Week 9 brought in some more critical matchups in the Big 12 where some teams were able to solidify their rankings in the conference while others continued to trend in the wrong direction. The top of the rankings and the bottom both stayed the same this week, but we did see some big movement in the middle of the pack.
Holding Steady
The top three this week all stayed in the same spot. The Sooners now have a 17 game winning streak and until that ends they aren’t going anywhere. Baylor and Oklahoma State both looked great this week as well, but does either team have what it takes to dethrone Oklahoma? The bottom three spots remained the same as well with Texas Tech, TCU, and Kansas all suffering losses in week 9.
Mountaineers Making Moves
West Virginia is the only team to move up in the rankings this week. They took a big leap jumping up three spots to be tied for 4th with Iowa State. Technically they hold the “tie breaker” over the Cyclones with their impressive 38-31 victory against them on Saturday.
Not Looking Good
Iowa State dropped one spot after losing this week. That puts them at 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in conference play. It’s certainly been a disappointing season for Cyclones fans after having a lot of success last year. The Texas Longhorns are the only other team to drop this week and they fall two spots down to 7th. They have a tough matchup against Iowa State coming up to try and avoid losing four straight games.
2021 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Oklahoma | 40 |
| 2. Baylor | 35 |
| 3. Oklahoma State | 33 |
| 4. West Virginia | 24 |
| 4. Iowa State | 24 |
| 6. Kansas State | 22 |
| 7. Texas | 18 |
| 8. Texas Tech | 11 |
| 9. TCU | 9 |
| 10. Kansas | 4 |
Individual Thoughts
Craig
- Oklahoma | The Sooners finally put together a complete four quarter game this weekend in their big win over Texas Tech. Oklahoma will get a much needed week of rest after starting the season 9-0.
2. Baylor | Baylor proved once again they are contenders this year after their victory over Texas this weekend. The Bears might have the best resume in the Big 12 with wins over Iowa State, BYU, and now Texas.
3. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys took care of business against Kansas and made it look easy. Spencer Sanders looked great as the offense for Oklahoma State finally took off. If Sanders can continue to play at a high level OSU will be a lock for the conference championship game.
4. West Virginia
5. Iowa State
6. Kansas State
7. Texas
8. Texas Tech
9. TCU | You could tell things were getting worse and worse in Ft. Worth, but I don’t think anyone saw the Gary Patterson situation coming.
10. Kansas | Is it basketball season yet?
Zack
1. Oklahoma | The Sooners stay undefeated with an easy win over the Red Raiders. Not much to say here.
2. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys rebounded by rolling over the Jayhawks. Yeah, they were supposed to win, but they completed dominated.
3. Baylor | The Bears keep rolling, and their meeting with OU in two weeks could be a top-10 matchup.
4. West Virginia
5. Iowa State
6. Kansas State
7. Texas
8. TCU
9. Texas Tech | They’re not going to win another game this year, so they stay down here with Kansas.
10. Kansas | Welp. What is there to say?
Rich
1. Oklahoma – The Sooners put up their most impressive win of the conference slate. Sitting on the verge of playing a complete game, the program is starting to play complimentary football. Assuming the trend continues, OU will remain a difficult team to stop as the explosive offense once again takes center stage.
2. Baylor – After the week off, the Bears looked a little rusty. However, the group turned up the heat in the fourth quarter to produce yet another win. At 4-1 in league play, the difference maker for the Bears is the three game win streak at the moment. Clearly a hot team, no one wants to face BU at the moment.
3. Oklahoma State – The Cowboys have wins over previously ranked opponents on the resume which should lead to a high ranking here. Yet, the team dropped the ball to an unranked foe leading to a disappointing loss on the road. Still, OSU is in the mix this late in the season and will have a chance to prove themselves worthy of the top spot as No. 2 & No. 3 are interchangeable for me.
4. Kansas State
5. West Virginia
6. Iowa State
7. Texas
8. Texas Tech
9. TCU – Playing competitively for roughly three weeks into conference play, the Horned Frogs are slipping into the background rather quickly. Riding a three game losing streak, the number could easily turn into five. Questioning the mentality of the locker room, this is a group that could quit on the year.
10. Kansas – Getting blasted on Saturday, it’s clear that this team is a long way from learning to play competitively let alone win a game. Is it basketball season yet?
Matt
1. Oklahoma | The Sooners finally looked the part with a convincing win over Texas Tech. Not only did the offense score north of 50 points but the defense forced three turnovers. It was definitely the type of performance to send OU into the bye week with some positive vibes.
2. Baylor | Are the Bears the best team from the state of Texas? It certainly appears that way.
3. Oklahoma State | A week after getting knocked down by Iowa State the Cyclones gifted the Cowboys a boost by getting upset by the Mountaineers in Morgantown.
4. Iowa State
5. Texas
6. Kansas State
7. West Virginia
8. Texas Tech
9. TCU | Gary Patterson becomes the second Big 12 coach to fall in less than a week. The 1-4 record that the Frogs hold in Big 12 play is surprising but seeing Patterson not finish out the season is even more so.
10. Kansas | A week after bowing up to Oklahoma the Jayhawks were curb stomped by Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
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