Another week of Big 12 play is in the books. A potential Big 12 championship matchup will occur this week as undefeated BYU travels to Texas Tech. The winner will be at top of the Big 12 standings heading into the final stretch of the season. Utah, Houston, and Cincinnati will continue to lurk behind.
The bottom of the Big 12 is beginning to look different as West Virginia finally wins a game in conference play. If the Mountaineers can continue to improve, they can play spoiler and drastically affect the top of the Big 12.
Here are our Big 12 Power Rankings entering Week 11 – and before you start in, make sure to check out last week's rankings as well.
#16: Oklahoma State (Record: 1-8, 0-6 in the Big 12)
The miserable losing streak continues for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have now lost eight consecutive games, most recently to Kansas. What makes this worse is the program currently has no direction without a head coach and there have been little signs of improvement.
Against Kansas, the Cowboys at least were able to start freshman quarterback Zane Flores. Flores had an impressive game, completing 22 of his 28 passes, throwing for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the positive quarterback development, the defense continues to lose games for Oklahoma State. This is the sixth straight game where the Cowboys defense gave up 38 points or more.
Oklahoma State will enter their bye week, giving no other teams in the Big 12 a near-guarenteed win this weekend.
#15: Colorado (Record: 3-6, 1-5 in the Big 12)
Earlier in October, Colorado looked like they could be a team that could play spoiler in the Big 12 after beating Iowa State. All of that momentum has evaporated since getting dominated by Utah and Arizona.
It was a complete mess last weekend against the Wildcats. Quarterback Kaidon Salter seemed to have the starting job locked. He has now lost the job after throwing for only 49 yards and turning the ball over twice. Backup quarterback Ryan Staub looked worse as he threw two interceptions on only two passing attempts. The Buffaloes then turned to freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who at least threw for over 100 yards and scored a touchdown. Colorado’s defense continues to be a disappointment after allowing over 50 points in back-to-back games.
Colorado will start Lewis at quarterback this weekend as they take on a confident WVU team.
#14: West Virginia (Record: 3-6, 1-5 in the Big 12)
Speaking of WVU, the Mountaineers finally moved up in the power rankings as they pulled off a major upset against Houston on the road. West Virginia has been more competitive over the last two weeks, and their improvement was shown this past weekend in all aspects of the game.
Freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. had another solid game this week against Houston, throwing for 157 yards and scoring three total touchdowns. His most impressive throw was to Cam Vaughn in the end zone. Vaughn made a spectacular one-handed grab to score the touchdown. What helped Fox as well was West Virginia’s running game coming to life. The running back room and Fox all combined for 246 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The WVU defense has also been improving over the weeks. Against Houston, the defense recovered two fumbles, had three sacks, and two interceptions. The one interception was a 80 yard pick-six by Jordan Scruggs.
West Virginia will look to carry their momentum into their upcoming home game against Colorado.
#13: UCF (Record: 4-4, 1-4 in the Big 12)
UCF was coming out of their bye week with a win over WVU and a chance to make noise in the Big 12. All the noise quickly faded when the Knights most recently lost to Baylor by a score of 30-3.
Everything went wrong for UCF against Baylor. Quarterback Tayven Jackson struggled throwing the football, throwing for only 151 yards and two interceptions. The running game was not a factor as the Knights ran for a combined 74 yards. The only bright spots on the defensive side of the ball was a two-sack performance from Malachi Lawrence and a fumble recovery from Derrick LeBlanc.
While it’s near impossible for UCF to win the Big 12, they are still a team that can play spoiler. Three of UCF’s final four games are against Houston, Texas Tech and BYU.
#12: Kansas (Record: 5-4, 3-3 in the Big 12)
It’s still premature to say that Kansas is out of the Big 12 championship picture, but the Jayhawks have done nothing to prove that they belong at the top. Their record at least looks better after defeating Oklahoma State this past weekend.
Kansas did what they needed to against the Cowboys. Senior quarterback Jalon Daniels has remained healthy all season and threw two touchdowns against Oklahoma State. The defense held the Cowboys to only 21 points, an improvement to the 42 points they gave up against Texas Tech and Kansas State.
Kansas has a more favorable two week stretch coming up. Their next opponent is against Arizona on the road.
#11: Arizona (Record: 5-3, 2-3 in the Big 12)
Despite having a worse Big 12 record than Kansas, Arizona has at least been competitive in their losses to BYU and Houston. The Wildcats also had a dominant 52-17 victory against Colorado this past weekend.
Junior quarterback Noah Fifita looked exceptional against the Buffaloes, throwing for 213 yards and four touchdowns. He was aided by an impressive running back room that rushed for 204 total yards and three touchdowns. The defense also forced various turnovers, intercepting three passes and recovering two fumbles.
Arizona will face Kansas this weekend where they will look to at least become bowl eligible this season.
#10: Kansas State (Record: 4-5, 3-3 in the Big 12)
Kansas State was beginning to gain momentum after defeating TCU and Kansas. Their momentum was halted after losing to Texas Tech by a score of 43-20.
Despite scoring three touchdowns, quarterback Avery Johnson threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Johnson was the only player on the Wildcats to be efficient in the running game as he rushed for 88 yards. The defense was unable to contain Texas Tech’s offense as they allowed 187 rushing yards and 249 passing yards.
Kansas State will enter their bye this week and will then face Oklahoma State on November 15th.
#9: Iowa State (Record: 5-4, 2-4 in the Big 12)
The fall continues for Iowa State. Their victories against Kansas State and Arizona are the only reasons why they are not lower on the list. The Cyclones have now lost four consecutive games and are now ranked 12th in the Big 12 standings.
Iowa State’s most recent loss to Arizona State likely ends their chances of making the Big 12 championship for a second straight season. Quarterback Rocco Becht has simply not played well enough to carry Iowa State. Against the Sun Devils, he scored two touchdowns, but also threw a very costly interception. The Cyclones also lost tight end Benjamin Brahmer during the game to a scary injury. Thankfully he was discharged from the hospital and will hopefully recover soon.
The defense has continued to lose games for the Cyclones. Arizona State’s backup quarterback was able to throw for 177 yards and rush for 228 yards. Iowa State will continue to lose games if the offense and defense continue to underperform.
The Cyclones will look to end their losing streak when they face TCU this weekend.
#8: Baylor (Record: 5-4, 3-3 in the Big 12)
Baylor is coming off a dominant victory against UCF this past weekend. Their only losses are to teams that are ahead of Baylor in the power rankings.
Quarterback Sawyer Robertson still remains the leading passer in college football with 2,780 passing yards. Against UCF, Robertson threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns. The Baylor defense stepped up with two interceptions and five passes deflected.
Baylor will have a chance to move up the rankings when they face Utah after their bye week.
#7: TCU (Record: 6-2, 3-2 in the Big 12)
TCU is coming out of their bye week with wins against Baylor and West Virginia. Their only losses this season are to Kansas State and Arizona State. With only two losses, the Horned Frogs still have a chance of making the Big 12 championship.
To make a run in the Big 12, quarterback Josh Hoover will need to continue to perform at a high level. This season, Hoover has thrown for 2,371 yards, 22 passing touchdowns, and only six interceptions.
It will be the toughest road possible for the Horned Frogs to win out. Their next four opponents are Iowa State, BYU, Houston, and Cincinnati.
#6: Arizona State (Record: 6-3, 4-2 in the Big 12)
Star quarterback Sam Leavitt is officially out for the rest of the season due to injury. It seemed likely that Arizona State would lose a second straight game, but the Sun Devils got a much-needed win against Iowa State.
Backup quarterback Jeff Sims was the quarterback for Arizona State’s two losses in Big 12 play. He turned the narrative around this past weekend by rushing for 228 yards and scoring three total touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Chamon Metayer stepped up for the injured Jordyn Tyson by catching six passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
With only two losses in conference play, it’s still possible for Arizona State to make it to the Big 12 championship. They have a very favorable schedule as their final three opponents are WVU, Colorado, and Arizona.
#5: Houston (Record: 7-2, 4-2 in the Big 12)
Last week, it was noted that Houston has one of the easiest paths to the Big 12 championship. Their path is no longer straightforward as they lost to West Virginia in a crucial loss at home.
Quarterback Conner Weigman had one of his worst games of the season. Despite throwing for 309 yards and scoring five total touchdowns, Weigman threw two costly interceptions and lost one of his three total fumbles. One of his interceptions was also returned for a WVU touchdown. The Houston defense was unable to record any sacks or any turnovers against the Mountaineers.
The Cougars still have a favorable path to the Big 12 championship, but after losing to WVU, anything can happen. Houston will face UCF this weekend where they will hope to avenge their most recent loss.
#4: Cincinnati (Record: 7-2, 5-1 in the Big 12)
Cincinnati also lost this weekend, but it was against a much better team in Utah. The Bearcats’ seven-game winning streak came to an end, but they are still 5-1 in conference play. Cincinnati is third in the Big 12 standing and ranked 25th in the AP Top 25.
Against Utah, quarterback Brendan Sorsby completed only 11 of his 33 passing attempts and turned over the ball twice. He did contribute to the Bearcats’ two touchdowns scored, but it was not enough to catch up with Utah’s offense. Cincinnati’s defense gave up 267 yards on the ground alone and five total touchdowns. Special teams were also a problem for Cincinnati as Utah scored a touchdown on a punt return as well.
Cincinnati will enter their bye week before they face Arizona at home.
#3: Utah (Record: 7-2, 4-2 in the Big 12)
The Utes just won their most impressive game of the season when they defeated Cincinnati by a score of 45-14. Utah’s only two losses are to the top two teams in the Big 12 in Texas Tech and BYU. The Utes are currently fourth in the Big 12 standings and ranked 17th in the AP Top 25.
Quarterback Devon Dampier returned from injury against Cincinnati and threw two touchdowns and only one interception. The running game led by sophomore running back Wayshawn Parker rushed for a total of 267 yards. Parker accounted for 104 of those yards. Utah’s defense was able to force two turnovers and hold Cincinnati to only 14 points.
What will be tough for the Utes is surpassing Texas Tech or BYU in any tiebreaker scenario since they lost to both of those teams. Utah’s last three opponents are all in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings, so they will need to win out and get some help if they wish to become Big 12 champions.
#2: Texas Tech (Record: 8-1, 5-1 in the Big 12)
Since their loss to Arizona State, Texas Tech has rebounded nicely with two blowout victories against Oklahoma State and Kansas State. The Red Raiders are currently second in the Big 12 standings and ranked ninth in the AP Top 25.
Starting quarterback Behren Morton returned from injury against Kansas State and threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey combined for 203 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The defense for the Red Raiders was dominant for a second consecutive game, forcing two interceptions and three recovered fumbles. Linebacker David Bailey recorded one sack, increasing his season total to 11.5, a number which leads all college football.
Texas Tech will host BYU this weekend in the most important game in the Big 12 conference this season.
#1: BYU (Record: 8-0, 5-0 in the Big 12)
BYU is well rested coming out of their bye week. The Cougars are one of four undefeated teams left in FBS college football, first in the Big 12 standings, and eighth in the AP Top 25.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier will be relied on heavily for the rest of the season. Against Iowa State, Bachmeier threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns. He was also BYU’s leading rusher with 49 rushing yards. The Cougars are expected to have top running back LJ Martin available this upcoming weekend.
Up next for BYU is a matchup on the road against Texas Tech. The winner of this matchup will be first in the Big 12 standings and will control their own destiny going forward. If BYU is victorious, they still have two difficult matchups against TCU and Cincinnati.
BYU vs Texas Tech will take place on Saturday at 12:00 PM EST.