TCU has officially moved from a dark horse contender to the frontrunner in the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma State hasn’t gone anywhere and neither has Kansas State. All three of those teams are still very much in the hunt for the conference crown and Texas is just a step behind. That said, through seven weeks of football, this is TCU’s conference right now.
Not only did we all agree that TCU has earned the top spot, we also unanimously agreed that Texas is, in fact, on the outside looking in right now. The Longhorns are by no means eliminated from the title game but they do have some ground to make up. We also agreed across the board that Iowa State is in the bottom spot right now.
We didn’t really know what to do with Texas Tech, who was on a bye week, or how severely to punish Kansas for losing in Norman. Not a single one of us had either of those programs ranked in the same spot.
2022 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. TCU | 30 |
| 2. Oklahoma State | 26 |
| 3. Kansas State | 25 |
| 4. Texas | 21 |
| 5. Oklahoma | 17 |
| 6. Kansas | 18 |
| 6. Texas Tech | 18 |
| 8. West Virginia | 11 |
| 9. Baylor | 8 |
| 10. Iowa State | 3 |
Individual Thoughts
Craig
1. TCU | The Horned Frogs have earned their spot at the the top of the conference. They gutted out a come from behind win in 2OT over Oklahoma State. It’s crazy to think they have the #3 offense in the nation with their backup quarterback.
2. Oklahoma State | I still think the Cowboys are the most talented team in the Big 12. The loss to TCU was surprising, especially considering the lead they gave up. There’s questions about Spencer Sanders health, and defense is clearly a concern. But, I feel like losing to the other top team in the conference means the Cowboys shouldn’t fall far in the rankings.
3. Kansas State | The Wildcats stay in the same position for me this week as they were on a bye week. They’ll be on the road this week facing Texas Tech.
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. Kansas
7. Baylor
8. West Virginia
9. Texas Tech | It’s tough being on a bye week and dropping in the rankings. But, with all the movement this week, it’s hard to put Texas Tech anywhere else considering they’re still coming off of a loss as well.
10. Iowa State | The Cyclones have lost four straight conference games. They’re the only 0-4 team in the Big 12. That being said, they’ve lost the four games by a total of 14 points. So close, yet so far away.
Matt
1. TCU | There’s no doubting the Frogs’ legitimacy now. It’ll be interesting to see how they move forward with the targets on their backs the rest of the way.
2. Oklahoma State | I know that Kansas State is lurking but losing on the road in double overtime isn’t something that I’m going to punish the Cowboys for. I had them at #2 last week and there’s nothing that happened in Ft. Worth to make me change my mind.
3. Kansas State | The Wildcats were off last weekend so there’s no movement from me.
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. West Virginia
7. Texas Tech
8. Kansas
9. Baylor | The bottom half of the Big 12 is going to be every bit as difficult to put in order as the top half. The Bears had every opportunity to be up towards the middle of the pack but they couldn’t get it done in Morgantown.
10. Iowa State | I have no idea who the worst team in the Big 12 is right now. It very well could be Iowa State but then again next week could bring us another candidate.
Zack
1. TCU | This weekend, the Horned Frogs beat Oklahoma State, who I still think is the most well-rounded team in the Big 12. Still, TCU pulled off the comeback, so they sit atop the conference for now.
2. Kansas State | The Wildcats had the weekend off, and now they remain as one of only two undefeated teams in conference play. They meet TCU down in Ft. Worth this weekend, so there will likely be a shakeup somewhere in the top 2 spots.
3. Oklahoma State | Barely losing to TCU doesn’t drop the Cowboys too far, but they never should have lost that game to begin with. If they can win out, they get in the Big 12 Championship Game and MAYBE a shot at the College Football Playoff.
4. Texas
5. Texas Tech
6. Oklahoma
7. Kansas
8. West Virginia
9. Baylor | I figured the Bears were overrated to start the season, but I didn’t think they’d lose to West Virginia. It’s rough in Waco right now.
10. Iowa State | I knew the Cyclones would struggle this season, but I don’t think I anticipated them to drop to the bottom like this. They have lost four straight one-possession games, and now Oklahoma comes into Ames.
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