The Big 12 is the conference of endless chaos, and the BYU Cougars and Iowa State Cyclones stand supreme about the remaining members with unblemished 6-0 records.
But that's not where the power rankings get interesting--these two teams have already surpassed expectations and suddenly have new expectations to uphold. As we look toward the middle of the conference, a massive game of musical chairs is taking place in a tumbling undertow of wins, losses, upsets, and unsettled scores.
It's a nightmare down there, and no one expected BYU and Iowa State to keep their heads above water for this long. They aren't safe from all danger, though, as Texas Tech and Arizona State are making compelling cases since the conference schedule began. With the season in full swing and the greater picture more obvious than ever, this Big 12 Conference is an unpredictable cage match week by week.
But with that all in mind, the chaos must have produced more surprises than a few teams, and true to form, for every team exceeding expectations, there's sure to be a handful of squads who have fallen short up to this point, and their names will populate the basement of this list.
Kansas and Oklahoma State were supposed to be much more, and UCF should have been the king of the newcomers. And yet, as the season progressed, these teams have tumbled into obscurity, and are already slapping bumper stickers onto their cars that read, "there's always next year."
Let's dive into these power rankings.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | BYU Cougars | 6-0 (3-0 Big 12) |
2 | Iowa State Cyclones | 6-0 (3-0 Big 12) |
3 | Kansas State Wildcats | 5-1 (2-1 Big 12) |
4 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 5-1 (3-0 Big 12) |
5 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 5-1 (2-1 Big 12) |
6 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 4-2 (2-1 Big 12) |
7 | Colorado Buffaloes | 4-2 (2-1 Big 12) |
8 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 3-3 (2-1 Big 12) |
9 | Arizona Wildcats | 3-3 (1-2 Big 12) |
10 | Utah Utes | 4-2 (1-2 Big 12) |
11 | UCF Knights | 3-3 (1-2 Big 12) |
12 | Houston Cougars | 2-4 (1-2 Big 12) |
13 | TCU Horned Frogs | 3-3 (1-2 Big 12) |
14 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | 3-3 (0-3 Big 12) |
15 | Baylor Bears | 2-4 (0-3 Big 12 |
16 | Kansas Jayhawks | 1-5 (0-3 Big 12) |