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First, let's start by killing all suspense this week: Kansas is in dead last. No where else to even think about putting them.
Since I started at the bottom, I'm going to break with power ranking convention and start at the bottom, countdown style.
10. Kansas
What was that sound? Oh right, it was any chance the Jayhawks had of getting a conference win going up in flames. I guess if you are going to be a complete dumpster fire, you should burn as bright as you possibly can. Hopefully one of the other teams forced to play us will get a little too close and get burned.
9. Iowa State
Even though they did get the win on Saturday, there are still concerns about the Cyclones ability to continue going forward. They are definitely trending up with the win at Iowa, but they still haven't done enough for me to be comfortable putting them above any other team in the conference. After a bye, they'll get a chance to prove that they should get to move up.
8. Texas
I surprised myself a bit going through this rankings, but I just couldn't justify putting Texas any higher. They were flat out embarrassed at home by BYU, lost a game they should have won against UCLA, and are still looking to overcome the loss of their starting QB. They very well may get it together (especially with KU coming up after a bye), but as of right now, I don't have any confidence in their ability to get it going against many other teams in the conference.
7. Texas Tech
Running into the first decent competition they played, Texas Tech got run out of the stadium. While the offense appears to have a rhythym going, the defense has a lot to be desired. They'll get into a lot of shootouts, but I'm not sure I see them winning very many of them.
6. West Virginia
So this is not the West Virginia team we were expecting to see coming into the season. Every unit on the team is extremely inconsistent, but they've been good enough to challenge Alabama, demolish Towson and edge out Maryland. If they keep playing like this, they could pull a few upsets and jump into the top half of the league.
5. TCU
Two dominant defensive performances give the Horned Frogs something concrete to hang their hats on. While the competition wasn't the greatest, they refused to let anyone even come close. Until the competition ramps up, we won't really know just how good this squad is.
4. Kansas State
While they are undefeated, they really struggled against an inferior opponent in Iowa State. They get a chance to get the biggest win of anyone in the conference though when they face Auburn this Thursday.
3. Oklahoma State
Their only loss was to the first-ranked defending champion, Florida State. Not only that, but they took the game down to the wire, nearly pulling off a huge upset. Sure, Missouri State and UTSA are nothing to get too excited about, but after the bye week, they'll get a chance to show it against Big 12 competition.
2. Oklahoma
The Sooners have been impressive, winning handily against every opponent they have faced this season. Tennessee is likely the best team faced by any Big 12 team other than Texas, and they were firmly in control that entire game.
1. Baylor
While the competition is not as good as what Oklahoma has faced, they have absolutely demolished it. While watching their games, I could have sworn I was watching a video game on easy mode.