Big 12 power rankings: Texas football still on top as Oklahoma State keeps climbing
Oklahoma State moved to No. 2 in this week’s Big 12 power rankings, the Cowboys’ high point of the season, after its Bedlam victory over Oklahoma.
The Cowboys positioned themselves for a possible spot in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington with a 27-24 win over the Sooners in what is expected to be the final meeting between the longtime rivals for the foreseeable future. Texas, which escaped Kansas State in overtime, received all 14 first-place votes from a panel of beat writers that regularly cover the Big 12.
Kansas and Kansas State were 3-4, respectively, and the Sooners dropped from second to fifth.
1. Texas
Previous ranking: 1
Points: 196 (14 first-place votes)
Record: 8-1 (5-1 Big 12)
Last week: defeated No. 23 Kansas State, 33-30 in overtime
This week: at TCU
Comment: The Longhorns racked up 478 yards of offense against the Big 12’s best scoring defense, but they had to survive three turnovers and a blocked punt against the pesky Wildcats. They may get starting quarterback Quinn Ewers back sooner than later; coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that Ewers is now “day to day” more than “week to week.”
Did you know? Since TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012, the Horned Frogs are 8-3 against Texas. No other team has a better conference record against Texas in that same span. – Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman
2. Oklahoma State
Previous ranking: 5
Points: 175
Record: 7-2 (5-1 Big 12)
Last week: defeated No. 9 Oklahoma, 27-24
This week: at UCF
Comment: OSU running back Ollie Gordon II had his sixth straight game of at least 100 yards and Alan Bowman threw for 334 to carry the Cowboys to the win over rival Oklahoma in the final Bedlam game for the foreseeable future, thanks to OU’s pending move to the SEC. Coach Mike Gundy is 4-15 against OU all-time but won two of the final three meetings.
Did you know? The win was Gundy’s 100th Big 12 victory in his 19-year head coaching career. Only Bob Stoops of OU and Kansas State’s Bill Snyder have more. – Scott Wright, The Oklahoman
More: Texas football's offensive line muscling out the rushing yards regardless of the runner
3. Kansas
Previous ranking: 4
Points: 165
Record: 7-2 (4-2 Big 12)
Last week: defeated Iowa State, 28-21
This week: vs. Texas Tech
Comment: KU accomplished its goal of stringing together two straight good performances, locking down the Cyclones' rushing attack and using an 80-yard touchdown pass from Jason Bean to Lawrence Arnold midway through the fourth quarter to secure a rare road victory at Jack Trice Stadium.
Did you know? The Jayhawks will have a winning record at the end of this season for the first time in 15 years. — Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World
More: Bohls: Hmm, why isn't Texas football getting any good referee calls this season?
4. Kansas State
Previous ranking: 3
Points: 150
Record: 6-3 (4-2 Big 12)
Last week: lost to No. 7 Texas, 33-30 in overtime
This week: vs. Baylor
Comment: The Wildcats are unlikely to make a return trip to the Big 12 championship game following an overtime loss at Texas, but it's worth remembering that K-State won out after it lost to the Longhorns last year.
Did you know? Will Howard threw for a career high 327 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday. – Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle/Kansas City Star
More: Texas football stays at No. 7 as College Football Playoff committee reveals new rankings
5. Oklahoma
Previous ranking: 2
Points: 148
Record: 7-2 (4-2 Big 12)
Last week: lost to No. 22 Oklahoma State, 27-24
This week: West Virginia
Comment: OU will try to avoid losing three straight games for the second consecutive season. It never happened during Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley's tenures as the Sooners coach. OU has also lost back-to-back games against Kansas and Oklahoma State after entering the fourth quarter with a lead. That's only the second time it's happened at OU in the past 87 years.
Did you know? The Sooners are just 2-7 in one-possession games since Brent Venables took over as coach last season, including losses to KU and OSU. - Eric Bailey, Tulsa World
6. West Virginia
Previous ranking: 7
Points: 128
Record: 6-3 (4-2 Big 12)
Last week: defeated BYU, 37-7
This week: at No. 17 Oklahoma
Comment: West Virginia played its best game of the season in a 37-7drubbing of BYU in Morgantown. WVU played good defense early in the year and have played well on offense lately, but Saturday was the first time the team has done both in the same game. The Mountaineers are as hot as they've been all season as they travel to Norman for their final Big 12 game against the reeling Sooners.
Did you know? The Mountaineers rushed for 300 yards against an FBS opponent for the first time since 2016. Their 567 total yards were the most against an FBS opponent since 2018. – Cody Nespor, Morgantown Dominion Post
7. Iowa State
Previous ranking: 6
Points: 112
Record: 5-4 (4-2 Big 12)
Last week: lost to No. 21 Kansas, 28-21
This week: at BYU
Comment: The Cyclones’ redshirt freshman quarterback, Rocco Becht, had thrown a least one touchdown pass in each of his eight career starts before failing to do so in last week’s home loss to the Jayhawks.
Did you know? Iowa State is 1-3 in one-score games this season after going 1-6 in games decided by seven or fewer points in 2022. – Rob Gray, Cedar Rapids Gazette
8. Texas Tech
Previous ranking: 10
Points: 96
Record: 4-5 (3-3 Big 12)
Last week: defeated TCU, 35-28
This week: at No. 19 Kansas
Comment: Still solid running game, a quarterback who doesn’t turn it over and is willing to use the middle of the field, and a defense creating turnovers? This is more like the team we expected to see before the year. It’s one game, but it’s promising.
Did you know? Texas Tech was 4-5 through nine games last year before winning their final four, resulting in the preseason hype. They’re in the exact same position this year. Can they pull it off again? – Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
9. TCU
Previous ranking: 8
Points: 80
Record: 4-5 (2-4 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Texas Tech, 35-28
This week: vs. No. 7 Texas
Comment: It was another disappointing loss for the Horned Frogs as Josh Hoover was picked off twice and Griffin Kell missed a crucial field goal in a winnable road game against the Red Raiders.
Did you know? Only two teams have reached the College Football Playoffs only to not make a bowl the next year. TCU is in danger of joining that list. – Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
10. BYU
Previous ranking: 9
Points: 58
Record: 5-4 (2-4 Big 12)
Last week: lost to West Virginia, 37-7
This week: vs. Iowa State
Comment: With games against Iowa State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to close out the year, BYU backed itself into a corner to make bowl eligibility. It needs just one more win but won’t be favored in any of the remaining games. A home game against Iowa State this week feels like BYU’s best chance to make the postseason.
Did you know? BYU scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to avoid a shutout in Morgantown. Before that, the Cougars hadn't found the end zone in nine consecutive quarters. – Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune
11. Houston
Previous ranking: 12
Points: 55
Record: 4-5 (2-4 Big 12)
Last week: defeated Baylor, 25-24 in overtime
This week: vs. Cincinnati
Comment: Houston went for the two-point conversion – the same “Horns Down” call that coach Dana Holgorsen used to beat Texas in 2018 – to escape with its first win in Waco since 1990. The Cougars can climb back to .500 this week and get within one win of bowl eligibility. Wide receiver/kick returner Matthew Golden, who leads the nation with two kickoff returns for touchdowns, is day-to-day with a foot injury.
Did you know? Saturday marks the 29th all-time meeting against Cincinnati, a history that spans the Missouri Valley Conference (1957-59), Conference USA (1996-2004), American Athletic Conference (2013-22) and the Big 12. The two schools have not met since the Bearcats won 35-20 in the 2021 AAC championship game. – Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle
12. UCF
Previous ranking: 13
Points: 50
Record: 4-5 (1-5 Big 12)
Last week: defeated Cincinnati, 28-26
This week: vs. No. 15 Oklahoma State
Comment: Running back RJ Harvey rushed for a career-high 164 yards and three touchdowns and UCF’s defense forced two turnovers as the Knights snapped a five-game losing streak and earned their first Big 12 win by defeating host Cincinnati.
Did you know? Harvey has four consecutive games of 100-plus rushing yards, tying him with Latavius Murray (2012) and Marquette Smith (1994-95) for the honor. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel
13. Baylor
Previous ranking: 11
Points: 36
Record: 3-6 (2-4 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Houston, 25-24 in overtime
This week: at Kansas State
Comment: Despite a second-half comeback to force overtime against Houston, Baylor lost its eighth straight game against an FBS team at McLane Stadium. The Bears rank dead last in the Big 12 in scoring offense (22.7 points per game) and are 11th in the conference in total offense (391.2 yards per game). They have to win their last three games to make a bowl game for the third year in a row.
Did you know? Of the 54 players that saw the field against Houston, 35 were underclassmen, and nine were seniors. By comparison, in the 10th game of the 2021 championship season, 17 of 55 players were underclassmen, and 24 were seniors. - Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald
14. Cincinnati
Previous ranking: 14
Points: 14
Record: 2-7 (0-6)
Last week: lost to UCF, 28-26
This week: at Houston
Comment: Cincinnati played another close game but penalties and miscues led to a seventh straight loss after a 2-0 start. The Bearcats have only been outgained on the stat sheet by Oklahoma, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. They had a considerable edge in total offense in the other six games, but still are stuck in a seven-game skid.
Did you know? Cincinnati has had a pair of 100-plus yard rushers three times this season and lost all three games. Four different players have hit the century mark. It’s their first five-loss season at Nippert Stadium since Luke Fickell’s first season in 2017. - Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 power rankings: Texas football still tops; Okie State climbing
