The Big 12 has, predictably, turned on its head for the second straight season. When I say predictably, that's not to say anyone could have foreseen a Texas Tech loss against ASU after the horrors of that macabre night in Salt Lake City, but this is what happens within the confines of this league: teams take each other down, even though the rest of the nation sees that as weakness (we won't dive too deep into SEC bias in this article, I promise).
But the Red Raiders did fall on Saturday, and a Holy War victory means the BYU Cougars are the only unbeaten left in the Big 12 Conference. I'll let you guess who's taking the number one spot this week.
Big 12 Football Power Rankings
It's a beautiful sight. After a huge Holy War win over Utah -- making that three straight over the Utes -- BYU finally has that high-demand quality win under their belt, and stand as the only undefeated team in the Big 12 with Texas Tech's slip-up in Tempe. Bear Bachmeier is no freshman, and this Cougar defense was stout, exposing Devon Dampier's weaknesses in the passing game and keeping their team ahead for all but three minutes of game time.
It only gets harder from here for the Cougars, though, and they'll need to keep winning against the likes of Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Cincinnati to keep their heads above water. A tall task, but this team keeps winning football games.
After a season-opening loss to Nebraska, the Bearcats haven't dropped a game since and are unbeaten in conference play. Super impressive, considering this program's first two years as a Power Four member. They've found their groove this season, clearly, and keep winning football games. most recently against Oklahoma State but that still counts, right?
Yes, yes, they lost this weekend, but let's not forget that this team was -- and still is -- the odds-on favorite to win the league title. With a backup quarterback against a solid ASU team on the road, the Red Raiders are going to stumble down the power rankings, but let's not act like they should fall any lower than this. This is still the team to beat, they just happened to fall this weekend.
How did this happen? Can we have a Houston conversation? After taking down Arizona, the Coogs are 6-1. Yes, the Houston Cougars. In football.
This team's only loss on the year is to Texas Tech, and the Cougars are still clawing for a shred of national respect. I see you, Houston, and I know you've been fantastic this year. This is a team with a very capable defense and a legitimate resume of sustained success on the year. Rank them, you cowards.
As much as I would love to lean on a second loss to send the Utes plummeting down the standings, if Tech's road loss to ASU isn't that big of a deal, there's no way I could fault the Utes for dropping a rivalry game in Provo, even if they were 5.5-point favorites at kickoff.
Still, this team looked far from solid against the Cougars on Saturday, and will need to make some serious offensive adjustments if they want to compete for a date in Arlington by year's end. This is their final wake-up call.
Was that the real Arizona State on the field against Texas Tech? Because at this point, I'm absolutely lost in terms of evaluating Dillingham's roster. Without their starting quarterback on the road, this team was absolutely immasculated in Salt Lake City. Then they turn around with Sam Leavitt in the backfield and take down a team that looked invincible all season. Is a backup quarterback that much of a difference-maker? And if so, should Behren Morton's absence be taken into account?
At their best, this team may be capable of beating anybody, but can they play at their best every weekend from here on out? No clue.
TCU took down Baylor in Fort Worth this past weekend, and remains a looming presence in the background of the enigmatic Big 12.
Matt Campbell's team is fresh off of two straight losses -- the bye week couldn't come soon enough. But they control their destiny if they can topple the visiting BYU Cougars this weekend in Ames. That's been a tall task for everyone on BYU's schedule thus far, and should provide the greatest challenge the Cyclones have faced all season. Win and they rise, lose and the reprecussions could be catastrophic.
Once again, I am at a complete loss with the Baylor Bears this season. You lost to TCU, and I can't fault you too much for a close road defeat, but are the Bears good? Are they bad? Are they just another mediocre Dave Aranda team? Who knows.
I remain a believer that Kansas State is not as bad as they appeared in the early season. In their last three games, they lost a single game by one point sandwiched between UCF and TCU-flavored wins. Am I reaching?
11. Kansas Jayhawks
12. UCF Knights
13. Arizona Wildcats
14. Colorado Buffaloes
15. West Virginia Mountaineers
16. Oklahoma State Cowboys