We made it through the month of September and we’re seeing the Big 12 start to take shape. The conference, at least for now, belongs to Oklahoma and Texas and those two powers are set to face each other on Saturday. West Virginia has been kind of sneaky good, while TCU and Texas Tech have been solid disappointments. Then there’s the new guys who are still trying to figure out their place within the pecking order. UCF literally let a good opportunity slip away from them on Saturday. This is going to be a really interesting conference in 2024.
2023 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings, Week 6
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Texas | 42 |
| 2. Oklahoma | 39 |
| 3. Kansas State | 34 |
| 4. West Virginia | 33 |
| 5. Kansas | 31 |
| 6. TCU | 28 |
| 7. BYU | 23 |
| 8. Baylor | 20 |
| 9. UCF | 16 |
| 10. Texas Tech | 15 |
| 11. Iowa State | 14 |
| 12. Cincinnati | 9 |
| 13. Oklahoma State | 7 |
| 14. Houston | 4 |
Holding Steady
Texas and Oklahoma are the only two teams that didn’t move this week. They remained at #1 and #2 respectively, while the twelve teams below them are all in a new spot this week.
Moving Up
On the heels of an improbable comeback in Orlando, Baylor rose up from six spots this week, from being #14 after Week 5. Kansas State, West Virginia, BYU, and Texas Tech were all on the rise in our rankings after Week 5.
Dropping
Houston took the biggest drop this week. The Cougars fell three spots and now occupy the basement of our rankings. Kansas, TCU, UCF, Iowa State, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State all slid down this week.
Individual Thoughts
1. Texas | The Longhorns have an argument to be the number one team in the country. I believe they are the only team with wins over two ranked opponents. Their closest margin of victory was 10 points, and that was against Alabama.
2. Oklahoma | Oklahoma made some impressive second half adjustments on the defensive side of the ball en route to their 50-20 win over Iowa State. With the Red River Rivalry coming up this week, we will see who is officially the best team in the Big 12.
3. West Virginia | The Mountaineers are a team that is sneaking up on everyone. Their only loss came from #7 Penn State. I’m not sure I thought they would be above .500 this year, yet alone be 4-1 at this point in the season. With a matchup against Houston this week, they have a great chance to extend their winning streak.
4. Kansas
5. Kansas State
6. TCU
7. Iowa State
8. BYU
9. Baylor
10. Texas Tech
11. UCF
12. Cincinnati
13. Houston | Houston might be the only team rivaling Oklahoma State for last place. It’s shaping up to be a very long season for the Cougars.
14. Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State had the week off, but they are still the worst team in the Big 12.
Zack
1. Texas | The Longhorns proved why they’re ranked as high as they are. They’re really stinking good, and they’re led by a really good quarterback in Quinn Ewers.
2. Oklahoma | The Sooners didn’t look great against Iowa State early, but they poured it on in the second half. Red River Rivalry should be fun.
3. Kansas State | A week off and a Friday night matchup against Oklahoma State could be just what the Wildcats need to get back on the track to paving their way to the Bgi 12 Championship.
4. West Virginia
5. TCU
6. Kansas
7. BYU
8. Baylor
9. UCF
10. Texas Tech
11. Cincinnati
12. Iowa State
13. Oklahoma State | No game this weekend bumps the Cowboys down a slot, but the week off was hopefully a good thing. They’ve got a big matchup with K-State on Friday night.
14. Houston | The Cougars managed to hang with Texas Tech for a half, but they showed their true colors in the second half. They’re just not good.
Matt
1. Texas | You could make the argument that the Longhorns caught a break when Jalon Daniels was unable to play for Kansas. Still though, having their starting quarterback in place wouldn’t have helped the Jayhawks stop the Texas rushing attack. That was impressive!
2. Oklahoma | The Sooners were challenged by Iowa State for a little more than a quarter in Norman on Saturday night. They dialed up the defensive pressure though and any thoughts the Cyclones may have had about an upset suddenly disappeared. Now the stage is set for the most important Red River Rivalry game since probably 2008.
3. Kansas State | I try really hard not to move teams up or down following a bye week, but so much craziness happened over the weekend left me no choice here.
4. Kansas
5. West Virginia
6. TCU
7. BYU
8. Baylor
9. UCF
10. Texas Tech
11. Oklahoma State
12. Iowa State
13. Cincinnati
14. Houston
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