Turns out TCU can just keep finding ways to win, while Texas still doesn’t have enough gas in the tank to finish games. The top and bottom of the Big 12 week nine power rankings remain mostly unchanged. But a couple of results from this past week of Big 12 action have seen some shuffling in the rankings in the middle tier.
Big 12 Week Nine Power Rankings
10. Iowa State (Last Week: 10)
Iowa State was on a bye last week. They host Oklahoma this week.
9. Oklahoma (Last Week: 9)
Oklahoma was on a bye last week. The Sooners visit Iowa State this week.
8. West Virginia (Last Week: 7)
Coaches who often enter on the hot seat have to show some signs of things changing. It doesn’t even have to mean a substantial change in how many games are won that year. In the case of West Virginia, they have had their offense breathe some life into the team, but it hasn’t changed much in the win column. Which would be ok…except when they get thumped by 38 in game seven of the season. Head coach Neal Brown’s seat is quickly approaching a level best described as scorching. It is hard to see that seat cooling down much with first-place TCU coming to town this week.
7. Kansas (Last Week: 6)
There is no team that has been plummeting harder in the rankings than everyone’s favorite darling team. Sure, if we told you Kansas would be ranked seventh in the Big 12 week nine power rankings, a few folks might have done a double take simply because the Jayhawks aren’t last. But no one would have been able to predict a fall from two-to-seven by the time Halloween weekend rolled around. Fortunately for Kansas, they are off this week. Quarterback Jalon Daniels cannot get back soon enough to help this team secure its first bowl bid since 2008. Even if Kansas doesn’t win another game, head coach Lance Leipold has worked something magical this year and will likely still garner coach of the year consideration in the Big 12.
6. Texas (Last Week: 4)
This is the part of the program where everyone should be reminded that head coach Steve Sarkisian is just past the halfway mark of his second season. And yet, why does it feel as if he has sorta/kinda/semi-failed already? Coming into this season, the reality is if this team went 7-5, it would be a marked improvement. That is a fact. But one single-point loss to Alabama, and all of sudden the expectations changed. And how could they not?
How intoxicating it must have felt to be a Texas fan knowing that taking down Nick Saban and the Tide was right there. “If Quinn Ewers didn’t get hurt…we were playing two true freshman offensive linemen…we have the best running back in all of football, no one can stop Bijan Robinson.” Flash forward six games later, and they are what feels like a disappointing 5-3. This week, the Longhorns venture to Manhatten, Kansas to bounce back against a wounded Kansas State team.
5. Texas Tech (Last Week: 5)
On Monday, head coach Joey McGuire said at his weekly press conference that quarterback Tyler Shough has been medically cleared to play. McGuire has made it clear that he will play any or all three of his quarterbacks if he believes it gives them the best shot to win. This past week against West Virginia, Behren Morton started his second game and played great en route to a 48-10 win over the Mountaineers. The Red Raider’s offense has seemed to reach a new gear with Morton as the starter.
But, according to McGuire, Shough won the job at the beginning of the season “without any doubt.” For a team leading the nation in plays run per game (89), there certainly isn’t a shortage of snaps to work multiple quarterbacks in. So when Baylor comes to Lubbock this weekend, it will be anyone’s guess on who starts for Texas Tech and how long they will stay in the game.
4. Baylor (Last Week: 8)
There was a concern that the concussion that quarterback Blake Shapen suffered against West Virginia might keep him out for an extended period of time. So after their defeat at the hands of the Mountaineers, and coming off their loss to Oklahoma State, the Bears were stumbling. But Shapen ended up not missing any additional game action and came out of the gate firing against Kansas. Baylor made the largest leap in the Big 12 week nine power rankings because they got back to dominating on the line of scrimmage. So the defending Big 12 champs get a little more benefit of the doubt for one week. If they are able to successfully avoid a loss under the road lights against an explosive Texas Tech squad, the Bears will prove they have truly righted the ship after a two-game skid.
3. Kansas State (Last Week: 3)
The Wildcats suffered their first Big 12 loss to the Horned Frogs, but still confirmed they belong in the conversation to make it to the conference championship game. Quarterback Adrian Martinez was lost to an undisclosed injury after the first drive. It would have been nice for the FS1 broadcast to have had a sideline reporter, but that is a conversation for another day. Backup quarterback Will Howard played well for at least the first half of the game. Kansas State even had to utilize their third-string quarterback at one point in this game.
As of this publication, there has not been any update on Martinez’s injury. Martinez has had a bit of a renascence season after transferring in from Nebraska. His running threat, combined with All-American running back Deuce Vaughn, has been powering one of the top rushing attacks in the nation. Taking on Oklahoma state this week without Martinez would be a steep hill to climb.
2. Oklahoma State (Last Week: 2)
Speaking of quarterback injuries, Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders has apparently been playing through a shoulder injury for weeks now. The overall roster health of the Cowboys took even more hits in their 41-34 win over the Longhorns. But even after falling down by three scores, the resiliency of this team was on full display. They scored the game’s final 17 points to earn another tough Big 12 victory. Head coach Mike Gundy continues to keep this team at the top of the Big 12 standings year after year.
The two-time Big 12 coach of the year still has his work cut out with him to keep his team at the top portion of the standings. This has not been a truly dominating team. After all, in all four conference games, Oklahoma State has played, all were coin flips in the fourth quarter. A trick trip to Manhatten this week leaves no opportunity for Oklahoma State to catch its breath.
1. TCU (Last Week: 1)
TCU will continue to hold the number one spot until someone can take them down. It has been far from dominating performances in the last two weeks. But there is major credit to be issued to head coach Sonny Dykes for guiding his teams back from three-score deficits in as many weeks. Quarterback Max Duggan has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 19-1. And they have played more second-string quarterbacks than any other team this year. But there is no denying 7-0 deserves to sit alone at the top. TCU will do so until someone can knock off this Horned Frog squad.
