A crazy season in the Big 12 just got even more so with upsets in Stillwater and Morgantown. The scenarios for the Big 12 championship game are almost endless and we might need to pull in someone with a Ph. D. in mathematics to sort out all of the tiebreaker possibilities.
Despite losing at home to Texas, Oklahoma State remained in our top spot by the slimmest of margins. The Cowboys were one of three teams not to move this week, joining Baylor (#9) and Kansas (#10).
Iowa State was one of five teams to move up one spot this week. They joined Oklahoma (#3), Texas (#4), West Virginia (#5t), and TCU (#7).
A loss may not have dropped the Cowboys but Kansas State and Texas Tech can’t say the same. The Wildcats fell the furthest, dropping three spots to #5t while the Red Raiders dropped one spot after getting thrashed by Oklahoma.
We also have a tie this week at #5 with West Virginia rising and Kansas State falling.
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 9 Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Oklahoma State | 48 |
| 2. Iowa State | 47 |
| 3. Oklahoma | 40 |
| 4. Texas | 34 |
| 5. West Virginia | 27 |
| 5. Kansas State | 27 |
| 7. TCU | 22 |
| 8. Texas Tech | 13 |
| 9. Baylor | 12 |
| 10. Kansas | 5 |
Mark
1. Oklahoma State- After a disappointing overtime loss to Texas, I’m keeping the Cowboys in the top spot for now. If Spencer Sanders doesn’t take better care of the football, they won’t be here much longer.
2. Iowa State- The Cyclone beat up on Kansas and I expect more of that this weekend against Baylor.
3. Oklahoma- The Sooners have been looking better and better. They dominated the Red Raiders and you can look for them to do the same against Kansas.
4. Texas
5. TCU
6. West Virginia
7. Kansas State
8. Texas Tech
9. Baylor- Well I was right. Baylor is not very good this season and things don’t get any easier with Iowa State
10. Kansas- Kansas is still Kansas. Unfortunately for them that basketball starts late this year.
Craig
1. Oklahoma State | Despite losing a close one in overtime to Texas last week, I still think the Cowboys are the team to beat in the Big 12. They can control their own destiny if they win out, but they do have a tough schedule ahead.
2. Iowa State | The Cyclones are another team that can control their own destiny by simply winning out. Kansas State and Texas seem to be the toughest remaining opponents. This team was written off after losing their season opener to Louisiana. But now, they are legit Big 12 contenders.
3. Oklahoma | The Sooners have done enough to work their way back into the top three. After an explosive offensive performance on the road in Lubbock, Oklahoma finally looks like the team everyone expected them to be.
4. Texas
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. TCU
8. Baylor
9. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders have all kinds of issues at the moment. They are a mess on defense, and they need to find a quarterback that they can stick with.
10. Kansas | I still find it hard to see Kansas winning a game this season. Maybe they can upset Texas Tech? Sorry Jayhawks fans for another long season.
Rich
1. Iowa State | Taking over the top slot, the Cyclones only loss came to OSU. However, ISU is a couple of missed field goals from sitting undefeated in conference play. Playing some of the best football of the year, it’s hard to find fault in a thrashing over the weekend. According to the eye test, Iowa State looks like the best team right now.
2. Oklahoma State | Proving once again to have issues with turnovers, the program continues to rely on Spencer Sanders at quarterback. With a home loss to an unranked Texas team, we will have to wait to see how the Cowboys respond. In control of their own destiny, there’s plenty left to play for moving forward.
3. Oklahoma | Finally figuring out things on the defensive side of the ball with a reinvigorated rushing attack on offense, this team looks like a tall task for any challengers remaining on the schedule. It’s hard to imagine many teams in the Big 12 being better than OU but the two losses at the beginning of the year are hard to overlook.
4. Texas
5. West Virginia
6. Kansas State (it just isn’t the same team without Skylar Thompson)
7. TCU
8. Texas Tech
9. Baylor | Given an opportunity to earn a second win in conference play, the Bears fell short. With the only win of the year coming against the Jayhawks, it’s safe to say that Baylor has returned to the lower tier of the Big 12. Without Matt Rhule on the sideline, this team is looking shaky at best.
10. Kansas | A simple look at the conference and overall record of the program is the only indicator needed as to why KU sits at the bottom of the power rankings.
Zack
1. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys played as undisciplined as you can, turning the ball over 4 times, and they still had a chance to win in overtime. Call me a homer, but I still like them as the best team in the conference.
2. Iowa State | The Cyclones are continuing to improve, and with the toughest part of their schedule past, they could easily be in the Big 12 Championship in a month.
3. Oklahoma | The Sooners are rolling right now. They could be peaking at just the right time.
4. Texas
5. West Virginia
6. Kansas State
7. TCU
8. Baylor
9. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders are bad, but at least they aren’t Kansas.
10. Kansas | The Jayhawks are a joke. I honestly didn’t know if they will win a game this season.
Matt
1. Iowa State | Who would have thought that this would be the case a week after the Cyclones lost in Stillwater? The Cyclones responded by thrashing Kansas in Lawrence to take full advantage of Oklahoma State’s failure against Texas.
2. Oklahoma State | Turnovers will absolutely kill you and that’s what the Pokes experienced on Saturday. Don’t let that fool you into believing OSU isn’t still a very dangerous team.
3. Oklahoma | Don’t look now but the Sooners are surging! Winners of three in a row, OU hosts Kansas this weekend before heading into the second bye week.
4. Kansas State
5. Texas
6. West Virginia
7. TCU
8. Texas Tech
9. Baylor | The Bears played possibly the worst half of football that I’ve seen this season in the opening 30 minutes of their game against TCU.
10. Kansas | I guess sometimes it has to get worse in order to get better. I just didn’t realize it would be this bad.
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