Big 12 Power Rankings Champ Week: Everything Set
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It's our final Big 12 Power Ranking of the season (I'm not sure if I'm going to do a post-bowl version), and there really is not clarity except which team is undoubtedly the best in the conference. I don't expect the outcome of the Big 12 Championship to change the way I view these teams, so let's just dive right in.
A quick reminder on how I intend to do this power ranking. It is NOT just going to be restating the standings. It is entirely possible that a team that has a worse record lands higher on the list, especially if they are playing really well as of late. Similarly, it is also not going to be a "who's hottest" list. Instead, it will be a subjective mix of which team is playing better and which team I think IS better, with a tiebreaker going to teams that have significantly outperformed my expectations.
Previous Power Rankings:
- After Week 2
- After Week 3
- After Week 4
- After Week 5
- After Week 6
- After Week 7
- After Week 8
- After Week 9
- After Week 10
- After Week 11
- After Week 12
So with that, here are the Blue Wings Rising Big 12 Football Power Rankings ahead of the Big 12 Championship:
1. TCU Horned Frogs (12-0, 9-0 Big 12) (LW: 1 High: 1)
Last Week: 62-14 W vs Iowa State
This Week: Big 12 Championship vs Kansas State (9-3, 7-2 Big 12)
What a dominant way to finish an undefeated regular season. Even though Kansas State has a chance to get revenge this week in the Big 12 Championship, I still think TCU is the better team. Unless we see a 40-point blowout, this spot isn't changing.
2. Kansas State Wildcats (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) (LW: 2 High: 1)
Last Week: 48-31 W at West Virginia
This Week: vs Kansas (6-5, 3-5 Big 12)
It was a good win for Kansas State against the Jayhawks, taking advantage of some big mistakes but not really dominating in the way you would expect. Of course, the rain had a lot to do with that and they should be extremely competitive in both this game and in whatever bowl game they make it to.
3. Texas Longhorns (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) (LW: 3 High: 2)
Last Week: 38-27 W vs Baylor
This Week: IDLE
They sneaked out the win against a hungry Baylor team, but Kansas couldn't help them out to sneak them into the Championship game. Instead, they await their bowl selection feeling really good about the progress made in Year 2 under Steve Sarkisian. But the biggest question is just how high this season raises expectations for next year, and is Quinn Ewers up to the task?
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) (LW: 5 High: 3)
Last Week: 51-48 (OT) W vs Oklahoma
This Week: IDLE
What a way to finish under first year head coach Joey McGuire! They beat Texas and Oklahoma in the same season for the first time in a really long time, and the future looks bright for this squad, especially if they can avoid the large amount of injuries they dealt with this season. If you had told me coming into the season that the Red Raiders would be all alone in fourth place in the conference, I would have called you crazy.
5. Baylor Bears (6-6, 4-5 Big 12) (LW: 4 High: 3)
Last Week: 38-27 L vs #23 Texas
This Week: IDLE
A .500 finish had to be a disappointment for a team that win the conference last season, but the defense was nowhere near as good this season, and Blake Shapen just never got comfortable enough to make up difference. But this is a team that clearly has a lot of upside.
6. Oklahoma Sooners (6-6, 3-6 Big 12) (LW: 6, High 3)
Last Week: 51-48 (OT) L at Texas Tech
This Week: IDLE
Is this rock bottom for the Sooners? If so, pretty much everyone else in the Big 12 would take it. But this is a team that is in the midst of an identity crisis, and it's hard to tell how far along they are in the rebuilding process.
7. Kansas Jayhawks (6-6, 3-6 Big 12) (LW: 8, High: 1)
Last Week: 47-27 L at at #12 Kansas State
This Week: IDLE
Despite the huge margin in the loss, Kansas actually played fairly well, with some mistakes causing huge scoring swings. You obviously can't disregard the mistakes entirely, but this team isn't as far off as you might think.
8. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-7, 3-6 Big 12) (LW: 10 High: 8)
Last Week: 24-19 W at Oklahoma State
This Week: Season Complete
That was quite a way to end the season, and it enough to convince the new athletic director to end any talk about moving on from Neal Brown. It's fair to wonder if it will be any better next season, but at least they ended on a high note.
9. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-5, 4-5 Big 12) (LW: 7, High: 1)
Last Week: 24-19 L vs West Virginia
This Week: IDLE
Yes they have a better record than multiple teams ahead of them. But there is no denying that they are not playing well at all right now. You can argue about whether the loss to West Virginia was more the Mountaineers playing well or the Cowboys making mistakes, but something is definitely wrong.
10. Iowa State Cyclones (4-8, 1-8 Big 12) (LW: 9 High: 5)
Last Week: 62-14 L at #4 TCU
This Week: Season Complete
What a horrible way to end the season. There was no offensive rhythm, and the defense that had been so dominant this season was just demolished from start to finish. It's clear this team was ready for the season to be over.
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