FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 20: Oklahoma Sooners running back Trey Sermon (4) celebrates his touchdown during the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and TCU Horned Frogs on October 20, 2018 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Big 12 had a limited schedule in the latest weekend of college football, which mostly kept the latest Big 12 power rankings status quo.
The Big 12 only had two games transpire in the latest weekend of action. That meant four teams, with the other six on a bye. It’s unusual for any conference, but since the Big 12 has just 10 teams—the least of anyone in the Power Five—for one week there was a schedule oddity.
Oklahoma battled TCU and Texas Tech and Kansas battled in the lone conference games, both of which were blowouts that led to a Sooner and Red Raider win, respectively.
It did nothing for the latest Big 12 power rankings, as they mostly sit the same entering the final days of October.
Texas (6-1): The Longhorns sat out the week, but they maintain the top placement in the rankings. Behind the win in the Red River Rivalry game, they have control over the conference. Though, there are five games left to keep this intact.
Oklahoma (6-1): Oklahoma rebounded from the narrow loss to Texas to clobber TCU, 52-27, in one of the conference’s two games of the weekend. It was behind another Heisman-esque day from quarterback Kyle Murray, who had four touchdowns to lead the way.
West Virginia (5-1): A surprise loss to Iowa State broke the Mountaineers’ perfect record and took them behind Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12. They need help from one of those two teams to return to the Big 12 title picture, along with a one or no blemishes of their own along the way.
Texas Tech (5-2): Texas Tech moved up one spot after their win over Kansas to make them 5-2, ahead of Iowa State’s surprise mid-season run for the second consecutive year. They still may falter against the conference’s best, but they sit on the outside looking in, for now.
Iowa State (3-3): The Cyclones had the week off, but their most recent win still happened against West Virginia, the surprise win of the Big 12 season. They face Texas Tech next.
Oklahoma State (4-3): The normally sound Oklahoma State Cowboys have struggled over the past month, with losses in three of their last four games. Against No. 6 Texas, it might cause the fourth in the last five.
TCU (3-4): The Horned Frogs still find themselves at seventh in the Big 12 power rankings, due to strength of schedule, including an early loss to Ohio State. This time around, a 52-27 loss to Oklahoma State cost them.
Baylor (4-3): Baylor also had the week off, so they stay at No. 8 in the rankings. While their record sits above .500, their wins happened against ACU, Kansas, Kansas State and UTSA. There may still be a bowl game on the way, but it’s as soft a schedule as it gets in this conference.
Kansas State (3-4): The Wildcats sat out Oct. 20th, but their latest win came against Oklahoma State in a 31-12 domination. Otherwise, 2018 has been disappointing for head coach Bill Snyder’s squad, and they have Oklahoma next.
Kansas
(2-5):
The Jayhawks have the Big 12’s last spot all to themselves. They were blown out by Texas Tech, 48-16, and still have Oklahoma and Texas on the way. Their other conference matchups are not winnable, so it’s possible they finish at 2-10.
