowa State play for title
All eyes in Big 12 country will be fixated on Arizona State and Iowa State when they play for a Big 12 football championship on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The winner will receive a trophy from conference commissioner Brett Yormark and a berth into the College Football Playoff from its selection committee.
Both will be earned by a worthy champion, regardless of whether that team turns out to be the Sun Devils or the Cyclones.
Still, I’m not convinced the Big 12’s best team is playing in this game. One could argue that honor belongs to Baylor for the way it closed out the season.
Nobody in the league is playing better than the Bears. Most gave up on Dave Aranda’s team when they began the year 2-4 with losses to Utah, Colorado, BYU and Iowa State. But they have been untouchable ever since and finished the season with wins over Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia, Houston and Kansas ... by an average of 14.8 points per game.
The Jayhawks traveled to Waco fresh off impressive victories over Iowa State, BYU and Colorado. No one had beaten them in more than a month. But they lost to the Bears 45-17.
One of the beautiful things about college football is that every game matters. Early losses can haunt a team all season. Such is the case for Baylor as it missed out on a trip to the Big 12 championship by one game. The Bears didn’t deserve a trip to Arlington this weekend. But they might be the Big 12’s best team heading into bowl season.
With that in mind, let’s take some time to analyze everything we have seen up to this point — heading into conference championship week — with a new edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.
Going streaking
1. Baylor (8-4, 6-3 Big 12)
The Bears have been on an absolute tear since their first bye week of the season, especially on offense. Quarterback Sawyer Robertson led Baylor to an average of 41.3 points over its final six games. This looked like a vintage Big 12 team (all gas, no brakes) during that stretch. Don’t be surprised if Baylor is the preseason favorite in the Big 12 heading into 2025.
2. Arizona State (10-2, 7-2 Big 12)
We all owe the Sun Devils an apology. The team was picked to finish last in the Big 12 this season and won 10 games. It’s just too bad star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson will miss the Big 12 championship game with an injury. I probably would have left ASU at the top spot with him fully healthy.
Fun while it lasted
3. Kansas (5-7, 4-5 Big 12)
Nine teams finished Big 12 play with a winning conference record. KU played eight of them. Things could have gone much differently for the Jayhawks had they faced a weaker schedule. Even so, they beat three of the four teams that finished in a tie for first place.
4. Colorado (9-3, 7-2 Big 12)
Travis Hunter deserves the Heisman Trophy and Shedeur Sanders might be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. No one has more top end talent than the Buffaloes.
Welcome to the club
5. Iowa State (10-2, 7-2 Big 12)
Heading into this season, there were only three major-conference teams in all of college football that had never won 10 games in a season. That number is down to one (Vanderbilt) after Indiana and Iowa State both won double-digit games this year. That makes this a magical season for the Cyclones no matter what happens this weekend in Arlington.
6. BYU (10-2, 7-2 Big 12)
It’s unfortunate that no one expected BYU to be good this season. The Cougars would probably be in the running for a playoff berth had they opened the year ranked in the top 25. They have a strong resume that features 10 wins, including a victory at SMU.
What could have been
7. TCU (8-4, 6-3 Big 12)
The Horned Frogs could have easily made the Big 12 championship game if not for a pair of ugly home losses to UCF and Houston. Still, things are looking up for TCU with Josh Hoover set to return after throwing for 3,697 yards and 23 touchdowns this season.
8. Kansas State (8-4, 5-4 Big 12)
The Wildcats may have peaked too early. K-State looked like the class of the Big 12 when it started 7-1, but a 1-3 finish left fans wanting more.
Coaching changes
9. Texas Tech (8-4, 6-3 Big 12)
Texas Tech’s blowout victory over West Virginia was the last hooray for several coaches in that game. The Mountaineers have since fired head coach Neal Brown and the Red Raiders are on the hunt for a pair of new coordinators.
10. West Virginia (6-6, 5-4 Big 12)
It will be interesting to see who West Virginia targets in its coaching search to replace Neal Brown. Some fans may push for Jimbo Fisher or Rich Rodriguez, but the Mountaineers would be much better off looking at Andy Kotelnicki or Barry Odom.
No bowl game for you
11. Houston (4-8, 3-6 Big 12)
The future appears bright in Houston with Willie Fritz at the helm. The Cougars over-achieved this season, even though they only won four games.
12. Utah (5-7, 2-7 Big 12)
The Utes get a bump because they were one of the few teams at the bottom of the conference standings that played hard late in the season.
13. Cincinnati (5-7, 3-6 Big 12)
This team is the polar opposite of Baylor. The Bearcats started 5-2 and then lost all their remaining games to miss out on bowl eligibility.
14. UCF (4-8, 2-7 Big 12)
Gus Malzahn did the Knights a favor by voluntarily leaving to become offensive coordinator at Florida State. The right hire could turn UCF into a perennial Big 12 power.
15. Arizona (4-8, 2-7 Big 12)
It was a disastrous debut season for Brent Brennan, but he will be back for at least another year with the Wildcats.
16. Oklahoma State (3-9, 0-9 Big 12)
Was there a more disappointing team in college football this season?
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Big 12 Power Rankings: Baylor on the rise as Arizona State, Iowa State play for title."