Week 9 brought some much-needed clarity to the top of the Big 12, while somehow making the middle of the conference even more difficult to figure out.
Utah left no doubt about who belongs at No. 1 after going on the road and hammering Cincinnati 49-25 to remain the Big 12’s only unbeaten team. BYU and Texas Tech also bounced back from their first losses of the season with important wins to stay firmly in the top tier.
After that? Good luck.
Iowa State stunned Oklahoma State in a 51-49 thriller, Colorado finally picked up its first Big 12 win, TCU needed a second-half comeback to beat Kansas, and Baylor suddenly looked like a completely different football team in its first game after firing Dave Aranda.
So, with November officially here and the Big 12 Championship race entering the home stretch, here’s how all 16 teams stack up in our Big 12 Power Rankings after Week 9.how all 16 Big 12 teams stack up after Week 9.
1. Utah Utes (Last Week: No. 1)
Utah remains the lone unbeaten team in the Big 12, and after demolishing Cincinnati, why would I even consider moving them off the top spot? The Utes continue to get better, with offensive creativity and explosiveness, and a defense that is getting more consistent.
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders (Last Week: No. 6)
Well, Texas Tech makes a big jump this week after a great Top 25 win over Arizona, who was playing fantastic football during its 5-game winning streak. Is Thomas Castellanos the answer? TBD. But the running game was efficient and effective, while the defensive front looked like what we would expect this season.
3. Houston Cougars (Last Week: No. 2)
Houston was off this week, but they move down one spot. I know it was controversial for some to have them above Texas Tech given the head-to-head, but the Cougars had looked like the better team in recent weeks. However, Tech beating a Top 25 opponent, while UH had the week off, changes that.
4. BYU Cougars (Last Week: No. 3)
Part of this is the eye test with BYU, but it’s now two-straight weeks of mediocre football for the Cougars, who have played their worst football of the season vs. UCF and Arizona State. And that’s a UCF team that just got demolished by Baylor, and an Arizona State team that has been near the Big 12 basement. This team needs LJ Martin back ASAP.
5. Arizona Wildcats (Last Week: No. 5)
Arizona comes in at No. 5 this week following their loss at Texas Tech on Saturday. The front seven, which I had been praising in recent weeks, got steamrolled by Tech’s running game, and that was the difference on Saturday. Oh, and Noah Fifta looked human, and struggled with accuracy in the second half.
No. 6: Iowa State Cyclones (Last Week: No. 11)
Hello, Iowa State! What a win for Jimmy Rogers and the Cyclones this week, beating Oklahoma State in impressive walk-off fashion. Jaylen Raynor got the offense going for 600 yards one week after being benched. Ames remains one of the most underrated and difficult places to play, even in the post-Matt Campbell era. Well done, Cyclones fans.
No. 7: Oklahoma State Cowboys (Last Week: No. 4)
The Cowboys slide down a few spots this week following their loss. This defense has been the Achilles heel of this team all season, but it finally just got destroyed on Saturday. Iowa State’s offense had been inept in recent weeks, and Oklahoma State made them look like the Buffalo Bills. Not good. When Oklahoma State scored a touchdown to go ahead 49-48, I looked at my dog and said, “That’s too much time.” He looked at me and said, “ruff”, in agreement, of course. We were right.
No. 8: Cincinnati Bearcats (Last Week: No. 7)
Cincinnati drops a spot after getting crushed by Utah. This came one week after they rolled Texas Tech. Go Figure. They’ve had a brutal schedule, and it does not get any easier this week with a road trip to Houston, followed by a road trip to Ames.
No. 9: UCF Knights (Last Week: No. 10)
UCF follows an epic win vs. BYU with a massive Friday night letdown against Baylor. That was as bad of a loss as you can suffer after the BYU win last Saturday. It’s almost unfathomable how bad that loss was for Scott Frost’s team. It’s the kind of game that makes you wonder how they even played with BYU the week prior. Brutal. And it takes a lot of the goodwill out of the team’s sails.
No. 10: West Virginia Mountaineers (Last Week: No. 8)
West Virginia enjoys the bye week after two wins over Cincinnati and TCU. Now? It’s Texas Tech on the road, Kansas, and then Houston and Utah to wrap the season. Fun.
No. 11: Arizona State Sun Devils (Last Week: No. 16)
Arizona State is playing better with its freshmen duo at quarterback and running back. Jake Fette and Cardae Mack could create a nice 1-2 punch, and a bright future in Tempe. And you hate to say it, but they’ll just have to figure out a way to keep both guys going forward.
No. 12: Baylor Bears (Last Week: No. 15)
Um, what happened here? Baylor fires Dave Aranda and proceeds to blow the doors off of the UCF Knights. What a strange team and season. Baylor is as hot and cold as it gets. But when they look good, they look really good.
No. 13: TCU Horned Frogs (Last Week: No. 12)
TCU had to storm back to beat Kansas after a scoreless first half, which hasn’t happened to the program since 2018. But boy did Sonny Dykes need that win. It’s still not clear how safe his seat is right now, but a win at least cools it off… for the time being.
No. 14: Colorado Buffaloes (Last Week: No. 16)
Hey, it’s Colorado in the win column after beating Kansas State in overtime. Speaking of coaches who needed a win, put Deion Sanders on that list. Colorado actually racked up over 200 yards on the ground against a brutal K-State run defense. Good for them. Solid win.
No. 15: Kansas State Wildcats (Last Week: No. 12)
Kansas State’s season continues to unravel as they’re now on a fourth-string quarterback. Their defense is the bigger problem right now as they just don’t have the skill or size in the front seven. When Colorado gashes you for over 200 yards on the ground, that’s ugly.
No. 16: Kansas Jayhawks (Last Week: No. 14)
Woof. Lance Leipold handed this game to TCU. That was the worst coaching and decision making we’ve seen this season from a Big 12 coach. There’s nothing else to say. The team has talent and potential, but they have been their own worst enemy at times, and Saturday was a prime example.
