With the Big 12 championship game set you’d expect there to be little movement in this week’s power rankings and that’s exactly what we got. Only four teams find themselves in different spots from last week. Two slid up in our rankings and two slid down.
Texas took advantage of Oklahoma State getting upset in Fort Worth by moving up a notch to grab the suddenly vacant #3 spot. Also moving up one spot this week is the team that knocked off the Cowboys. TCU checks in at #5 this week.
West Virginia was ravaged by COVID off the field and then demolished by Iowa State on the field. The Mountaineers take the biggest tumble this week, dropping two spots to #6.
It may be a bit controversial but Oklahoma State only dropped one spot, to #4, after losing to TCU. That still places them a spot ahead of the Frogs but at this point of the season you have to gauge the complete body of work.
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 14 Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Iowa State | 49 |
| 2. Oklahoma | 46 |
| 3. Texas | 40 |
| 4. Oklahoma State | 33 |
| 5. TCU | 30 |
| 6. West Virginia | 25 |
| 7. Texas Tech | 19 |
| 8. Kansas State | 14 |
| 8. Baylor | 14 |
| 10. Kansas | 5 |
Craig
1. Iowa State | The Cyclones absolutely destroyed West Virginia in their last outing. This win guaranteed them a spot in the Big 12 Championship. They are without a doubt the most complete football team in the conference.
2. Oklahoma | Oklahoma secured their spot in the conference championship with a win over Baylor. This now makes six straight wins for the Sooners. Can they turn around in a couple of weeks and make it six straight Big 12 titles?
3. Texas | Texas bounced back from their loss to Iowa State with a big win over Kansas State. Unfortunately for Texas it’s a little too late. But hey, they will go on to win their bowl game and claim it was a successful season, right?
4. Oklahoma State
5. TCU
6.West Virginia
7. Kansas State
8. Texas Tech
9. Baylor | Baylor put together a solid game plan against Oklahoma. However, it just wasn’t enough. It won’t be too many years before the Bears turn things around in Waco.
10. Kansas | Well, at least it’s basketball season!
Mark
1. Oklahoma- After a somewhat sluggish performance against Baylor, the Sooners face the Mountaineers to end the regular season and have already clinched a Big XII championship spot against the Cyclones.
2. Iowa State- The Cyclones have made it to their first ever Big XII Championship Game and have a week to rest up before facing the Sooners.
3. Texas- Texas made a statement against the Wildcats this weekend. We’ll see if that’s enough to save Tom Herman’s job.
4. Oklahoma State
5. West Virginia
6. TCU
7. Texas Tech
8. Baylor
9. Kansas State- The Wildcats finished the season disappointed after some tough losses and injuries. They will look to heal up and improve this offseason.
10. Kansas- Les Miles will need to figure some things out before next season otherwise it might be a very sad end to an otherwise impressive coaching career.
Zack
1. Iowa State | The Cyclones have proved doubters wrong week after week after week. They’re legit, and a rematch with the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship should make for an incredible game.
2. Oklahoma | The Sooners struggled for the first time in what seems like forever, but they are headed to the Big 12 Championship.
3. Texas | I can’t believe the Longhorns are up to no. 3, but here they are.
4. TCU
5. Oklahoma State
6. West Virginia
7. Kansas State
8. Baylor
9. Texas Tech | Barely beating Kansas? Seriously?
10. Kansas | Well, the Jayhawks finally had a chance at winning a game, and they blew it. What a sad, sad, pathetic year of football in Lawrence.
Rich
1. Iowa State Cyclones | Demolishing the final opponent of the season, the Cyclones clinched to top seed in the Big XII Championship game on December 19. At 8-1 in conference play, Breece Hall and Brock Purdy have become quite the duo. With Matt Campbell’s defensive mind this team is consistently on the rise and this year could be a pinnacle year for a program that lacks a Big 12 Title.
2. Oklahoma Sooners | Despite the health concerns and missing players on the field, the Sooners still found a way to get the job done. Most impressively the future of the defense remains in good hands with plenty of youngsters earning significant playing time. Shaking off a bit of rust on the offensive side of the ball, this team has a full week to prepare for the final regular season game. I’d expect an upturn in production from the group as a whole.
3. Texas Longhorns | Claiming a fourth consecutive winning season, the Longhorns also posted a season high 69 points over the weekend. Overcoming distractions and opt outs, the team is bowl eligible and will play for pride moving forward as new faces take over a few roles. Could a new season high in points be coming this weekend as UT faces a winless program in conference play.
4. TCU Horned Frogs
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys
6. West Virginia Mountaineers
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders
8. Baylor Bears
9. Kansas State Wildcats | Still riding the struggle bus, the Wildcats surrendered a plethora of points to their opponent over the weekend. The result has been a five game losing streak which is the second longest in conference this season. It’s not a good look for a team that had potential at the beginning of the year.
10. Kansas Jayhawks | Poor Kansas…0-9. Hey, at least basketball has started right?
Matt
1. Iowa State | Kudos to the Cyclones for running the gauntlet of the Big 12 schedule and emerging with the best record in the conference. They’re one win away from unseating Oklahoma as the Kings of the Conference though.
2. Oklahoma | Last Saturday wasn’t pretty but it was effective. After an 0-2 start in conference play the Sooners have fought back to punch their ticket to the Big 12 championship game and a shot at revenge against the Cyclones.
3. Texas | The third place spot has been a revolving door all season long. Texas is going to end up claiming but it’s not going to make the Burnt Orange faithful feel any better about how the season played out.
4. Oklahoma State
5. Texas Tech
6. TCU
7. West Virginia
8. Baylor
9. Kansas State | Big 12 play started with so much promise for the Wildcats but then the bottom fell out. KSU ended the season on a 5-game losing streak.
10. Kansas | Hey, at least the Jayhawks kept things interesting with Texas Tech. That’s where this program is. We get excited if they can just keep it interesting.
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