Week 7 of the college football season didn’t help clear anything up in the Big 12. Outside of Oklahoma and Texas, it’s so hard to get a read on the other teams. Even the teams at the bottom of the order are hard to figure out. We had Houston as the worst team in the conference a week ago, then they upset West Virginia and now we don’t know where to place either one of them. The Big 12 truly is a mess!
2023 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings, Week 8
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Oklahoma | 42 |
| 2. Texas | 39 |
| 3. Oklahoma State | 32 |
| 4. Iowa State | 30 |
| 5. Kansas State | 27 |
| 5. TCU | 27 |
| 5. Kansas | 27 |
| 8. West Virginia | 24 |
| 9. BYU | 16 |
| 9. Texas Tech | 16 |
| 11. Baylor | 13 |
| 12. Houston | 10 |
| 13. UCF | 9 |
| 14. Cincinnati | 4 |
Holding Steady
Oklahoma and Texas were the only teams to hold serve from last week. Coincidentally they were also both on a bye last Saturday.
Moving Up
We have seven teams rising this week. Oklahoma State took the biggest jump. The Pokes moved all the way up to #3 and could be knocking on the door of a Top 25 ranking with a win in Morgantown on Saturday. Kansas State, TCU, Iowa State, Baylor, and Houston we all on the rise last week.
Dropping
West Virginia and BYU tied for the biggest drop this week. They both fell four spots to #8 and #9 this week. Kansas, Texas Tech, UCF, and Cincinnati also all took a plunge following Week 7.
Individual Thoughts
Craig
1. Oklahoma | The Sooners stay at the top of the conference after a much needed bye week. Oklahoma definitely controls their own destiny as we approach the back half of the season.
2. Texas | The Longhorns had a week off as well, so they remain in the number two spot. They should be able to stay rested this coming week with a matchup against Houston.
3. Iowa State | Matt Campbell has the Cyclones quietly in the passengers seat of the Big 12. Lots of football still to be played, but it’s safe to say they’re surprising a lot of people.
4. Oklahoma State
5. Kansas State
6. TCU
7. Kansas
8. BYU
9. Texas Tech
10. Houston
11. West Virginia
12. Baylor
13. UCF | UCF was on a bye week, but due to Cincinnati stinking it up they get to move up a spot in my rankings.
14. Cincinnati | Are any of the new Big 12 teams having a worse “welcome to the big leagues” season than the Bearcats? They’re averaging just around 14 points per game, while giving up just over 28. Now that Houston got a win, Cincinnati is one of two teams without a conference win.
Zack
1. Oklahoma | No game? No problem. The Sooners didn’t play, but they’re still very clearly the best team in the conference.
2. Texas | Like the Sooners, the Longhorns are coming off a bye week, so they don’t shift at all.
3. Iowa State | The Cyclones didn’t start the 2023 season looking all that great, but their wins against Oklahoma State and TCU are looking better every week. Plus, they handled Cincinnati just fine.
4. West Virginia
5. TCU
6. Oklahoma State
7. Kansas
8. Kansas State
9. Texas Tech
10. Baylor
11. UCF
12. Houston
13. BYU | The Cougars weren’t expected to be very good this year, but then they started off the season 3-0. Now they’re 1-2 in conference play, with the one win coming against Cincinnati, who stinks. BYU fans might not enjoy the rest of the season considering they have a pretty tough remaining schedule.
14. Cincinnati | The Bearcats are awful. Sure, they have had some close losses, but they seem to be getting worse as the season progresses. They have a somewhat favorable chance at winning maybe another game or two, but it could be a long second half of the season for them.
Matt
1. Oklahoma | The Sooners were idle last week but there wasn’t anything that happened in the conference that would put their top spot in jeopardy.
2. Texas | The Longhorns get Houston following the bye week, which should be a good remedy after having to sit on their loss to Oklahoma for 14 days.
3. Oklahoma State | I passed on the Cowboys after they upset Kansas State in Week 6, but Saturday’s upset of Kansas really presses the issue. Finding a team to place at #3 isn’t easy but I’m not sure there won’t be someone more qualified that OSU at the moment.
4. Kansas
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. TCU
8. BYU
9. Iowa State
10. Baylor
11. Texas Tech
12. UCF
13. Houston | The Cougars were able to step up from the bottom of the rankings after the upset of West Virginia. They host Texas this Saturday while Cincinnati hosts Baylor. This race at the bottom could be more interesting than the race at the top.
13. Cincinnati | Opportunity has been there for the Bearcats, they just haven’t been able to take advantage of it.
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