As the great Bon Jovi once belted out “We’re halfway there.” And it is true, some of these Big 12 teams are just living on a prayer at this point in the season. Some of these teams need a true hail mary, full of grace if they are going to turn their respective season’s around. There also is a new bottom feeder in the Big 12 week seven power rankings, while the “little brother” of the Sooner state holds firm in the top spot.
Big 12 Week Seven Power Rankings
10. Oklahoma (Last Week: 8)
Brent Venables, your football team…woof. Coming into this season, major roster turnover and coaching turnover had most projecting the Sooners to take a few steps back from their normal place as annual playoff contenders. After a 3-0 start, it appeared that this transition would be a fairly smooth one. However, three consecutive losses, 1762 defensive yards allowed, and 145 points later the tune has drastically changed. But this isn’t quite rock bottom just yet. It can come this week though if they can’t survive a visit from America’s favorite team in the Kansas Jayhawks.
9. Iowa State (Last Week: 10)
Iowa State has a tough defense that no Big 12 team wants to mess with. The problem is they are struggling to play complementary football on offense. On a positive note, they are not nearly as horrific offensively as their in-state rival, which they finally beat for the first time in six tries this year. But the fact remains the Cyclones are 0-3 in the Big 12. It’s also a reminder to the college football following that it has been, and will continue to remain, difficult to win at Iowa State. Matt Campbell deserves a ton of credit for what he has achieved. But this is a program that has signed the 50th, 60th, 48th, 50th, and 55th nationally ranked recruiting classes in the last five years. They haven’t been winning with elite talent, so regression to the talent level was bound to happen.
8. West Virginia (Last Week: 9)
The Mountaineers were on a bye week as they prepare for a Thursday night matchup with Baylor.
7. Texas Tech (Last Week: 6)
Part of the Texas Tech fan base has to be thrilled to see a team that has, week-in and week-out, competed with every single team on their schedule. Especially because the Red Raiders have played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation to date. And yet, when they continue to lose these close games like they did this past week against Oklahoma State, human nature sets as the “what if” game starts running ramped. No doubt, Joey McGuire has injected major life and momentum into the future of this Red Raider program. Seeing them stuck in this mid/bottom tier of the Big 12 week seven power rankings feels like it doesn’t appropriately speak to how good this team is. But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. So if Texas Tech wants to be recognized as a good team, they need to start closing out games.
6. Texas (Last Week: 7)
It was easy to sense the cathartic feeling emitting from all of those fans draped in burnt orange at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. By the 4th quarter, much of the crimson faithful had left, but most of the Texas crowd remained to savor this moment. Yes, this Oklahoma team isn’t very good right now. But it’s very clear to see; a healthy Quinn Ewers flinging the ball to his playmakers is a fun brand of football to watch. With the current top half of the Big 12 still on its schedule, Texas is in full control of where it wants to go. A beatdown of a bad team doesn’t quickly vault them to contender status, but the pieces are there if they can keep playing their cards right.
5. Baylor (Last Week: 5)
The Bears were on a bye week. Baylor faces a tricky road trip this Thursday night in Morgantown.
4. Kansas (Last Week: 2)
Kansas’ effort against TCU is to be applauded. Even with a backup quarterback playing for more than half the game, they did not blink in the second half when TCU’s offense got rolling. Yes, the perfect run of the Jayhawks has ended. But that magic Lance Leipold has pulled off in Lawerence this year has him as the front-runner for coach of the year. A real test of just what type of staying power Kansas possesses comes this week as they travel to take on a beat-down Sooners squad. A win in Norman would signal that Kansas has to be taken seriously as a threat to win the conference.
3. Kansas State (Last Week: 3)
We now enter the purple zone of the Big 12 week seven power rankings. It was not the prettiest display of football in Farmagedon, but Kansas State did survive. Only Oklahoma State will provide anything that tough defensively for the Wildcats for the rest of this season. But they are going to need the offense to be firing on all cylinders next time they take the field. The Wildcats have a bye week before traveling to Fort Worth to take on TCU.
2. TCU (Last Week: 4)
The Horned Frogs were able to take down America’s favorite team of the 2022 season, thanks to an offensive explosion in the second half. It is clear that this team can get the offense cooking in a hurry. The office of a tack is good enough to carry them to a spot in the Big 12 championship game. However, there is no lead up for this team. A duel between the top two teams in the conference will take place in Fort Worth on Saturday.
1. Oklahoma State (Last Week: 1)
Mike Gundy and his Cowboys were tested by Texas Tech last week. But they never appeared phased or rattled during the game. A shoutout to the Cowboys coaching staff for having their special teams ready for anything. For their kickoff return team to be savvy enough to call for a fair catch on an onside kick attempt is a clear demonstration that they have their players ready for anything. If they’re able to take down TCU this coming weekend, they will be the clear-cut favorite to win the conference.
