Big 12 power rankings, Week 11: Oklahoma-TCU to battle for conference supremacy
The Big 12 power rankings this week see Oklahoma riding high from their Bedlam win while Iowa State had a reality check after a loss to West Virginia.
Another week of Big 12 football came and went, with more shakeups at the top of the conference. This saw Oklahoma fend off Oklahoma State, 62-52, while Iowa State fell to West Virginia. This not only changed the power rankings but the conference standings.
Outside of this, Baylor received its first win of the season, defeating Kansas in a battle of the Big 12’s worst teams. Meanwhile, Texas Tech fell to Kansas State, while TCU defeated Texas to get back on track.
Following these games, how did they shake up the Big 12 power rankings for Week 11? Let’s take a look.
kansas jayhawks 1-8
Last week: Loss vs Baylor, 38-9
Last rank: 9th
Kansas stepped into a game against the winless Baylor Bears and lost by 29 points, barely managing to score on what was the worst Big 12 team, record-wise. Now, that spot belongs to the Jayhawks, who haven’t won a game since Week 1.
Kansas’ season has been on a downhill slope since the 22-point loss to West Virginia in its fourth game of the season. Blowouts of 46, 45, 43 and 29 points followed, while barely having any offense.
With games against Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State remaining, don’t expect a win. Look for a 1-11 record at season’s end, making another terrible season in Lawrence, KS.
baylor bears 1-8
Last week: Win at Kansas, 38-9
Last rank: 10th
On the other side of that game, Baylor got its first win of the season. It was also head coach Matt Rhule’s first since taking over before this campaign started. While only bringing his team to 1-8, it’s a moral victory that could help the Bears, especially after a handful of close games against highly-regarded Big 12 teams.
Can Baylor capitalize on the win? Its best chance will be against the struggling Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday.
Aside from them, games remaining against Iowa State and TCU, both of whom are top four teams in the Big 12. So, it’s possible the conference finishes with two 1-11 teams, except this one is better than Kansas.