Big 12 Power Rankings: Oklahoma State, Iowa State make moves after Week 7 wins
One thing is certain about the 2023 college football season. Nothing is certain.
With the way the Big 12 season has played out to this point, it’s hard to get a read on which teams are, in fact, good this year.
A quick look at the standings shows the Oklahoma Sooners in first place with their undefeated record. Following OU are Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas State and West Virginia with one conference loss each. It’s not really a surprise to see the Longhorns in contention for a Big 12 title berth. However, it is surprising to see Iowa State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia in the top six of the standings.
After another wild week of Big 12 play, let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings.
Oklahoma Sooners (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)
Last Week: 1
This Week: Bye Week
The Sooners conquered the biggest test on their schedule and have control of the Big 12 title race. All they have to do is keep winning. They’ll have a great chance to get the run game going against UCF in Week 8.
Up Next: vs. UCF
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Texas Longhorns (5-1, 2-1)
Last Week: 2
This Week: Bye Week
Texas is a good football team. It has a lot of talent, and the schedule sets up well for them to force a rematch with the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 title game.
Up Next: at Houston
Iowa State Cyclones (4-3, 3-1)
Last Week: 6
This Week: Beat Cincinnati 30-10
Iowa State’s only loss in Big 12 play came against the Oklahoma Sooners. They’ll sit ahead of Oklahoma State this week by virtue of the Cyclones’ win over the Cowboys in Week 6. We’ll see where they end up, but the Cyclones have already matched their win total from a season ago.
Up Next: Bye Week
Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-2, 2-1)
Last Week: 7
This Week: Beat Kansas 39-32
And just like that, it looks like Oklahoma State is starting to figure things out. Namely, it needs to get the ball to Ollie Gordon. Gordon touched the ball 35 times for 284 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys have found something with their star running back.
Up Next: at West Virginia
Kansas Jayhawks (5-2, 2-2)
Last Week: 3
This Week: Lost to Oklahoma State 39-32
The Kansas Jayhawks couldn’t stop Ollie Gordon, and two Jason Bean second-half interceptions told the story in the loss to Oklahoma State.
Up Next: Bye Week
West Virginia Mountaineers (4-2, 2-1)
Last Week: 5
This Week: Lost to Houston 41-39
A 50-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Greene to Hudson Clement put the Mountaineers up, 39-35, with 12 seconds remaining. But it wasn’t enough as the Cougars pulled off the Hail Mary. It was a disappointing showing from a defense that was beginning to show life.
Up Next: vs. Oklahoma State
Kansas State Wildcats (4-2, 2-1)
Last Week: 9
This Week: Beat Texas Tech 38-21
Like Texas Tech, the Kansas State Wildcats experienced a quarterback change, but more because of the strategy Chris Klieman wanted to employ. Freshman quarterback Avery Johnson ran for five touchdowns in the win.
Up Next: vs. TCU
TCU Horned Frogs (4-3, 2-2)
Last Week: 11
This Week: Beat BYU 44-11
This was a huge win for the Horned Frogs, but they’ve still been beaten by Iowa State and West Virginia, a pair of teams that were supposed to finish at the bottom of the league. Next week at Kansas State should provide the answer about who this Horned Frogs team is.
Up Next: at Kansas State
Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-4, 2-2)
Last Week: 8
This Week: Lost to Kansas State 38-21
The Red Raiders lost another quarterback to injury; Behren Morton was replaced by Jake Strong. Strong threw for a touchdown, but also threw three interceptions in the loss.
Up Next: at BYU
BYU Cougars (4-2, 1-2)
Last Week: 4
This Week: Lost to TCU 44-11
This was the opportunity for BYU to show the Big 12 they were for real and the Cougars fell flat on their faces. It will not get any easier with a matchup against Texas Tech incoming.
Up Next: vs. Texas Tech
Houston Cougars (3-3, 1-2)
Last Week: 14
This Week: Beat West Virginia 41-39
It was a wild fourth quarter between West Virginia and Houston. But the Cougars came out on top with a Hail Mary to win it and keep the Mountaineers from picking up their third straight win over a Texas team. In doing so, Houston picked up the first Big 12 win of the new arrivals.
Up Next: vs. Texas
Baylor Bears (2-4, 1-2)
Last Week: 12
This Week: Bye Week
The Baylor Bears aren’t going to move in this week’s power rankings, mostly because I still have no clue what they are. They’ll play at Cincinnati, which still may not provide any answers about the Bears, even if they win.
Up Next: at Cincinnati
UCF Knights (3-3, 0-3)
Last Week: 13
This Week: Bye Week
UCF has shown a propensity for scoring in five of their six games. But they struggled on the road against Boise State. How’s it going to go for the Knights when they walk into Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Week 8?
Up Next: at Oklahoma
Cincinnati Bearcats (2-4, 0-3)
Last Week: 10
This week: Lost to Iowa State 30-10
The season has gone poorly for the Cincinnati Bearcats since starting 2-0. They’ve lost four in a row and scored just 16 points in losses to original Big 12 members OU and Iowa State. Can they get things going against a struggling Baylor squad?
