Before we all take time to give thanks and stuff our faces with the bounty of the holidays, let’s stop and realize college football is almost over. There is a scenario where the Big 12 conference race is decided very cleanly. There is also a real world where it will require MIT to get involved. So with one last regular season game in conference play, which teams are in the best position in the week 13 Big 12 power rankings?
Week 13 Big 12 Power Rankings
14. Cincinnati
The week 13 Big 12 power rankings start with the team that has been living in the basement all season. Cincinnati returns home this week after getting humbled, again, by West Virginia. It has been nothing short of a major failure in Scott Satterfield’s first season as Bearcats head coach. Hosting Kansas in the season finale also does not bode well for any late-season good feelings for the fan base.
13. Baylor
Dave Arranda’s team has only been competitive one time in the last month, which still came in a losing effort to Houston. The most recent loss to Kansas State by a score of 59-25 was over from the time the ball was kicked off. Baylor came into this season with pretty modest expectations. However, with a record of 3-9 seemingly locked in, Arranda will find himself on a mighty toasty coaching seat going into the 2024 season.
12. Houston
Houston is officially missing bowl season after a 43-30 loss to Oklahoma State. The Cougars were game for about a half of football before seeing the Pokes pull away. Does this mean Dana Holgorsen is going to be coaching his last game for Houston this week against UCF? This team has backslid significantly each year since 2021, and an uninspiring loss in Orlando could motivate the boosters to pay Holgorsen that buyout he has not been shy about referencing.
11. BYU
Kalani Sitake’s Cougars gave Oklahoma a good scare last Saturday in Provo. They were tied with the Sooners heading into the fourth quarter. However, they could not spring the big-time upset and have now lost four in a row. BYU’s struggles in the Big 12 are somewhat surprising given they had normally played a sudo-Pac 12 schedule for years now. Unfortunately, BYU is playing about the last team in the Big 12 anyone would want to see given the stakes at hand as the season ends. This means BYU will be missing bowl season for the first time since 2017.
10. UCF
The Knights seem to be playing like the team that we saw for the first half of the season. Even in their loss to Texas Tech, it took a special teams blunder to result in a loss. This team is still fighting for its post-season lives and should stand a good chance to secure win six at home this week. Gus Malzhan getting his team to win its last three of four after losing five straight would carry some momentum into the offseason.
9. TCU
The Horned Frogs made quick work of their rivals last week, keeping their bowl hopes still alive. It has been a bigger step back this year than anyone expected for Sonny Dykes’ team. The offense has struggled for much of the season, and the fight for bowl season will be hard this week. TCU has to travel to Normal on Black Friday to try and take down a Sooner’s squad that is still fighting for a possible Big 12 championship appearance.
8. Iowa State
When Texas came to Ames, the upset alert energy was high. Early in the game, it appeared that Matt Campbell’s team was tracking to take down the Longhorns. However, this team simply had no chance as the offense was rendered useless against a very good Texas defensive front. The schedule has gotten significantly more difficult in the last few weeks, but Iowa State has now lost two of the last three. The Cyclones conclude the regular season this week with Farmageddon.
7. Kansas
For a team playing with its true freshman third-string quarterback in Cole Ballard, the Jayhawks played their in-state rivals close. But it has now been a decade-and-a-half since they have beaten the Kansas State Wildcats after losing 31-27. It does not take away from an otherwise successful season for Lance Leipold and company. Assuming they don’t stub their toe this week, Kansas will win eight regular season games for the first time since 2007. The biggest question after this season will be if Leipold gets poached by another program.
6. Texas Tech
Does Joey McGuire have the magic November touch? Just when it appeared the bottom was going to fall out under the Red Raiders, they have now rallied for three consecutive wins after edging out UCF thanks to a missed PAT. While the late-season rally was too little, too late to match pre-season expectations, the Red Raiders find themselves at their highest position in the week 13 Big 12 power rankings. For as banged up as Texas Tech has been all year, they will pull out all of the stops against the rival Longhorns on Black Friday.
5. West Virginia
After it appeared the Mountaineers might be backsliding off of their surprising first half, Neal Brown’s crew came and smacked around Cincinnati by a score of 42-21. West Virginia closes out the season this week traveling to Waco. Assuming they take care of business against a down Bears team, an eight-win season truly has reset the trajectory of the Mountaineer program.
4. Oklahoma State
It is really simple Oklahoma State; win and go to Arlington next week. It wasn’t the most impressive win over Houston, but they did win the game. The last two weeks have not seemed the best out of Mike Gundy’s team, but they still are in complete control of their destiny. They have a very winnable game in Stillwater this week, so there is no excuse for them not to get the job done. While they are lower in the week 12 Big 12 power rankings than the actual Big 12 standings, it won’t matter if they handle the next 60 minutes of football.
3. Oklahoma
Even with a head-to-head loss to the team behind them in the week 13 Big 12 power rankings, the Sooners have looked like the stronger team since the Bedlahm loss. Plenty of Sooner fans would not be upset to see Brent Venables move on from offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as the offense has more than enough moments of stalling. But this team has responded well all season and needs to do it one more time. Yes, they do need some help to play for a Big 12 title game from Texas Tech (and BYU to be safe), but this team has looked crisper for longer stretches this season.
2. Kansas State
As the week 13 Big 12 power rankings reverse the actual Big 12 standings, the Wildcats need a lot of help to earn a chance to defend its Big 12 title. Because of the head-to-head losses to both Oklahoma State and Texas, the simplest way for Kansas State to grab that second spot would be for both Oklahoma schools to lose. Regardless, this team has been bullying everyone in the conference. The Oklahoma State no-show was a bit of a head-scratcher and they went toe-to-toe with Texas. Turns out they also went down to the wire on the road with a Missouri team that likely is going to finish this season in the top 10. So while they need the most help, this is the last team anyone would want to play today.
1. Texas
It was ugly yet again for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns against Iowa State. However, they held on to keep ahold of the top stop for another week. And now, the only thing standing between them and an appearance in the Big 12 title game is one more win. Texas has to feel good about coming back to Austin after two weeks on the road. They should be playing in front of a charged-up crowd looking to celebrate a conference championship berth for the first time since 2009. Can Texas go wire-to-wire as the best team in the Big 12 for the 2023 season?
