Just like the ebbs and flows of a tide, the Big 12 week five powder rankings will see drastic changes with more unexpected results. One thing appears evident; there is not a true weak link in this conference. Are the two best teams in the conference residing in the state of Kansas? How far will Texas and Oklahoma fall after both being upset? The Big 12 week five power rankings, just like the playoff rankings, start fresh each week.
Big 12 Week Five Power Rankings
10. Iowa State (Last Week: 5)
The Cyclones are, in all likelihood, still a top 40 caliber team. But someone has to be in last for the Big 12 week five power rankings. Iowa State dropped its Big 12 opener to Baylor this past weekend and did not look competitive for about 75% of this game. It also offered up an odd moment for head coach Matt Campbell. Midway through the second quarter, Campbell was incensed about the officiating. He took a timeout specifically to get his money’s worth in his butt chewing of the ref. Sticking up for his players is one thing, but it’s one of those moments that looks worse after when taking in the totality of how the game went.
9. West Virginia (Last Week: 10)
Is Virginia Tech a great litmus test? Probably not. Just like Nebraska wasn’t a good one for how we evaluated Oklahoma (more on the Sooners later). However, West Virginia did what it had to do against a bad team on a Thursday night. It, at least, temporarily, cooled the seat of head coach Neal Brown. But the fact is the Mountaineer offense has been explosive all year. West Virginia is averaging 42.8 points a game, which is tied for 14th best in the nation. It is the type of offense that could take down any Big 12 opponent. The problem is they also have a defense that is very beatable by any Big 12 team. West Virginia surrenders an average of 27.5 points a game, which is tied for 85th nationally.
8. Texas (Last Week: 3)
*sighs* Oh Texas. Just one week ago, it looked so promising. Instead, the Longhorns got a herd full of “Horns Down” from not just the Red Raider fans, but from all across the country. They suffered the largest one-week drop in these Big 12 week five power rankings. The good news is that it truly is just one game on the Big 12 schedule. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has an opportunity to right the ship quickly. Quarterback Quinn Ewers has dressed the last two weeks, but there still isn’t a concrete timetable for his return. No doubt, Ewers has shown he unlocks the full potential of the offense. But, the fact is, Sarkisian has to rally his team this week. If not, this season could get away quickly from the Horns.
7. TCU (Last Week: 9)
It was a nasty divorce when head coach Sonny Dykes left SMU and took the same job across town at rival TCU. SMU was more than game for the Iron Skillet, but TCU took care of business. It gave the conference another quality non-conference win. But now it is time for the Horned Frogs to open up conference play this week against a reeling Oklahoma team. Recent history is not in the favor of the purple and white. The Sooners have won the last eight games by an average of 14.75 points. TCU is going to have to be firing on all cylinders if they expect to move up the rankings next week.
6. Texas Tech (Last Week: 8)
Only time will tell if the Red Raiders truly put the Big 12 on notice with their win over the Texas Longhorns. A fiery coach Joey McGuire, in his post-game address to his team, said “I told you they were going to break. And they did.” It cannot be understated how much of a dream start this program has had under McGuire. He is going all in as the “unofficial school of the Texas High School Coaches Association.” Wins at home over Houston and Texas, coupled with the gains he has already earned on the recruiting trails, have this program trending upwards. The offense still needs to find some more explosiveness and the defense needs to create more turnovers. But what is possible this year has changed drastically in just four games.
5. Baylor (Last Week: 6)
Finally. The way the offense controlled the game against Iowa State is exactly why Blake Shappen was given the starting quarterback job in the spring. The Bears have played very well since suffering a week two loss to BYU. Baylor has to be happy to be back in Waco for their next Big 12 game. It must be all that delicious food at Magnolia Table powering the football team and its fans. Baylor has won nine straight at McLane. Overall, they are 11-2 under Dave Aranda at home. Shappen needs to keep this offense rolling if they want to stay atop the Big 12 standings. Quitely, Baylor boasts a top 25 defense. They rank ninth nationally in rushing defense, 23rd in scoring defense, and 24th in total defense.
4. Oklahoma (Last Week: 1)
When Sooner fans have nightmares, they are cloaked in royal purple and silver. They also likely involved getting bullied by a juiced-up wildcat who wants to control the nightmare just like Chris Klieman’s real-life teams control the line of scrimmage. The Sooner offense played pretty well last week, even with having to chase for most of the game (sans the five false start penalties in Norman). It was very surprising to see a Brent Venables team have a lot of basic defensive issues in this one. Pursuit angles and lots of blown assignments stood out as the Sooners dropped their conference opener.
3. Kansas State (Last Week: 7)
As for the team that did the dominating in Norman, they got a career performance from Adrian Martinez and just never gave Oklahoma a chance to breathe from the opening kickoff. It was quite an answer after losing the week before, at home, to Tulane. Since Klieman arrived, they are 3-1 against Oklahoma. This early season conference win can propel them to wherever this team wants to go. But even in his one good year as a Nebraska quarterback, Martinez never put together back-to-back elite-level performances. A quality Texas Tech opponent comes to town this week, so it will be interesting to see how this team plays after such a big road win.
2. Kansas (Last Week: 4)
Listen up, readers. This is the last opportunity you have to get on the Jalon Daniels Heisman express. The AP voters failed Kansas by still leaving them unranked after dispatching the previously undefeated Duke Blue Devils. Unfortunately, the Jayhawks still hold the longest active power five AP drought. Kansas was last ranked in the AP poll on October 18th, 2009. The disrespect will not be carried to these rankings. A true overnight evolution of this Jayhawk team has been a remarkable watch. And it isn’t being done with smoke and mirrors. This is a bonafide explosive offensive attack that is fun to watch. They rank seventh nationally in scoring offense, averaging 47 points per game. Again, this is the last call for those still holding out on the Jayhawks.
1. Oklahoma State (Last Week: 2)
The top spot of the Big 12 week five power rankings belongs to a team that didn’t play last week. “So why isn’t Kansas here? Did you just talk about leaving disrespect to the AP voters? I can still see that paragraph on my screen!” All fair points. The biggest difference is the Pokes have winning experience on their side. They are a proven product. So far this season, they haven’t given any reason to doubt them. A massive road trip this week to Waco awaits. This rematch of last year’s conference title game will prove if they are ready to take that last step. Mike Gundy’s team will have had two weeks to prepare for the Bears. A win this week would give Oklahoma State the bestow the title of “favorite to win the Big 12.”
