RCT Big 12 Power Rankings - Week 4: How far did Oklahoma State fall?

The week went about as well as can be expected for the vast majority of the Big 12. With half of the league having a bye week leading into conference play, there wasn’t a lot of room for movement. So instead of chatting about it, let’s get straight to the rankings:

1 - Baylor Bears (4-0, 1-0 Big 12, Last Week: 1)

That’s a decent-sized win against Oklahoma State, and more than enough to keep them in the driver seat of these power rankings. I’m not sure that I buy the excuse that the headset just went out on that 4th down situation, but regardless of the reason, the results turned out ok, so it’s tough to be too harsh about that decision.

2 - West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0, Last Week: 2)

A solid victory against BYU, and one that should help their bowl prospects if they are able to push through a surprisingly weak Big 12 this year. The Mountaineers appear to be one of the better teams this year, but the conference is in such flux that I’m not sure what that will actually mean for them come bowl season.

3 - Texas Longhorns (2-1, Last Week: 3)

An off week to lick their wounds is probably just what they needed, the schedule doesn't get any easier with a trip to Stillwater on the docket. Oklahoma State showed played fairly well in Waco on Saturday, and Texas will likely find themselves in another shootout this week.

4 - Oklahoma Sooners (1-2, Last Week: 5)

Moving up solely on the fact that the Cowboys lost last week, Oklahoma has a lot to prove when they hit the road to play TCU. They are still the most talented team in the conference, so the expectation is that they can get back to winning this week in Fort Worth.

5 - Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-2, 0-1 Big 12, Last Week: 4)

They were unable to capitalize on their chances, and they had plenty. The weather delay probably didn't help much, but they still have to be more consistent on both sides of the ball. The rumors swirling around the possibility that LSU might look to poach their coach hopefully won't cause too much of a distraction the rest of the season.

6 - Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-1, Last Week: 6)

They had all week to rest up and gameplan for the Jayhawks, and while Thursday is meant for crazy happenings in the Big 12, the Red Raiders should be planning for an opportunity to jump over the loser of Texas and Oklahoma State.

7 - TCU Horned Frogs (2-1, 1-0 Big 12, Last Week: 7)

TCU had the same problem that the Bears did earlier in the year, starting slow against SMU before pulling away in the second half. This team is starting to round into form, but the main question is going to be if the defense is actually improved or just benefited from the weak Mustang squad they faced. Oklahoma will provide a stiff test for them.

8 - Kansas State Wildcats (2-1, Last Week: 8)

At first blush, a 35-0 win against Missouri State isn’t anything too impressive. But then you account for the fact that the second half wasn’t played due to lightning delays, and that becomes a huge blowout that is actually a bit impressive even after factoring in the level of competition. This Wildcat team is poised to make a jump up the rankings if they can knock off West Virginia.

9 - Iowa State Cyclones (1-3, 0-1 Big 12, Last Week: 9)

They finally got that win, and it was quite a win for them to have. They absolutely pounded San Jose State, and gave hope that this may not be a disaster of a season for the Cyclones. However, the matchup against Baylor this week could put them right back into the depths of despair.

10 - Kansas Jayhawks (1-2, Last Week: 10)

The bye week did nothing to improve the outlook of Jayhawk fans, especially as it has become apparent that QB Montell Cozart is not going to be replaced. The hope is that the defense can continue to keep games respectable, because there really is no confidence in the offense at this point at all.

Fun With Stats

The feature continues this week with another stat that Kansas leads the conference in. Last week we looked at Kickoff Return Yards, and Kansas still leads the conference in this one. Up next: 4th Down Conversion Percentage Defense. Here are the conference standings that definitely prove that Kansas Football is the best in the conference (at SOMETHING).