Another week of Big 12 play is in the books. The top of the Big 12 has been shaken up with Iowa State suffering their first loss of the season to Cincinnati. Texas Tech and BYU are the only undefeated teams remaining, while Arizona State and Cincinnati are still undefeated in Big 12 play.
The bottom of the Big 12 has not changed much. Oklahoma State, Colorado, West Virginia and UCF have still yet to get a win in Big 12 play. With many weeks to go, it’s still not too late for any team to turn it around.
Here are our Big 12 Power Rankings entering Week 7 – and before you start in, make sure to check out last week's rankings as well.
#16: Oklahoma State (Record: 1-4, 0-2 in the Big 12)
Oklahoma State continues to struggle after losing head coach Mike Gundy. The Cowboys are now 0-2 in Big 12 play, most recently losing to Arizona by a score of 41-13.
On offense, the Cowboys could not get anything going with quarterbacks Zane Flores, Sam Jackson V, and Banks Bowen. The only player to score a touchdown against Arizona was freshman cornerback LaDainian Fields, who had a 55-yard pick-six. It will only get worse for the Cowboys as their next three matchups are against Houston, Cincinnati and Texas Tech, all top teams in the Big 12.
#15: Colorado (Record: 2-4, 0-3 in the Big 12)
Colorado remains winless in the Big 12. While they have wins over Delaware and Wyoming, their losses against Georgia Tech, Houston, BYU and TCU are showing that the Buffaloes cannot get victories against legitimate opponents.
The days of having great quarterback play from Shedeur Sanders are now over. Colorado has struggled to find a solidified replacement, as Kaidon Salter has been inconsistent all season. Against TCU, Salter threw for 217 passing yards and scored three total touchdowns but threw three interceptions as well. Head coach Deion Sanders could choose to Ryan Staub or Julian Lewis at quarterback, but it likely won’t turn around Colorado’s season.
#14: West Virginia (Record: 2-4, 0-3 in the Big 12)
The only factor keeping the Mountaineers from the bottom is their impressive win against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. Beyond that game, WVU has been winless in the Big 12, getting blown out against Kansas, Utah and BYU.
The Mountaineers have been cursed with injuries, but it had led to new players to step up. With Nicco Marchiol out for the season, head coach Rich Rodriguez gave freshman quarterback Khalil Wilkins a chance to start against BYU. Despite throwing two interceptions, Wilkins showed a lot of grit, rushing for 89 yards on 22 rushing attempts and scoring a rushing touchdown. Freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. also threw a passing touchdown to Cam Vaughn against BYU.
While it seems unlikely for the Mountaineers to win the Big 12, they can still try to build momentum for next season, as well as find out who can lead the team in the future.
#13: UCF (Record: 3-2, 0-2 in the Big 12)
The Knights are coming off a 27-20 loss to Kansas. UCF led the Jayhawks by a score of 20-14 at halftime but gave up 13 unanswered points in the second half.
In both Big 12 matchups so far this season, the Knights scored 20 points in both games, but their defense would give up at least 27 points in those same games. UCF started quarterbacks Tayven Jackson and Cam Fancher against Kansas. Neither quarterback threw for over 100 yards or scored a passing touchdown. If the Knights want to win games, their offense will need to win in high scoring games. UCF will have a tough task against Cincinnati this weekend.
#12: Kansas State (Record: 2-4, 1-2 in the Big 12)
The Wildcats have begun to look more competitive over the past two weeks. The offense has scored over 30 points in each of their last two games, but it was not enough to defeat Baylor last week. The defense of the Wildcats gave up a game-losing field goal, allowing Baylor to win 35-34.
Junior quarterback Avery Johnson has turned around his season. Against Baylor, Johnson threw for 344 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and only one interception. He also led the Wildcats on the ground with 72 rushing yards. The Kansas State defense continues to be a problem, as they haven’t had a single game where they haven’t given up double-digit points. The Wildcats can look to turn their season around when they face TCU this weekend.
#11: Arizona (Record: 4-1, 1-1 in the Big 12)
Arizona has had a nice start to their season with a 4-1 record. What keeps the Wildcats lower on the rankings is that they have yet to have a statement win against a legitimate opponent.
Before their next chance at getting that legitimate win, the Wildcats scored an easy victory against Oklahoma State. Quarterback Noah Fifita had a dominant performance, completing 28 of his 38 passes, 376 passing yards and five touchdowns. The Arizona defense has been mostly good this season, excluding their loss against Iowa State. The defense will have a tough task when they face a red-hot BYU team this weekend.
#10: Kansas (Record: 4-2, 2-1 in the Big 12)
Kansas has two wins in the Big 12, more than the next two teams in the rankings. But the Jayhawks have played since week zero and only have Big 12 wins against West Virginia and UCF. With their season already halfway over, Kansas’ schedule will only continue to get harder.
The fate of their season is in the hands of quarterback Jalon Daniels. Daniels was not required to do much against UCF but still threw for 235 passing yards. The Jayhawks cannot afford to lose Daniels to another season-ending injury. If Daniels can stay healthy, Kansas can make a run for the top of the Big 12, or at worst, play spoiler.
#9: TCU (Record: 4-1, 1-1 in the Big 12)
TCU is coming off a decisive win over Colorado. The Horned Frogs have a victory over a former playoff team in SMU and a close loss to Arizona State, making TCU a formidable Big 12 team.
Against Colorado, quarterback Josh Hoover had a remarkable game, throwing for 275 yards and 4 passing touchdowns. Hoover currently has 1,517 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and only four interceptions this season so far. Senior receiver Eric McAlister has been Hoover’s main weapon with 385 receiving yards and five touchdowns. TCU will face Kansas State before a likely high-scoring matchup against Baylor.
#8: Utah (Record: 4-1, 1-1 in the Big 12)
Utah remains where they are in the rankings as they are coming off a bye week. The Utes do have a legitimate chance to drop though, as they play Arizona State and BYU over the next two weeks.
For Utah to be 3-1 in the Big 12, they will need quarterback Devon Dampier to play at his highest level. Against WVU two weeks ago, Dampier threw for 237 yards and scored five total touchdowns. The Utes also have talent on defense, as John Henry Daley is tied for third in college football with 6.5 sacks. If Utah does not want to have another bad loss like they did against Texas Tech, both Devon Dampier and John Henry Daley will need to have their best stretches of the season.
#7: Houston (Record: 4-1, 1-1 in the Big 12)
Houston had a chance to have a defining win in the Big 12, but they ended up losing to Texas Tech by a score of 35-11.
Transfer quarterback Conner Weigman had a poor game against Texas Tech, throwing for only 71 yards and one interception. The Houston defense could not defend the pass or run at all, giving up 345 passing yards and 207 rushing yards. Houston has a great chance to get back in the win column when they take on Oklahoma State this weekend.
#6: Baylor (Record: 4-2, 2-1 in the Big 12)
Baylor showed much resilience in their 35-34 win against Kansas State last week. The Bears are 2-1 in Big 12 play and have one of the most dangerous offenses in the entire conference.
Quarterback Sawyer Robertson continues to lead college football in total passing yards with 2,058. Against Kansas State, Robertson threw for 345 yards and two passing touchdowns. He has successfully spread the ball to receivers Michael Trigg, Kole Wilson, and Josh Cameron. Baylor’s defense will need to improve as they take on TCU and Cincinnati over the next two weeks.
#5: Iowa State (Record: 5-1, 2-1 in the Big 12)
The largest drop in the rankings so far. Iowa State suffered their first loss of the season when they lost to Cincinnati by a score of 38-30. This loss puts Iowa State in fifth place in the Big 12 standings.
Against Cincinnati, quarterback Rocco Becht did everything he could, throwing for 314 yards and scoring four total touchdowns. The Cyclones’ defense showed their flaws when they gave up 260 rushing yards to the Bearcats. Iowa State still has a strong resume with wins over Kansas State, Iowa and Arizona, but the Cyclones will need to prove that they can beat the top teams in the Big 12. After they play Colorado this week, Iowa State will have two strong matchups against BYU and Arizona State.
#4: Cincinnati (Record: 4-1, 2-0 in the Big 12)
Cincinnati is on a four-game winning streak and undefeated in Big 12 play. The Bearcats have Big 12 victories against Kansas in a shootout and against Iowa State at home.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby had a nice game against the Cyclones, but it was the running game for Cincinnati that took over. Running backs Evan Pryor and Tawee Walker combined for 200 total rushing yards against Iowa State. Sorsby also joined in on the rushing attack with 64 rushing yards of his own. The Bearcats will look to continue their winning streak when they face UCF and Oklahoma State over the next two weeks.
#3: BYU (Record: 5-0, 2-0 in the Big 12)
One of the only two undefeated teams left in the Big 12, BYU has been dominating opponents all throughout the season. The Cougars are currently in first place in the Big 12 standing and are ranked 18th in the AP Top 25. What keeps BYU lower in the rankings is they have yet to play a legitimate opponent in the Big 12 so far.
Last weekend, the Cougars had a strong victory against West Virginia at home. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 351 yards and scored two total touchdowns. The BYU defense did struggle to completely contain Khalil Wilkins, but they successfully picked him off twice. The Cougars will face Arizona next week where they will look to remain at the top of the Big 12 standings.
#2: Arizona State (Record: 4-1, 2-0 in the Big 12)
The defending Big 12 champions are coming out a bye week where they will take on Utah in a west-coast matchup. The Sun Devils are currently 4-1 and undefeated in Big 12 play. They are ranked 21st in the AP Top 25.
In the second half of their season, the Sun Devils will rely heavily on the QB-WR duo of Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson, two players with NFL aspirations. Leavitt has 1,039 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns, while Tyson has 483 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Both players will need to continue playing at their best when they take on Utah this weekend.
#1: Texas Tech (Record: 5-0, 2-0 in the Big 12)
The new leader of the Big 12 rankings for this week, Texas Tech is currently undefeated this season, ranked second in the Big 12 standings, and ranked ninth in the AP Top 25. The Red Raiders have strong Big 12 victories against formerly ranked Utah and formerly undefeated Houston.
Against Houston, the Red Raiders had a perfect offensive performance. Quarterback Behren Morton played the entire game this week and threw for 345 yards and one touchdown. The running game was elite as running backs J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dicky combined for 205 rushing yards. Dicky also had a 69-yard reception for a touchdown. The Texas Tech defense also had a dominant performance against Houston, led by linebacker David Bailey who recorded three tackles-for-loss and two sacks.
Texas Tech will have a tough two week stretch when they will face Kansas and Arizona State, the ladder being a potential Big 12 championship matchup.