When you get this far into the college football season the big picture seems to be coming together well. We know where just about every team stands except for the top three. Our staff voting was unanimous for the 4-10 spots, but we have some interesting contradictions towards the top.
Making Moves
Texas Tech made the biggest jump this week moving into the 5th place spot after being in 9th last week. Baylor earned their way back into the top three with an impressive win over Oklahoma. Oklahoma State earns the overall number one spot after extending their winning streak to three games. That being said, none of these is as big as Kansas earning their way out of the 10th spot. Well deserved Jayhawks, enjoy it!
Chaos At The Top
One thing for sure about the Big 12 Power Rankings is that Oklahoma State is on top. Many would argue that Baylor deserves to be in the second spot after beating the Sooners, but they have two conference losses including a bad one to TCU. Both Oklahoma State and Oklahoma each control their own destiny, meanwhile Baylor needs Oklahoma to lose in the next two weeks in order to make it to the conference championship game.
Oh, Texas!
Do not let the fact that Texas lost to Kansas in 2021 distract you from the fact that Texas lost to Kansas in 2016. Seriously, can it get any worse in Austin? Steve Sarkisian seems to be making some big off-season plans. But, something tells me he might not be around long enough to see those plans come to fruition. After suffering five straight losses, Texas now needs to win on the road in Morgantown and at home against Kansas State to become bowl eligible.
2021 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Oklahoma State | 40 |
| 2. Baylor | 34 |
| 2. Oklahoma | 34 |
| 4. Kansas State | 28 |
| 5. Texas Tech | 24 |
| 6. Iowa State | 20 |
| 7. West Virginia | 16 |
| 8. TCU | 12 |
| 9. Kansas | 8 |
| 10. Texas | 4 |
Craig
- Oklahoma State | The Cowboys dominated TCU this weekend and extended their win streak to three games. They’ve played well defensively all season, and now the offense is finally coming around.
2. Oklahoma | The Sooners losing their first game of the season on the road to a ranked opponent wasn’t enough for me to put them any lower than the number two spot. This could pan out to be a bad choice over the next two weeks, but I’m sticking with it for now.
3. Baylor | The Bears obviously had the best win in the Big 12 over the weekend. It may seem a little silly to have them behind Oklahoma, but they are still on the outside looking in for the conference championship game so third seems fitting to me.
4. Kansas State
5. Texas Tech
6. Iowa State
7. West Virginia
8. TCU
9. Kansas | The Jayhawks got a conference win! It couldn’t have come against a better team either. Seriously, when is the last time Kansas wasn’t dead last in power rankings?
10. Texas | Where do we even start? Is Texas even going to make a bowl game? So many questions surrounding the Longhorns right now. A loss to Kansas at home is rock bottom.
Zack
1. Oklahoma State | At this point, there’s no doubt that the Cowboys are the best team in the Big 12. All they have to do is take care of Texas Tech, and then we get to see just how good they really are when they host Oklahoma for Bedlam.
2. Baylor | A week after an embarrassing loss to TCU, the Bears beat Oklahoma. That’s impressive. They still have a shot at the Big 12 Championship game, too.
3. Oklahoma | The Sooners lost for the first time in a very long time. They’re still one of the best teams in the Big 12, and they, too, still have a chance at a Big 12 Championship appearance.
4. Kansas State
5. Texas Tech
6. Iowa State
7. West Virginia
8. TCU
9. Kansas | They did it. They got a road conference win. They’re officially not the worst in the Big 12.
10. Texas | They did it. They lost to Kansas AGAIN. They’re officially the worst in the Big 12.
Rich
Oklahoma State – The Cowboys took care of business in the second weekend of November. Sitting firmly in the driver seat, the program has racked up three consecutive wins in conference. Limiting opponents to an average 7.6 points over that span could indicate that this group is peaking at the right time.
2. Oklahoma – Many will consider the head-to-head here but the Sooners suffered their first loss of the season to a ranked opponent. Looking over the rest of the league it’s still good enough for No. 2 in my book as no others below can make that same boast. However, this month will be telling of a program that has seen the rushing attack disappear as of late.
3. Baylor – Gaining their biggest win of the season, the Bears remain relevant in the conversation. Yet, it’s a loss to a lesser program in TCU the previous week holding the group back a bit.
4. Kansas State
5. Texas Tech
6. Iowa State
7. West Virginia
8. TCU
9. Kansas – Earning their first road win in conference since 2008, the Jayhawks are no longer at the bottom. It’s not really a testament of this team but rather an indicator of where their weekend opponent, Texas is headed.
10. Texas – Sporting the longest losing streak in conference, the Longhorns suffered a defeat at the hands of Kansas while playing in Austin.
Matt
1. Oklahoma State | I undoubtedly feel that Mike Gundy is your Big 12 Coach of the Year with Dave Aranda a close second. That head-to-head between the two has to count for something though. The Cowboys now have the inside track to the Big 12 Championship and are the best hope the conference has for a playoff berth.
2. Baylor | The Bears still need some help to get to the conference championship game but they made a huge statement with the win over Oklahoma on Saturday.
3. Oklahoma | The Sooners have a lot to get figured out. Play calling, execution, and focus were all issues that plagued them against a Baylor team that had a superior game plan and fighting spirit.
4. Kansas State
5. Texas Tech
6. Iowa State
7. West Virginia
8. TCU
9. Kansas | Congratulations to Lance Leipold and his team for providing one of the more monumental moments for the Big 12 this season.
10. Texas | Nope this isn’t done in spite or out of the spirit of rivalry. There’s only one Big 12 team that is riding a 5-game losing streak. There’s only one Big 12 team that lost to Kansas. Texas is hands down the worst team in the Big 12 right now.
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