Big 12 Power Rankings: Things keep getting worse for KU, Oklahoma State and Utah
The experts were wrong about Big 12 football.
Utah was picked to win the conference in the media’s preseason poll. The Utes are now flirting with last place.
Oklahoma State was picked to finish third, and received 14 votes for first. The Cowboys haven’t won a single game in league play.
Kansas and Arizona rounded out the top 5. The Jayhawks and the Wildcats are both unlikely to reach bowl eligibility.
As we approach Halloween, K-State is the only team living up to preseason expectations. But even Chris Klieman’s squad is chasing Iowa State and BYU. Those three teams, plus Colorado, have emerged as the class of the conference.
It is becoming very likely that a surprise team will win the Big 12 this season.
It is almost a certainty that a surprise team will finish last.
Now, let’s take some time to analyze everything we have seen up to this point — heading into Week 10 — with a new edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.
Can anyone catch them?
1. Iowa State (7-0, 4-0 Big 12)
The Cyclones remain in the top spot, even though they didn’t play last week. College football experts and analytical models like them quite a bit better than BYU, and I agree with that sentiment. It’s also worth noting that Iowa State’s blowout victories over Houston and Baylor have aged better than anyone expected.
2. BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12)
It is starting to feel like a foregone conclusion that the Cougars will make it to Arlington, Texas, for the Big 12 championship game. BYU is on track to finish the regular season with an undefeated record. It will have to suffer a major letdown to lose any of its final four games against Utah, Kansas, Arizona State and Houston.
I’m not sure the Cougars and their older roster are susceptible to trap games and overlook spots. The oddsmakers made them underdogs at both Baylor and UCF. But the Cougars rolled in both games.
Top contenders
3. Kansas State (7-1, 4-1 Big 12)
No disrespect to the next three opponents on Kansas State’s football schedule (Houston, Arizona State and Cincinnati) but I think most fans would prefer to skip ahead to the final day of the regular season. That’s when the Wildcats travel to Jack Trice Stadium for what could be a colossal Farmageddon game against the Iowa State Cyclones. K-State has won four consecutive games, and it’s hard to see that winning streak coming to an end before then.
4. Colorado (6-2, 4-1 Big 12)
The Buffaloes have already eclipsed their over/under win total for the season. They are also bowl eligible under Deion Sanders. He has done an impressive job with this team. Travis Hunter is back in the Heisman Trophy race now that he is healthy.
Best of the rest
5. Baylor (4-4, 2-3 Big 12)
I’m not sure there are more than four good teams in the Big 12. But Baylor can make the best case for No. 5 at the moment. This pick may surprise some of you, given that the Bears only have a .500 record. Remember, these are power rankings. Not a carbon copy of the conference standings.
Few teams are playing better than Dave Aranda’s team right now. He clearly fixed some things during the bye week, as Baylor has beaten both Texas Tech and Oklahoma State by double digits since then. Sawyer Robertson has been a big upgrade at quarterback.
6. Cincinnati (5-3, 3-2 Big 12)
The Bearcats were no match for Travis Hunter, as the star Colorado player caught nine passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns against them when he wasn’t playing defense.
7. TCU (5-3, 3-2 Big 12)
The Horned Frogs didn’t deserve to blow a big lead and lose to UCF 35-34 earlier this season. The football gods repaid them with an improbable 35-34 comeback win over Texas Tech on Saturday.
8. Texas Tech (5-3, 3-2 Big 12)
Talk about a wasted opportunity. The Red Raiders started Big 12 play at 3-0 and then had an idle week. But instead of challenging for a conference championship they allowed 59 points to Baylor and then blew a 34-21 lead in the fourth quarter at TCU.
9. Arizona State (5-2, 2-2 Big 12)
The Sun Devils remain a long-shot contender in the Big 12 because they still get to play K-State and BYU. Many teams from across the league will be cheering for Arizona State in those games.
Is it basketball season yet?
10. Kansas (2-6, 1-4 Big 12)
The Jayhawks are the only team in college football with five losses (and no wins) in one-possession games.
11. West Virginia (4-4, 3-2 Big 12)
Some fans have purchased “Fire Neal Brown” billboards in Morgantown, even after the Mountaineers went on the road and beat Arizona.
12. Houston (3-5, 2-3 Big 12)
The Cougars are the least talented team in the Big 12, but Willie Fritz has them playing hard. That makes Houston better than at least four other teams in this conference.
Approaching rock bottom
13. UCF (3-5, 1-4 Big 12)
The Knights are a mess on the football field right now, but they have played a brutal schedule of late with games against Colorado, Florida, Cincinnati, Iowa State and BYU. Maybe they can turn things around with a home game against Arizona coming up.
14. Oklahoma State (3-5, 0-5 Big 12)
Mike Gundy has led the Cowboys to 17 straight bowl games. That streak is in serious jeopardy.
15. Arizona (3-5, 1-4 Big 12)
Will the Wildcats be patient with new coach Brent Brennan? He better hope so. Arizona is one of the most disappointing teams in the country. This team is on quit watch moving forward.
16. Utah (4-4, 1-4 Big 12)
I jumped on the bandwagon when Utah began the season 4-0 and punctuated that run with a road victory against Oklahoma State. But the Utes have fallen from first to last over the past month. They have lost four straight games despite facing one of the easiest schedules in the Big 12.
Star running back Micah Bernard giving a cryptic explanation on why things have gone wrong this season probably won’t help matters.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Big 12 Power Rankings: Things keep getting worse for KU, Oklahoma State and Utah."