Can you believe we’ve gone through 10 weeks of college football? For those of us cheering for teams in Oklahoma it has been a breeze, but for our friends to the north and south of us it has been a very long season.
This weeks rankings brings in a lot of movement as 8 out of 10 teams saw a change in position. Only Oklahoma and Kansas remain in the same spot.
Some Things Never Change
Some things never change and for the Big 12 that’s Oklahoma reigning supreme and Kansas holding it down at the bottom of the conference. The Sooners are number one and still perfect on the season. That being said, it’s going to be an interesting journey through November for the conference favorites.
Moving Up
Oklahoma State moves into the second place spot with Baylor losing to TCU this week. Even with the Pokes loss a few weeks ago, I’m pretty sure everyone assumed they’d be back in the mix before too long. The Cyclones also made a move and worked their way back into the top three. However, they need some help from the Sooners and the Cowboys to get back into the conference championship game.
Texas Is Not Back
Texas is not back. I’ll never get tired of saying that. But on a serious note, has this team given up? They held a 7-3 lead at halftime over Iowa State only to turn around and lose 30-7. It certainly feels like Steve Sarkisian has lost control of his team. How long until the Longhorns realize it’s a cultural issue within the program, not a coaching staff issue. Things don’t get fixed by hiring a new coach.
2021 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Oklahoma | 40 |
| 2. Oklahoma State | 36 |
| 3. Iowa State | 30 |
| 4. Baylor | 28 |
| 5. Kansas State | 26 |
| 6. West Virginia | 21 |
| 7. TCU | 17 |
| 8. Texas | 13 |
| 9. Texas Tech | 10 |
| 10. Kansas | 4 |
Individual Thoughts
Craig
1. Oklahoma | The Sooners received a much needed week of rest before heading into what ranks as one of the toughest remaining schedules in college football. Oklahoma is perfect so far, but the road ahead isn’t going to be easy.
2. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys rolled over West Virginia in yet another impressive defensive outing. Oklahoma State is without a doubt the second best team in this league, but will their offense be enough moving forward? Defense only takes you so far in this conference.
3. Iowa State | The Cyclones earned their way back into my top three with the big win over Texas. They’re in the back seat of the conference championship game for now, but don’t count Iowa State out just yet.
4. Baylor
5. Kansas State
6. TCU
7. Texas Tech
8. West Virginia
9. Texas | Texas has now dropped four straight games. I think they are probably better than 9th, but when you own the second longest losing streak in the conference you belong in second to last place.
10. Kansas | Hey, at least the Jayhawks are consistent!
Rich
1. Oklahoma – The week off couldn’t have come at a better time for the program. Ready to head into the most difficult stretch of the season, the fanbase is about to learn the depth of this team. Needless to say, as the only undefeated school in the league, there’s no change for OU in the power rankings this week.
2. Oklahoma State – Despite a sluggish start, the Cowboys handled their opponent over the weekend handedly. Starting to cement their identity in the defense, it’s still a team with a lot left on the line. By the end of the season, this could easily be the best team in the conference.
3. Iowa State – A second half push from the offense led the Cyclones to a comfortable win despite the defense holding serve for the entirety of the weekend. While ISU has not been the team many expected this season, they’ve quietly remained in the Big 12 conversation. Still needing a ton of help though, I feel as though the Baylor Bears and Cyclones are interchangeable at this spot for the time being.
4. Baylor
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. TCU
8. Texas
9. Texas Tech – While I’m not a fan of punishing a team during the bye week, it seems appropriate to move other teams up. By virtue of the shuffle, the Red Raiders drew the short end of the stick dropping one spot for me into No. 9 this week. Still, TTU is looking for a new head coach and that’s the biggest news surfacing from the program.
10. Kansas – Gone are the glory days of football in Lawrence. The fact that KU has previously allowed fans into the stands free of charge says all you need to know about the direction of the team.
Zack
1. Oklahoma | No game = no loss. The Sooners stay at the top.
2. Oklahoma State | Is there even a question now that the Cowboys are right behind the Sooners? Bedlam is still a few weeks away, but if all goes according to plan, it should be a top 10 matchup.
3. Kansas State | It’s hard to pick a team to fill this slot, because there’s so much parity after Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, so I have to go with who’s hot right now, and that’s the Wildcats. Since losing 3 straight to OSU, Iowa State, and OU, they’ve won 3 straight against the bottom-tier teams of the conference. Now let’s see what they can do when the competition heats up.
4. Iowa State
5. Baylor
6. West Virginia
7. TCU
8. Texas
9. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders enjoyed an off week, which means no loss for them, but they might be looking at 3 straight blowout losses to finish the season.
10. Kansas | At least basketball season here, am I right?
Matt
1. Oklahoma | The Sooners enjoyed a desperately needed bye week and now will face the toughest portion of their season. They’ll either prove the playoff committee right or wrong over the next four weeks.
2. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys are in the best position of any team in the conference to make it to the Big 12 championship. They can almost put it on cruise control here on out.
3. Baylor | The Bears lost control of their own destiny on Saturday when they were upset by TCU at home. They can do themselves a solid by knocking off Oklahoma this weekend but even at that they’d still need some help.
4. Iowa State
5. Kansas State
6. Texas
7. TCU
8. West Virginia
9. Texas Tech | Perhaps the off week did the Red Raiders some good. They’ve got to pick up one win from either Iowa State, Oklahoma State, or Baylor to become bowl eligible.
10. Kansas | Another week, another loss.
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