Big 12 Power Rankings Going into Week 10

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Three tiers have developed in the Big 12.

The first is 1-6 where the contenders live, though some (cough, Oklahoma State) need some help to get to Arlington at this point. Spots 7-13 are a soup of teams that you need a fine-tooth comb to separate — any of them could beat the other at any time. Then, there are the other guys.

Here’s a look at how I’ve got the Big 12 teams ranked entering the weekend.

1. Utah

Record: 8-0
Week 9 Result: W, 49-25 at Cincinnati
Week 10 Matchup: vs. BYU

Surviving a trip to Cincy (the same trip that saw the Red Raiders stumble) and the only unbeaten team left in the conference, the Utes are the clear No. 1. Will it be that way after the weekend?

2. BYU

Record: 7-1
Week 9 Result: W, 27-20 vs. Arizona State
Week 10 Matchup: at Utah

The Cougars would probably like nothing better than to end their rival’s perfect season all while propelling themselves to the top of the conference.

3. Texas Tech

Record: 7-1
Week 9 Result: W, 34-26 vs. Arizona
Week 10 Matchup: vs. West Virginia

Texas Tech picked up its second ranked Big 12 win, now having beaten Houston and Arizona. It was a good bounce-back for the Red Raiders, but we’ll see if they can keep it up against a West Virginia squad that likes getting in shootouts.

4. Houston

Record: 6-2
Week 9 Result: Bye
Week 10 Matchup: vs. Cincinnati

Eight games that included trips to Lubbock and Salt Lake City before their bye was a tough scheduling break for the Cougars. We’ll see how they look coming out of the bye against a Cincy team not afraid of upsetting a ranked team.

5. Arizona

Record: 6-2
Week 9 Result: L, 34-26 at Texas Tech
Week 10 Matchup: vs. TCU

Arizona had a halftime lead in Lubbock but couldn’t close. The Wildcats stay in place despite that loss with OSU also losing.

6. Oklahoma State

Record: 5-3
Week 9 Result: L, 51-49 at Iowa State
Week 10 Matchup: at Kansas State

It was a massive let down for the Pokes, no question about it. The Cowboys now need some help to get back in the Arlington race, but I still think their resume is better than everyone else behind them despite the despite the shootout loss. The Cowboys stay inside that buffer zone between contenders and chaos.

7. Baylor (+3)

Record: 5-3
Week 9 Result: W, 41-9 at UCF
Week 10 Matchup: vs. Iowa State

The Bears fired their coach and won by 32 — not how I recall it going for Oklahoma State last season. If Baylor is going to get bowl eligible, this week might have to be the week because the Bears close by going to BYU, hosting Texas Tech and going to Houston.

8. Iowa State (+5)

Record: 4-4
Week 9 Result: W, 51-49 vs. Oklahoma State
Week 10 Matchup: at Baylor

The fact that the Cyclones have found four wins after their coach left them late last school year is impressive. It’s also impressive that they found a way to hang 51 on the Cowboys. Oh, and all of the Cyclones’ losses have been to ranked teams.

9. West Virginia (-2)

Record: 5-3
Week 9 Result: Bye
Week 10 Matchup: at Texas Tech

Not ideal to be sliding spots on a bye, but with some upsets here in the soup section of the league, it is what it is.

10. Cincinnati (-2)

Record: 5-3
Week 9 Result: L, 49-25 vs. Utah
Week 10 Matchup: at Houston

The Bearcats couldn’t make it back-to-back home upsets against contenders, but now they get a chance to go on the road and try to pull an upset. If that’s a sleepy crowd in Houston, things could get interesting.

11. UCF (-2)

Record: 4-4
Week 9 Result: L, 41-9 vs. Baylor
Week 10 Matchup: at Kansas

UCF could not handle to high of upsetting BYU, as the Knights responded by getting hammered by Baylor.

12. Arizona State (-1)

Record: 4-4
Week 9 Result: L, 27-20 at BYU
Week 10 Matchup: vs. Colorado

The Sun Devils played BYU tight, but their only Big 12 wins this season are against the Kansas schools. If ASU is going to get bowl eligible, now might be a good time to get that going, playing Colorado and UCF the next two weeks before hosting OSU and traveling to Arizona to close the year.

13. TCU (+2)

Record: 4-4
Week 9 Result: W, 22-16 vs. Kansas
Week 10 Matchup: at Arizona

TCU has now beaten Baylor and Kansas but lost to UCF and West Virginia, meaning the Horned Frogs can’t fly all that high up the rankings.

14. Kansas State (-2)

Record: 4-4
Week 9 Result: L, 27-24 at Colorado
Week 10 Matchup: vs. Oklahoma State

Kansas State has had some unforeseen quarterback injuries (the Wildcats are on their fourth starter in four games), but to this point they’ve only played one team in the top nine of these rankings and have only one Big 12 win. With that schedule the Wildcats would’ve been hoping for better.

15. Kansas (-1)

Record: 3-5
Week 9 Result: L, 22-16 at TCU
Week 10 Matchup: vs. UCF

The Jayhawks have played a fairly tame Big 12 schedule but have a single, one-point win to show for it.

16. Colorado

Record: 3-5
Week 9 Result: W, 27-24 vs. Kansas State
Week 10 Matchup: at Arizona State

Colorado secured that no team will go winless in Big 12 play this year by beating Kansas State, but unfortunately for the Buffaloes, ending a five-game losing streak isn’t enough to get off the bottom spot of these rankings.