The regular season is over and what a ride it has been. When you look from top to bottom I think this year has been one of the more interesting seasons for the Big 12 in recent times.
Oklahoma State and Baylor will go head to head to determine the Big 12 Champion. The Cowboys beat the Bears by two scores in their matchup earlier this season. Since then the Baylor have played better football, but so has Oklahoma State.
Obviously the winner in Arlington this weekend will determine how the top two spots play out. Let’s take a look at the final power rankings from our Heartland Sports staff.
2021 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Oklahoma State | 40 |
| 2. Baylor | 36 |
| 3. Oklahoma | 32 |
| 4. Iowa State | 28 |
| 5. Kansas State | 24 |
| 6. West Virginia | 19 |
| 7. Texas Tech | 17 |
| 8. TCU | 11 |
| 9. Texas | 9 |
| 10. Kansas | 4 |
Individual Thoughts
Craig
- Oklahoma State | The Cowboys secured their spot at the top of the conference with a win over the Sooners in Bedlam. The Big 12 Championship is next for the Pokes and the only thing in the way of that and a college football playoff spot is the Baylor Bears.
2. Baylor | While the Bears won’t have a shot at the playoffs they can still play the role of a “spoiler” by beating Oklahoma State and winning the Big 12. A win would also secure them a New Years 6 bowl game.
3. Oklahoma | What a disappointing few weeks it’s been for the Sooners. Championship is no more and the man who started it is gone as well. The future now looks uncertain for Oklahoma.
4. Iowa State
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. Texas Tech
8. TCU
9. Texas | The Longhorns won’t be bowl eligible but they did end the season on a high note.
10. Kansas | The Jayhawks were so close to securing another conference win but couldn’t close it out in the end. But hey, it’s finally basketball season!
Rich
1. Oklahoma State | The clear front runner in the conference after winning a chaotic Bedlam matchup. With a single loss on the season, the Cowboys have over achieved based upon expectations. It goes without saying, OSU is the best chance for the Big 12 to make an appearance in the CFP.
2. Baylor | Despite a close contest over the weekend, the Bears punched their ticket to the Big 12 Championship game. Owning the head-to-head over the program below bumps Baylor into the No. 2 spot.
3. Oklahoma | The Sooners are entering a bit of a free fall at the moment. Losing two of the past three contests isn’t a good look to close out the season. Now losing a head coach and a plethora of commits, it doesn’t look like OU will remain a top contender in the conference let alone the SEC in a few years.
4. Iowa State
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. Texas Tech
8. TCU
9. Texas | Failing to reach bowl eligibility is a big knock against the program. However, it was the six game losing streak that sent the Longhorns to the bottom of the pack. Salvaging a bit of the season, UT ended the year with a win over a program in the top five of the conference…so there’s that. It’s the saving grace keeping Texas out of the cellar this time.
10. Kansas | At 2-10 on the year, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which KU didn’t fall to the bottom of the league.
Zack
1. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys are outright Big 12 regular season champions, but that means absolutely nothing without a Big 12 Championship Game victory.
2. Baylor | The Bears get the rematch with Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game. Both teams are on win streaks, so this should be a fun one.
3. Oklahoma | The Sooners may have lost a close one in Stillwater, but they’re still the best team not in the Big 12 Championship game. The loss of Lincoln Riley is a tough one, but I have a feeling Bob Stoops is going to make sure they slap whoever they face in their bowl game.
4. Iowa State
5. Kansas State
6. Texas Tech
7. West Virginia
8. Texas
9. TCU | The Horned Frogs started the season as a dark horse team to make an appearance in the the Big 12 Championship Game, but they slid hard and fast.
10. Kansas | The Jayhawks are back at the bottom as Texas managed to get a win against Kansas State. Meanwhile, Kansas couldn’t pull off a second conference win against West Virginia. Oh well.
Matt
1. Oklahoma State | I have to give the Cowboys a ton of credit. I picked against them most of the season but they continually proved me wrong. Now the Pokes head to Arlington as the favorites to win the Big 12 championship and have an outside shot at making the playoffs.
2. Baylor | They’ve got to get Gerry Bohanon healthy before Saturday or it could get ugly in Arlington.
3.Oklahoma | Crazy to say this but there are so many other things for the Sooners to be worrying about right now.
4. Iowa State
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. Texas Tech
8. TCU
9. Texas | The Longhorns had a legitimate shot of finishing in the basement but they, “rose from the ashes”.
10. Kansas | Give credit to the Jayhawks. They’re the Big 12 football punching bag but they finished the season strong when they could have easily folded.
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