Big 12 Power Rankings - Week 6: A Clear Leader

Editor's Note: These rankings and analysis were written before kickoff of Kansas State and Oklahoma State on Friday night.

The Big 12 looked like a jumbled mess coming into the season, but as we move further into the year, it keeps getting clearer. The Longhorns have looked dominant, the Sooners are blowing out inferior opponents, and we have seen quite a few surprises. But there are still plenty of weeks to go in this season, and that means plenty of time for the rankings to change drastically.

Don't think of this as my definitive prediction for the final Big 12 standings, but more of an educated guess about the relative strengths of the teams, without accounting for potential injuries or additional development/regression between now and when the games are played.

1. Texas Longhorns (5-0, 2-0 Big 12, LW: 1, High 1)

Last Week: 40-14 Win vs Kansas
Up Next: vs Oklahoma (5-0)

So much for that real test. Jalon Daniels was a late scratch, which kept us from seeing just how good this defense really is. And while the offense struggled, they were just too talented for a Kansas defense that got no help from the offense at all. The Red River Rivalry this week will be a huge indicator of if this is Texas' conference to lose or if there is still hope for a competitive race.

2. Oklahoma Sooners (5-0, 2-0 Big 12, LW: 3, High 2)

Last Week: 50-20 Win vs Iowa State
Up Next: vs Texas (5-0)

I feel like I'm a broken record with this team, but it's getting harder and harder to use the lack of quality in their opponents as a good excuse. We'll get a good idea after this week about how seriously we need to take this team.

3. West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1, 2-0 Big 12, LW: 6, High 3)

Last Week: 24-21 Win at TCU
Up Next: BYE

It just keeps getting better for Neal Brown and the Mountaineers. They have a phenomenal defense that keeps pushing them to wins, even with some uncertainties surrounding the offense. I'm not sure how far they can take this, but I'm done betting against them until they give me a good reason to.

4. Kansas State Wildcats (3-1, 1-0 Big 12, Last Week: 4, High: 1)

Last Week: BYE
Up Next: at Oklahoma State (2-2)

Kansas State had an early bye and are hoping that they don't wear down as the season goes on. But for now, there is no reason to think that they should stumble early here. Will Howard seems to have taken a step back from his electric performance last season, and the defense is still a little suspect, but I don't think they have any big enough obstacles right now to be worried.

5. Kansas Jayhawks (4-1, 1-1 Big 12, LW: 2, High 2)

Last Week: 40-14 Loss at Texas
Up Next: vs UCF (3-2)

It might seem harsh to have the Jayhawks fall this far based on the loss to the Longhorns, but this has a lot more to do with the uncertainty surrounding Jalon Daniels moving forward. Jason Bean is a talented backup, but the ceiling drops when Daniels is not on the field. The defense has been a big surprise though.

6. BYU Cougars (4-1, 1-1, Big 12, LW: 8, High 6)

Last Week: 35-27 Win vs Cincinnati
Up Next: BYE

With a big bounce-back win after the tough loss to Kansas, BYU showed that they are going to be formidable at home this season. The offense is going to be up and down this year, tied to the performance of the offensive line. The defense is going to have its moments, but it's fair to say that the rest of their games should be entertaining.

7. TCU Horned Frogs (3-2, 1-1 Big 12, LW: 5, High 3)

Last Week: 24-21 Loss vs West Virginia
Up Next: at Iowa State (2-3)

A tough home loss against a surprising West Virginia squad isn't devastating. The problem is that I don't really know what to point to as the reason for this slump in Sonny Dykes' sophomore season. A trip to Ames should be a good opportunity to turn things around, but it needs to happen soon.

8. UCF Knights (3-2, 0-2, Big 12, LW: 7, High 5)

Last Week: 36-35 Loss vs Baylor
Up Next: at Kansas (4-1)

What an epic collapse. I don't quite understand how it happened, but the Knights seemed to just stop playing after three quarters, and Baylor took full advantage. I still think this team could be pretty good, but this week showed that the margin for error is razor-thin.

9. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-3, 0-2 Big 12, LW: 9 High 4)

Last Week: 35-27 Loss at BYU
Up Next: BYE

Two rough losses in conference, and losses in two different ways. I can't tell you what units are actually good and which ones are not, but they need to figure some things out in the bye week if they want to avoid falling to the cellar of the conference.

10. Iowa State Cyclones (2-3, 1-1 Big 12, LW: 10, High 9)

Last Week: 50-20 Loss at Oklahoma
Up Next: vs TCU (3-2)

It seemed like things were going well for Iowa State, but the wheels fell off pretty quickly. But they were expected to lose big in this game, so this performance doesn't really do much to change my opinion either way. Instead, it confirms that this defense isn't the juggernaut that we thought it might be.

11. Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-3, 1-1 Big 12, LW: 11, High 5)

Last Week: 49-28 Win vs Houston
Up Next: at Baylor (2-3)

A good win for the Red Raiders to right the ship, but it is going to take a lot more than a home win over the worst team in the conference to change their trajectory. Behren Morton seems to have settled in at the helm of the offense, but it will be interesting to see if the defense will be able to keep up.

12. Baylor Bears (2-3, 1-1 Big 12, LW: 14, High 8)

Last Week: 36-35 Win at UCF
Up Next: vs Texas Tech (2-3)

I still don't believe in this team. It took an absolutely epic collapse from the Knights for them to get a win, but it doesn't really feel like that is something that can be replicated. They will have plenty of chances to prove me wrong, and flukey as that win was, it still is better than anything we've seen from Oklahoma State so far.

13. Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-2, 0-1 Big 12, LW: 13, High 9)

Last Week: BYE
Up Next: vs Kansas State (3-1)

Let's hope the bye week did them some good, but they haven't done enough for me to have any sort of confidence in them this season. It feels like they are at an inflection point of the season. They need Alan Bowman and Ollie Gordon to keep the offense moving if they are going to turn things around.

14. Houston Cougars (2-3, 0-2 Big 12, LW: 12, High 10)

Last Week: 49-28 Loss vs Texas Tech
Up Next: BYE

Right back where they belong. While the lows haven't been as low as the Bears and Cowboys, they haven't really had any highlights that make you want to trust them. It seems like only a matter of time before Dana Holgorsen gets the boot.

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