For the third consecutive week we have a different #1 team at the top of our power rankings. I said after Oklahoma’s opener against Missouri State that we were perhaps overreacting a bit on how good the Sooners looked. As it turns out, we were way overreacting!
Once again, there was plenty of movement this week in the power rankings. In fact, Kansas (#10) was the only team to remain steady from our last set of rankings.
Iowa State (#2) and West Virginia (#6) had the biggest climb this week. Both moved up three spots. It is the second week in a row that Iowa State has made the biggest jump un the the rankings.
Baylor (#8) took the biggest tumble this week. The Bears dropped five spots.
Below are our consensus rankings and then after that you’ll find the individual rankings from our writers with an explanation for each of the top three and the bottom two as well.
2020 Heartland Sports Week 5 Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
|---|---|
| 1. Oklahoma State | 50 |
| 2. Iowa State | 44 |
| 3. Kansas State | 37 |
| 4. TCU | 35 |
| 5. Texas | 31 |
| 6. West Virginia | 25 |
| 7. Oklahoma | 20 |
| 8. Baylor | 18 |
| 9. Texas Tech | 9 |
| 10. Kansas | 5 |
Mark
1. Oklahoma State | The Pokes are the last unbeaten team in the Big 12. The Cowboy defense had another strong performance but this week the offense had an equally strong game against Kansas to take into the early bye.
2. Iowa State | The Cyclones have the best two wins in conference play with wins over OU and TCU but with the loss to Louisiana, I can’t put them ahead of the Pokes. We’ll see if they have a let down against the Red Raiders.
3. Kansas State | The Wildcats had a tough game against Texas Tech but pulled out the victory. They have a tough test against the horned frogs in Ft. Worth. Should be the game of the week in the Big 12.
4. TCU
5. Texas
6. Oklahoma
7. West Virginia
8. Baylor
9. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders remain winless in conference play. They have shown some fight so they shouldn’t be taken lightly. They have another tough matchup in Ames this weekend.
10. Kansas | Kansas is still Kansas. Les Miles has to be discouraged but his teams typically get better as the season progresses. They couldn’t get anything going on offense nor stop the Pokes from scoring. It’s going to be a long season for the Mad Hatter.
Craig
1. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys are the last undefeated team in the Big 12. You’ve got to Oklahoma State credit for what they’ve done playing without Spencer Sanders. They have been doing just enough on offense while their defense has only allowed 27 points in three games.
2. Iowa State | The Cyclones embarrassed the Big 12 in week one by losing to Louisiana Lafayette. Since then, they have two conference wins including a big one over the Sooners. Iowa State is finally playing like the Big 12 contender we all thought they could be.
3. Texas | The Longhorns took a tough loss to TCU this week, but it might have been the wake up call they needed. Their offense can score points with just about anybody, but Texas has to improve on defense if they still have Big 12 Championship aspirations.
4. Kansas State
5. TCU
6. West Virginia
7. Oklahoma
8. Baylor
9. Texas Tech | Texas Tech has been so close to winning each of their two conference games, but couldn’t close it out in the end. With their only win being a two point victory over Houston Baptist, they land at the bottom of my rankings.
10. Kansas | The Jayhawks haven’t seemed to improve any from a year ago. They can’t score points, and they can’t play defense. It’s going to be another long year for Kansas.
Rich
1. Oklahoma State Cowboys | As the only undefeated team in the Big XII, it goes without saying the Cowboys deserve the top spot. Plus this is a program that’s continuing to find a way to win without Spencer Sanders on the field.
2. TCU Horned Frogs | I get it, TCU dropped a contest to the Iowa State Cyclones to start conference play. However, the situation matters greatly here. Opting to sit Max Duggan until the second half of the game, Gary Patterson changed his ways with a road trip to Austin, Texas looming. Setting foot in DKR Stadium, the head coach opted for Duggan as the signal-caller. The move paid dividends as the Horned Frogs pulled off the upset. This looks like a team that came to challenge for the Big XII Title.
3. Iowa State Cyclones | Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, and Charlie Kolar are a handful on the offensive side of the ball. Yet, the offense hasn’t reached the level of success many expected from the group on the young season. Knocking their opponent out of the top twenty-five over the weekend, there are still questions that remain unanswered. If this team can find an offensive rhythm, watch out!
4. Kansas State Wildcats
5. Texas Longhorns
6. West Virginia Mountaineers
7. Baylor Bears
8. Oklahoma Sooners
9. Texas Tech Red Raiders | The high powered offense lost it’s star when Alan Bowman was forced to the sideline. Consistency has been a key question for the program and so far, TTU has not checked the box. Sitting a 1-2 on the season, you have to ask how much time will the quarterback miss throughout this oddity of a season.
10. Kansas Jayhawks | Another weekend and another loss etched in the books. There’s nothing to see here…let’s move on.
Zack
1. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys remain as the only undefeated team in the conference, and they put out their best performance yet on Saturday as the offense woke up, and the defense kept doing its thing.
2. Iowa State | Knocking off the Sooners in the Ames for the first time in nearly 3 decades was impressive enough, but their win over TCU last week looks even more impressive after the Horned Frogs knocked off Texas yesterday.
3. West Virginia | I was convinced the Mountaineers were destined for the bottom of the Big 12, but after hanging with Oklahoma State, and then beating Baylor in overtime, I’m convinced West Virginia’s offense may be just good enough to keep them competitive.
4. Kansas State
5. TCU
6. Texas
7. Oklahoma
8. Baylor
9. Texas Tech | It’s not surprising that just one week after a narrow loss in a shootout with Texas the Red Raiders struggled to find the end zone. They’re probably going to pick up a win or two, one of them being Kansas, I’m sure, but it could be a rough season in Lubbock.
10. Kansas | Oh, Kansas. 2020 has been wild, including the start to this NCAA football season, but some things never change.
Matt
1. Oklahoma State | I’m going to go ahead and pat myself on the back here for being the only one to have had the Cowboys at #1 in last week’s rankings. That said, raise your hand if you had OSU being the only undefeated team in the conference after the first weekend in October. No one? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
2. Iowa State | The argument for the Cyclones is simple. Road win at TCU and home win over the defending conference champs.
3. Kansas State | Here’s where it gets interesting. I’m not sure if Kansas State has a chance against TCU if Skylar Thompson is unavailable to play.
4. TCU
5. Texas
6. Baylor
7. Oklahoma
8. West Virginia
9. Texas Tech | This looks like the same Red Raider team we’ve seen in years past. No defense and an injured Alan Bowman.
10. Kansas | Just a terrible display of football in Lawrence last weekend.
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