So I looked up at the calendar and realized that I completely forgot to get the power rankings up this week (kind of like how Texas Tech completely forgot to show up to play football against Iowa State). There were a lot of crazy happenings in the conference this week, and the power rankings reflect that.

Please don’t forget that these are Power Rankings, not standings. Don’t criticize the rankings by saying “Team A has more conference wins than Team B” or even “Team A beat Team B, they should be ranked ahead”. Context matters. Momentum matters. My own opinions about these teams matters. Feel free to give me your own in the comments and justify them.

1 - Oklahoma Sooners (9-2, 8-0 Big 12, Last Week: 1)

They destroyed West Virginia in the snow and solidified the top spot in the rankings. A bye this week sets up the monster Bedlam showdown that will decide the conference title.

Up Next: BYE

2 - Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-2, 7-1 Big 12, Last Week: 2)

There was some thought that TCU might put up some good resistance, but this team rolled. Finding themselves in the same situation as last year, they will look to avenge the loss and will try to finally take a conference title against the Sooners.

Up Next: BYE

3 - West Virginia Mountaineers (8-2, 5-2 Big 12, Last Week: 3)

Despite the loss, the gap between them and the rest of the league was wide enough to withstand a big loss to the top team in the conference. It does show that they are vulnerable though, so they will need to watch out against a resurgent Iowa State team.

Up Next: @ Iowa State, 2:30PM on Fox Sports 1

4 - Kansas State Wildcats (6-4, 4-3 Big 12, Last Week: 4)

It doesn’t seem like there is any chance that the Wildcats will overlook the Jayhawks coming off a win against Baylor and with a road game against TCU coming up. For one, it’s Senior Day, and two, it’s their rivalry game. That said, this team has been very fortunate this year, hitting many strong teams that are starting to slide.

Up Next: vs Kansas, 11:00AM on Fox Sports 1

5 - Iowa State Cyclones (3-8, 2-6 Big 12, Last Week: 8)

What a dominant performance. It was only a matter of time before they broke through, and boy did they ever. Texas Tech was completely dominated from start to finish, and this Iowa State team has a legitimate opportunity to finish the season on a 3-game winning streak with the capper against a ranked opponent.

Up Next: vs #18 West Virginia, 2:30PM on Fox Sports 1

6 - TCU Horned Frogs (5-5, 3-4 Big 12, Last Week: 7)

They moved up in these rankings not because of something they did (getting shellacked by Oklahoma State at home), but instead because it was much less embarrassing to lose to the second best team in the conference than what those other teams did. They’ll get a chance to pile on Texas this week and ensure that Strong is gone, making themselves bowl eligible in the process.

Up Next: @ Texas, Friday, 2:30PM on Fox Sports 1

7 - Kansas Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7 Big 12, Last Week: 10)

Again, I remind you that these are Power Rankings, not standings. That means that these rankings have a whole lot more to do with how the team is currently doing than with the record. And honestly, the three teams below the Jayhawks this week are in absolute freefall. Kansas may not be able to turn this into anything, especially with a good Kansas State team the only game left on the schedule, but this feels like the right spot for them right now.

Up Next: @ Kansas State, Saturday, 2:30PM on Fox Sports 1

8 - Baylor Bears (6-4, 3-4 Big 12, Last Week: 8)

They were fortunate to stay here, thanks to dismal efforts by the Longhorns and Red Raiders. And the off-the-field distractions keep coming. This program is a trainwreck at this point, and with the administration in denial, it’s not going to get better any time soon.

Up Next: @Texas Tech, Friday, 5:00PM on ESPN

9 - Texas Longhorns (5-6, 3-5 Big 12, Last Week: 5)

That loss was really bad for them, and continues the downward spiral that only stopped when they put the Bears into a tailspin with them. Charlie Strong is likely gone after tonight’s game, and it looks like they might be stringing him along just long enough that they lose out on getting Tom Herman as well.

Up Next: vs TCU, Friday, 2:30PM on Fox Sports 1

10 - Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-7, 2-6 Big 12, Last Week: 6)

What the hell was that. I’m not sure there is anything else to say.

Up Next: vs Baylor, Friday, 5:00PM on ESPN

Fun With Stats

I know I said that I wasn’t going to do this again this year, but the stunning win against Texas actually gave me a new stat to look at, so we are diving right back in.

As a reminder, this is the segment where we highlight a new stat each week that shows definitively that the Kansas Jayhawks are the best in the conference at football. In previous weeks, we have looked at Total Kickoff Return Yards (KU is 1st in conference, 29th nationally), 4th Down Conversion Percentage (4th in conference, 56th nationally), Team Tackles for Loss Per Game (3rd in conference, 19th nationally), 3rd Down Conversion Percentage Defense (1st in conference, 40th nationally), Fewest Penalty Yards (3rd in conference, 55th nationally) and Blocked Punts Allowed (1st in conference, 2nd nationally after our tiebreakers). Up this week: Fumbles Recovered.