Last week saw TCU take the reins of the Big 12 Conference and the Frogs tightened up on them this week. A convincing win over Kansas State in Manhattan put TCU another step closer to reaching the conference championship game.
We’re starting to see a bit of separation at the top of the rankings. By virtue of their 29-24 win over the Longhorns last week, the Oklahoma Sooners have pulled even with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. West Virginia shows up eight points behind OU and OSU marking the previously mentioned separation.
Texas Tech takes our biggest fall this week. After their second half collapse in Morgantown, the Red Raiders dropped from number four to number seven.
The no love award this week goes to Rich who clearly isn’t buying in on Iowa State’s run. After beating Oklahoma and then blanking Kansas in back to back weeks, Rich only has the Cyclones at #7.
Rich is also in line for the homer award, along with Craig, for putting Oklahoma at #2 ahead of Oklahoma State. Both schools only have one loss but the quality of the opponent is vastly different.
Zack is the recipient of the way too harsh award for dropping the Longhorns all the way down to #7 on his rankings after losing to their rivals in Dallas.
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Consensus Big 12 Football Power Rankings |
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| Team | Points | Opponent/Result | Last Week |
| TCU | 40 | At Kansas State/W 26-6 | 1 |
| Oklahoma State | 34 | Baylor/W 59-16 | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 34 | Texas/W 29-24 | 3 |
| West Virginia | 26 | Texas Tech/W 46-35 | 6 |
| Texas | 22 | Oklahoma/L 29-24 | 5 |
| Iowa State | 21 | Kansas/W 45-0 | 7 |
| Texas Tech | 19 | At West Virginia/L 46-35 | 4 |
| Kansas State | 12 | TCU/ L 26-6 | 8 |
| Baylor | 7 | At Oklahoma State/L 59-16 | 9 |
| Kansas | 5 | At Iowa State/L 45-0 | 10 |
Craig
The Horned Frogs stay at the top of my rankings after a dominant performance over the Wildcats. TCU is looking like the best shot for a Big 12 team making the College Football Playoff.
The Sooners jumped up to number two after a bounce back win against the Longhorns. Oklahoma had a dominant first half, but will need to figure out how to play all four quarters.
Oklahoma State rounds out the top 3 on my rankings. The Pokes played well against Baylor last week. They will have a tougher test against the Longhorns this coming week. I dropped the Cowboys behind the Sooners due to them not having a win over a top ranked team.
No movement at all for the bottom of my power rankings. Neither Kansas or Baylor has a win in conference play, and that win isn’t likely to come this week considering they are both playing great teams.
Matt
There are no changes in my rankings at all this week. I feel like everyone is pretty much right where they need to be at this point. TCU flexed their muscle in Manhattan, Oklahoma State rolled Baylor in Stillwater, and Oklahoma won the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl.
At the bottom of the pile are Baylor and Kansas. The Jayhawks look like they’ve given up on the season but the Bears seem to at least have a little fight left in them.
From @ProsperHS to @ULM_FB to @TCUFootball: 'God always finds a way of putting you in the right place' https://t.co/bseoKWK4Te
— Carlos A. Mendez (@calexmendez) October 18, 2017
Rich
The top three remain solid after earning wins this past week. Jumping into the college football playoff picture, the Horned Frogs continue to find success on both sides of the ball. However, it’s the Gary Patterson defense that deserves most of the credit. If Kenny Hill plays at a high level for the rest of the year, TCU could be unstoppable.
Oklahoma may have started fast and finished slow, but the Sooners earned a win at a neutral site. Overcoming the hurdle that is the Texas defense at this point in time is no easy feat. Yet, I have OU losing ground at this point in time. There are too many busted plays on the defensive side of the ball which allows opponents to creep back into games.
Rounding out the top three, Oklahoma State showcased the most explosive offense in the nation once again. Racking up the yards as well as the points, this program can outscore any in the country. It’s the defensive side of the ball that needs to most work. We’ll see exactly how this one-loss team stacks up when they run into WVU, Texas, and Oklahoma in back-to-back-to-back weeks. It’ll be a make it or break it stretch for the Cowboys.
At the bottom, the Baylor Bears find themselves challenging opponents more often than not. Being punished with a 59-16 routing, it’s clear this program may have returned to it’s former self…at least for the time being.
In the cellar, Kansas cannot figure out a way to get a conference win. Being blanked by the Iowa State Cyclones seems indicative of the rest of the season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 0-9 conference slate from the Jayhawks.
Zack
The Big 12’s lone undefeated team put up a solid win against a decent Kansas State squad this weekend, so TCU doesn’t go anywhere in my rankings.
The Cowboys put on a show for Homecoming by absolutely destroying the Baylor Bears. The game started off in a sloppy manner, but the defense locked in and looked at its best all season, while Mason Rudolph and the offense ran away with the game.
The Sooners started off looking as good as they have all season before allowing Texas to get back in the game by halftime. OU had every chance to fold and let the Longhorns get the win, but Baker Mayfield simply would not give up, and he won the game in dramatic fashion.
Getting destroyed to continue a winless season is not a good look for anybody, but the Baylor Bears are desperate for a win at this point. They play West Virginia this coming weekend, so hopes aren’t high that come away with that one either.
Things are bad in Lawrence. Iowa State looks as good as they have in years, but the Cyclones embarrassed the Jayhawks on Saturday. If Kansas gets another win this season, it will have to come against Baylor because I don’t think they stand a chance against anyone else.
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Heartland’s Week 8 Big 12 Football Power Rankings |
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| Craig | Matt | Rich | Zack |
| TCU | TCU | TCU | TCU |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State |
| Oklahoma State | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma |
| West Virginia | Texas | West Virginia | West Virginia |
| Iowa State | Iowa State | Texas | Texas Tech |
| Texas | West Virginia | Texas Tech | Iowa State |
| Texas Tech | Texas Tech | Iowa State | Texas |
| Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| Kansas | Baylor | Baylor | Baylor |
| Baylor | Kansas | Kansas | Kansas |
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The quality of the loss may be an accurate statement when it comes to comparing OSU to OU. But, the reality is that Oklahoma State does not have a top tier win. A look at the Cowboys schedule reveals a single ranked opponent…which handed them a loss. That leaves the best win of the Cowboys’ season to a shootout in Lubbock over Texas Tech. Does that really even compare to a win in Colombus over Ohio State? Didn’t think so.