Big 12 Power Rankings: BYU stumbles with OU and Oklahoma State still lurking

With two weeks left in the regular season, Texas remains the unanimous No. 1 in the Big 12 power rankings.

The Longhorns, in sole possession of first place at 6-1, received all 14 first-place votes from a panel of beat writers that regularly cover the league.

Kansas State, in a four-way tie with Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Iowa State at 5-2, moved up to No. 2 with a 34-point win over Baylor and Oklahoma is No. 3.

Oklahoma State dropped two spots to fourth after a 45-3 loss to UCF.

UCF made the biggest jump of the week, from 12th to ninth.

1. Texas

Previous ranking: 1

Points: 196 (14 first-place votes)

Record: 9-1 (6-1 Big 12)

Last week: defeated TCU, 29-26

This week: at Iowa State

Comment: The Longhorns will have to play the rest of the season without breakout star running back Jonathon Brooks, who suffered a torn knee ligament in the win over TCU. Brooks ranks fourth in the nation among all Power Five running backs with 1,139 yards rushing in 10 games, and he also has 25 catches for 286 yards and an additional touchdown.

Did you know? Texas hasn’t won a Big 12 title since 2009 and has only played in the league’s championship game once since then, but even a win over Iowa State won’t ensure a spot in this season’s conference title tilt. – Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman

2. Kansas State

Previous ranking: 4

Points: 175

Record: 7-3 (5-2 Big 12)

Last week: defeated Baylor, 59-25

This week: at No. 16 Kansas

Comment: The Wildcats are rooting for chalk the rest of the way. If K-State wins its final two games of the season and Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State all take care of business as favorites in their remaining games then Chris Klieman’s team is heading back to the Big 12 championship game. If it happens, credit new tiebreakers and uneven schedules for the assists.

Did you know? Will Howard now holds the K-State record for career touchdown passes. - Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle/Kansas City Star

3. Oklahoma

Previous ranking: 5

Points: 172

Record: 8-2 (5-2 Big 12)

Last week: defeated West Virginia, 59-20

This week: at BYU

Comment: OU will face BYU for only the third time in history and the Sooners still don’t own a victory against the Cougars. In 1994, BYU beat OU in the Copper Bowl (31-6) and downed the Sooners 14-13 in the 2009 season opener.

Did you know? Wide receiver Drake Stoops is the Big 12 leader in receptions (62) and TD catches (9). He is a former walk-on and the son of legendary coach Bob Stoops. - Eric Bailey, Tulsa World

4. Oklahoma State

Previous ranking: 2

Points: 145

Record: 7-3 (5-2 Big 12)

Last week: lost to UCF, 45-3

This week: at Houston

Comment: Entering the weekend on a five-game win streak, the Cowboys collapsed in all phases, giving up 592 yards and turning the ball over four times. The loss took away the Cowboys’ control of their path to the Big 12 championship game, now needing some outside help to get there.

Did you know? Despite being held to 25 yards on 12 carries by the Big 12′s worst run defense, OSU sophomore Ollie Gordon II still leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,250, and he leads Power Five players with 1,496 all-purpose yards. – Scott Wright, The Oklahoman

5. Kansas

Previous ranking: 3

Points: 137

Record: 7-3 (4-3 Big 12

)Last week: lost to Texas Tech, 16-13

This week: vs. No. 23 Kansas State

Comment: The KU defense responded from a sluggish start and did everything it could to put the offense in a position to win — at least until it gave up 63 passing yards on three plays in 19 seconds to set up Gino Garcia’s game-winning field goal for the Red Raiders.

Did you know? Cole Ballard, the freshman walk-on third-string quarterback who spearheaded the Jayhawks’ doomed comeback attempt, is the son of Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard, whom KU coach Lance Leipold has known for over 30 years. – Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World

6. Iowa State

Previous ranking: 7

Points: 133

Record: 6-4 (5-2 Big 12)

Last week: defeated BYU, 45-13

This week: vs. No. 7 Texas

Comment: The Cyclones have lost just eight turnovers this season, which is tied for the 11th fewest among FBS teams. They have also intercepted 15 passes — a number topped by just Oklahoma and Liberty nationally (both have 17).

Did you know? Iowa State has beaten the Longhorns in three of the past four meetings at Jack Trice Stadium but has won just five of the 20 games in the soon-to-be-ending series. – Rob Gray, Cedar Rapids Gazette

7. Texas Tech

Previous ranking: 8

Points: 109

Record: 5-5 (4-3 Big 12)

Last week: defeated No. 16 Kansas, 16-13

This week: vs. UCF

Comment: Texas Tech isn’t going to pity Kansas for having to play their freshman third-string quarterback. A win is a win, and it’s a big one for the Red Raiders to keep momentum going toward another bowl game.

Did you know? Saturday’s victory over the Jayhawks was the first road win over a ranked team since 2018 when Texas Tech knocked off Oklahoma State. This week will be the first meeting between the Red Raiders and Knights. – Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

8. West Virginia

Previous ranking: 6

Points: 103

Record: 6-4 (4-3 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 17 Oklahoma, 59-20

This week: vs. Cincinnati

Comment: The Mountaineers had their worst loss of the season and were emphatically removed from Big 12 championship consideration. Nothing worked against the Sooners, but the Mountaineers won’t fully go back to the drawing board with underperforming Cincinnati and Baylor coming up to close out the season.

Did you know? WVU will immortalize former coach Don Nehlen this week against Cincinnati. The hall of famer coached his first game at WVU against Cincinnati in 1980 in the first-ever game at Mountaineer Field. – Cody Nespor, Morgantown Dominion Post

9. UCF

Previous ranking: 12

Points: 81

Record: 5-5 (2-5 Big 12)

Last week: defeated No. 15 Oklahoma State, 45-3

This week: at Texas Tech

Comment: RJ Harvey became the first UCF running back since Otis Anderson in 2019 to rush for at least 200 yards as the Knights dominated Oklahoma State, 45-3. UCF’s defense held the nation’s leading rusher — Ollie Gordon II — to 25 yards and the Cowboys to 277 yards. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee passed for a season-high 299 yards with 3 touchdowns to receiver Kobe Hudson.

Did you know? Harvey has five consecutive games of 100-plus rushing yards, tying him with Kevin Smith (2007) for the honor. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel

10. TCU

Previous ranking: 9

Points: 76

Record: 4-6 (2-5 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 7 Texas, 29-26

This week: vs. Baylor

Comment: The Horned Frogs fell behind 26-6 at halftime but battled back in the second half. It came down to the final possession when Texas converted a 3rd-and-12 with a long pass to Adonai Mitchell to seal the game. TCU outscored Texas 20-3 in the second half.

Did you know? TCU ranks 16th in total offense, but 124th in red zone offense. The Horned Frogs had a possession that reached the Texas 2 but failed to score any points. – Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

11. BYU

Previous ranking: 10

Points: 49

Record: 5-5 (2-5 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Iowa State, 45-13

This week: vs. No. 14 Oklahoma

Comment: BYU hit a new low with a third straight blowout loss. The Cougars have been outscored 117-26 in the last three weeks.

Did you know? BYU gained four total yards of offense in the second quarter. It went 1-of-11 on third down, compared to ISU’s 8-of-14 conversion rate on third down. – Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune

12. Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 14

Points: 42

Record: 3-7 (1-6 Big 12)

Last week: defeated Houston, 24-14

This week: at West Virginia

Comment: Cincinnati played its first game in some time with a minimum of mistakes as it spoiled Houston’s Homecoming with a 24-14 victory. Quarterbacks Emory Jones and Brady Lichtenberg threw no interceptions, while the Bearcats picked off Houston’s Donovan Smith three times. They were only penalized twice in the game, and one was a delay of game taken on purpose to give punter Mason Fletcher some room to pin the Cougars on their own 5-yard line.

Did you know? Corey Kiner has five 100-plus yard games now after rushing for 129 against Houston. He’s 115 yards away from 1,000 which would be UC’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2021 and Jerome Ford (now of the Cleveland Browns). While breaking a seven-game losing streak, Cincinnati has now won four straight against Houston. - Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer

13. Houston

Previous ranking: 11

Points: 35

Record: 4-6 (2-5 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Cincinnati, 24-14

This week: vs. No. 24 Oklahoma State

Comment: Houston has backed itself into a corner, needing to beat Oklahoma State and UCF to reach six wins for bowl eligibility. With the coaching carousel already going, will Dana Holgorsen be next? That’s the $15 million (buyout) question.

Did you know? Houston and Oklahoma State played six times as members of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1951-56. The Cougars went 5-1 during that stretch. – Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle

14. Baylor

Previous ranking: 13

Points: 17

Record: 3-7 (2-5 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 25 Kansas State, 59-25

This week: at TCU

Comment: The 34-point loss to Kansas State on Saturday was the second-most lopsided loss in Dave Aranda’s four-year tenure at Baylor (lost by 39 against Oklahoma State in 2020). It’s also the most points allowed by the Bears since they gave up 66 to Oklahoma in 2018.

Did you know? When Baylor and TCU face off on Saturday, it will be the 119th meeting between the two schools, the longest-running rivalry game in Texas. From 1899-1910, TCU and Baylor were both located in Waco, and the teams played 24 times in that span. - Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald