Big 12 power rankings: Time to take West Virginia seriously as a legit threat

In a quiet week for the Big 12, West Virginia managed to make some noise.

There was no Oklahoma, no Texas, no Oklahoma State, and no Iowa State. Nothing at the top really changed. There were only two games on the docket, West Virginia welcoming TCU to Morgantown and Texas Tech playing a close one with Baylor. It wasn’t a hefty week, but one that separates the bottom from the middle.

Looking ahead, the six teams that were off this week will play next week, and the four teams that played will have a week off. That means a lot of movement can happen next week near the top, especially with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State facing their inter-state rivalry. There could be a new number one next week, but this week there was some interesting movement within the power rankings.

Big 12 power rankings entering Week 12

Kansas is still terrible. They avoided a loss this week only because they didn’t have a game on the schedule. They are allowing more and more points every week, hitting a high of 62 points last week against Oklahoma. There is literally one team in college football that is allowing more points in the top division (Bowling Green). The defense is a joke for the Jayhawks, and the offense is not good enough to keep this team remotely in games.

The Baylor Bears had a chance to show that, despite a bad season, they had enough talent to beat the bad teams. That did not happen, as they lost to Texas Tech, scoring zero points in the fourth quarter and watched their lead disappear. Charlie Brewer ruined his NFL stock, and will likely go undrafted now. Three scores, including a field goal as time expired, sealed the fate of the Bears. Bad teams find ways to lose, and Baylor did that on Saturday. They had a 23-12 lead going into the fourth quarter. They had three drives that took up roughly seven minutes to time combined. They all led to punts, and the Bears add another to the loss column on a lost season.

TCU just put up an absolute dud against West Virginia last week. They were bad on offense, bad on defense, outcoached at every level, and they left Morgantown embarrassed. Max Duggan was terrible. He was never a threat. The running game was fine, but nobody really got a chance to stand out. The defense helped some of the West Virginia wide receivers look good. The great Horned Frogs secondary looked pedestrian for most of the game. It was just a bad performance by TCU. They fell below Texas Tech because this is what they deserve after that.

Texas Tech only has two games remaining on their schedule, with a matchup against Oklahoma State coming in a couple of weeks. For now, it’s time to celebrate in Lubbock. They just came back to beat Baylor. This still isn’t a very good team, but it’s playing a lot better than some (me) expected. Some crucial players are getting experience, and the coaching staff might end the season with four wins. It’s not one for record books, but there are some positives to take away from a weird season.

Kansas State is looking at a very hard matchup coming up against the Iowa State offense. Brock Purdy and Breece Hall are one of the best quarterback-running back combos in the country. Despite not playing this week, Kansas State still lost. Running back Jayden Williams decommitted from the Wildcats, after a tumultuous senior season. It was probably a mutual decision but still takes a talented player away from their 2021 recruitment class.

West Virginia is back in the top five after the demolition of TCU. Jarret Doege looked as good as he has all season, and it looks like he is finally finding his groove after a very inconsistent start. Leddie Brown was extremely good, rushing for 156 yards on 24 carries. They scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the game, which took a lot of pressure off the defense. Then, they were just able to coast to a very easy win. It’s very strange how different this team is at home. They are 5-0 in Morgantown. That will be put to the test when they welcome Oklahoma, a team they haven’t beaten since joining the Big 12.

Now it’s getting to the point of the power rankings where any of these teams can end up as the Big 12 Champion. The headlines coming into the season surrounded Brock Purdy, and he was expected to carry the team to new heights, but it is Breece Hall who’s doing the heavy lifting. Hall is the only running back in the country to break the 1,000-yard mark at this point. He has more than 100 yards than anyone else in the country. With three more games left before a possible Big 12 Championship Game, he could still have a special season. It’s nothing like Troy Davis in the 90s, but still, a good time to be a running back fan at Iowa State.

The Texas Longhorns have fallen under the radar after their loss to Oklahoma, but there is still a ton to play for. They escaped with a win against West Virginia two weeks ago, and now they’ve had two weeks to prepare for Kansas. If they win out, in all likelihood it will lead to a Big 12 Championship Game berth. If they can somehow turn this weird season into Texas’ first Big 12 Championship in more than a decade, it will all be worth it. Sam Ehlinger is looking to build a legacy in Austin. Tom Herman is trying to prove he’s the right man for the job. There’s a lot still happening for Texas with three games to play.

Oklahoma is facing its biggest game of the season, as Oklahoma State welcomes the Sooners to town this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Under the lights, Spencer Rattler looks to at least salvage a Big 12 Championship berth with a win over the Cowboys. The backfield is now one of the best thanks to Rhamondre Stevenson‘s return from suspension. It’s been six years since someone not named Oklahoma lifted the Big 12 Championship Trophy. The Sooners don’t want that to change, despite a 1-2 start to the season. It all comes down to Saturday night.

Since losing to Texas, Oklahoma State has known that the Oklahoma matchup on Saturday is going to define its season. Mike Gundy is 2-13 in his career against their in-state rival. Now, they have to face the Sooners for Big 12 supremacy. The winner of this game has a straight line to the Championship Game. Oklahoma State has been the best team in the conference all season. That could change on a dime on Saturday. The Bedlam Series has more on it this year than it has in a long time.

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