The latest Big 12 power rankings heading into Week 9 of the season
Another week of Big 12 football wrapped up last weekend. Week 8 featured five games, some of which were close, while others had a wide scoring margin. TCU over Kansas was the biggest deficit, with it being a 43-0 final score.
After this, Iowa State knocked off Texas Tech, 31-13, and even earned a ranking in the AP Poll. West Virginia barely survived a late-game comeback from Baylor, 38-36. Kansas State vs. Oklahoma and Texas vs. Oklahoma State had tight finishes, as well.
How did these games shape the latest Big 12 power rankings? Did anyone move up after a quiet week of play? Let’s take a look.
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Baylor struggled for most of its game against West Virginia, being down by 25 points entering the fourth quarter. They nearly pulled off a miraculous finish, however, bringing the final score to 38-36. It was from 23 fourth-quarter points, nearly getting the Bears their first win of the season.
However, “nearly” won’t cut it, as Baylor sits at 0-7. They have a challenging schedule for the rest of the season, with Texas’s stout defense next. After that, the Kansas game will be their most winnable one by far. If they can’t win in Lawrence, KS, then look out for 0-12.
After winning their first game of the season, Kansas proceeded to drop the next six games. Each outing seemingly gets worse, especially considering they didn’t score in back-to-back games. It’s a combination of a horrendous offense and playing against tough defenses (Iowa State and TCU).
Against TCU, quarterback Peyton Bender attempted just 16 passes that resulted in 38 yards. The running game was a complete disaster, with 31 carries for -25 yards — a trainwreck of a game for this lowly Big 12 school. The only thing keeping them at No. 9 is having one win.
Kansas State will be their next opponent. They haven’t had a great season but should be a heavy favorite to win in Lawrence.