Big 12 power rankings heading into week 6
The Big 12 conference has experienced a roller-coaster start to the season, with a striking gap emerging between its top and bottom teams. Here are the current Big 12 power rankings as we head into Week 6.
- Texas
Texas is back. The Longhorns have won all their games this season by at least two scores. Quinn Ewers and Xavier Worthy have proven to be one of the deadliest duos in the country. Texas has serious national championship aspirations, and they will have their biggest test this season in the Red River Shootout versus Oklahoma on Saturday.
- Oklahoma
The Sooners currently lead the nation in margin of victory, defeating teams by an average of 36.6. The Sooners may be a product of an easy schedule, with their most formidable opponent to date being Big-12 newcomer Cincinnati, where they won in an ugly 20-6 affair. Saturday in the Red River Shootout will show whether this Oklahoma team is legitimate.
- Kansas
The Jayhawks suffered their first loss of the season in Austin on Saturday. Kansas lost 40-14 and ran out of town quickly. Star quarterback Jalon Daniels was a last-minute scratch, which does not help the public understand if this Kansas team is a sleepy contender. A healthy Kansas team with Jalon Daniels can hang with some of the best, but if Daniels is not on the field, it could be a long season for the Jayhawks. This is solely dependent on the health of Daniels.
- Kansas State
Running back DJ Giddens is currently 11th in the country in rushing yards, and quarterback Will Howard has proven that he can win a Big-12 title once; why not again? Their only loss this season came off a heartbreaking loss on the road against SEC foe Missouri. Kansas State is coming off a bye this past weekend and will face Oklahoma State on Friday night.
- BYU
It truly is “Slovis Season”. Kedon Slovis has been making NFL throws every game, proving why the Cougars belong in this conference. BYU has shown an ability to win a power five game on the road and defeated Cincinnati at home last Friday. The offensive firepower will keep the Cougars in every game this season. BYU has a bye this week and will go on the road to face TCU next week.
- West Virginia
Wow. The team projected to finish last in the Big-12 preseason poll is now 2-0 in the conference and 4-1 overall, with their only loss against Penn State. Head coach Neal Brown’s seat was slightly warm coming into this season, which has now cooled off tremendously. The Mountaineers have exceeded everybody’s expectations and are now playing with house money for the rest of the season.
- TCU
The world saw TCU get upset by Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes in Week 1. They quietly started stacking wins and putting up lots of points. This past Saturday, it all came crashing down against West Virginia. They lost to the Mountaineers 24-21 in an exciting affair. TCU will be competitive in every game this year, so finding out which TCU team people will see each Saturday is challenging.
- Texas Tech
Texas Tech lost quarterback Tyler Shough to a season-ending injury, and they were able to bounce back from that this weekend against Houston in Lubbock. The Red Raiders ran all over the Cougars in Week 5. Tahj Brooks and Cam’Ron Valdez each ran for 106 yards. Texas Tech has found its recipe for success this season, even without Shough running the show. The Red Raiders have a great chance to stack another win this week against Baylor.
- Baylor
Baylor has had harsh losses this season against Texas State, Utah, and Texas without their starting quarterback Blake Shapen. Shapen is back and showed why this Baylor team is a challenging out. They won a 36-35 thriller against UCF, and the Bears will look to keep this momentum going. Do not be surprised Baylor goes on an impressive run here with a favorable four-game stretch against Texas Tech, at Cincinnati, Iowa State, and Houston. After a disastrous start to the season, Baylor still has a great chance at making a bowl game with Shapen back.
- UCF
Out of all of the Big-12 newcomers, UCF was projected to finish higher than the rest. They are still searching for their first Big-12 win after losing to Kansas State and Baylor. UCF’s run game has been dynamite behind RJ Harvey and Johnny Richardson this season. This defense cannot stop anybody in this conference. In two Big-12 games, UCF is currently giving up 40 points per game. If UCF wants to salvage anything from this season, that has to change.
- Cincinnati
Cincinnati is currently on a three-game losing skid, and those losses were against Miami, Ohio, Oklahoma, and most recently in Provo against BYU. It’s been a difficult transition for all the AAC teams in the Big-12, and Cincinnati is no exception. Quarterback Emory Jones has struggled to take care of the ball recently, which will be the difference whether they will be a bowl team or not. The Bearcats are on a bye this week and have a great chance at getting their first Big-12 win against Iowa State.
- Iowa State
Iowa State’s offense outside the Oklahoma State game has not been prolific. They stood no chance against Oklahoma this past week and gave up 50 points in the process. The Cyclones have not had a convincing win this season, which has been unappealing in Ames. According to ESPN, Iowa State has the worst offense in the Big-12. The win against Oklahoma State could potentially be their only Big-12 win this season.
- Houston
Houston has defeated Sam Houston State and UTSA. The Cougars got handled by Rice, TCU, and most recently, Texas Tech without their starting quarterback. The Big-12 newcomer has yet to answer on defense for the Big-12 firepower. Houston has had a challenging time stopping the run game and needs to improve. It will continue to be a tough season for Dana Holgerson’s crew in Houston.
- Oklahoma State
It’s been a disaster season in Stillwater for Mike Gundy’s squad. The Cowboys got blown out by South Alabama at home, and their only FBS win was against a mediocre Arizona State team. Oklahoma State will be lucky to finish over four wins this season. It’s going to be a very long season for fans in Stillwater.
