Texas has returned to the No. 1 spot in the Big 12 Conference power rankings.
With Oklahoma’s upset loss to Kansas, the Longhorns – 29-point winners over BYU – moved back into the top spot in this week’s rankings. Texas picked up nine first-place votes in balloting of 14 beat writers that regularly cover the league, while the Sooners received four votes. Kansas State received the other first-place vote.
There is currently a five-way tie for first place in the Big 12 between Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Iowa State. With a month until the Big 12 championship game, the race should begin to sort out this weekend with two games involving contenders: Texas and Kansas State meet in Austin and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State face-off in Stillwater in what may be the last Bedlam meeting for the foreseeable future.
1. Texas
Previous ranking: 2
Points: 191 (nine first-place votes)
Record: 7-1 (4-1 Big 12)
Last week: defeated BYU, 35-6
This week: vs. Kansas State
Comment: In his first career start, quarterback Maalik Murphy shook off a pair of turnovers to throw for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Texas hopes to have starter Quinn Ewers back from a shoulder injury before the end of the regular season Nov. 24 against Texas Tech, but Murphy looks in line for a few more starts.
Did you know? Since Texas and Kansas State are among the five teams tied atop the Big 12 standings at 4-1, the winner will have an inside track to the Big 12 title game Dec. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. – Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman
2. Oklahoma
Previous ranking: 1
Points: 172 (four first-place votes)
Record: 7-1 (4-1 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Kansas, 38-33
This week: at Oklahoma State
Comment: Oklahoma overcame fourth-quarter deficits against Texas and UCF to capture wins but could not make it three in a row at Kansas. OU had beaten the Jayhawks 18 straight games, a streak that went back to 1997.
Did you know? Perhaps one of the only encouraging things to come out of the season’s first loss was the return of OU’s run game. The Sooners finished with a season-high 269 yards, led by Tawee Walker’s career-best 146. — Eric Bailey, Tulsa World
3. Kansas State
Previous ranking: 3
Points: 164 (one first-place vote)
Record: 6-2 (4-1 Big 12)
Last week: defeated Houston, 41-0
This week: at Texas
Comment: Are the Wildcats one of the best teams in the country? Or are the last three teams they beat (Texas Tech, TCU and Houston) really bad? Maybe it’s a little of both? We will find out some answers when K-State heads to Texas for an enormous game on Saturday.
Did you know? K-State has lost six straight to Texas. — Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle/Kansas City Star
4. Kansas
Previous ranking: 5
Points: 162
Record: 6-2 (3-2 Big 12)
Last week: defeated Oklahoma, 38-33
This week: at Iowa State
Comment: Shaking off a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions, quarterback Jason Bean led a game-winning drive and Lawrence native Devin Neal scored the go-ahead touchdown as KU beat then-No. 6 Oklahoma for one of the biggest wins in program history. The wild game featured inexplicable turnovers, a lightning delay, disputed officiating and, ultimately, a field storming and a goalpost dumped in Potter Lake.
Did you know? This is just the second time that KU has ever been bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons. — Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World
5. Oklahoma State
Previous ranking: 4
Points: 148
Record: 6-2 (4-1 Big 12)
Last week: defeated Cincinnati, 45-13
This week: vs. Oklahoma
Comment: Running back Ollie Gordon II has thrust himself into national prominence with his third straight game of at least 280 yards from scrimmage. He had 271 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards with two touchdowns as Oklahoma State powered past Cincinnati, a defense that had not allowed more than 125 rushing yards to any team all season. OSU finished with 315.
Did you know? Gordon’s 553 rushing yards the last two weeks are the second-most by an OSU running back in program history, behind only the 625 yards Barry Sanders had in the final two games of his Heisman Trophy-winning 1988 season. – Scott Wright, The Oklahoman
6. Iowa State
Previous ranking: 6
Points: 125
Record: 5-3 (4-1 Big 12)
Last week: defeated Baylor, 30-18
This week: vs. Kansas
Comment: The Cyclones’ starting quarterback, Rocco Becht, has thrown at least one touchdown pass in each of his eight career starts. He’s also three touchdown passes away from tying former star Brock Purdy’s freshman record and has thrown just three interceptions in Big 12 play.
Did you know? Iowa State will face a ranked Jayhawks team at Jack Trice Stadium for the first time since 2008. Kansas rallied to win that game, 35-33, behind quarterback Todd Reesing’s 319-yard, three-touchdown performance. – Rob Gray, Cedar Rapids Gazette
West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene (6) runs past the Central Florida defense for touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
7. West Virginia
Previous ranking: 7
Points: 99
Record: 5-3 (3-2 Big 12)
Last week: defeated UCF, 41-28
This week: vs BYU
Comment: West Virginia got back into the win column by doing what it does best, running the football. WVU’s 286 rushing yards on Saturday were the Mountaineers’ most against an FBS team since running for 288 at Kansas in 2017. The defense also showed some of its early-season resiliency, causing four turnovers and only allowing 27 rushing yards after halftime.
Did you know? West Virginia and BYU have played just once before, in a neutral-site game at FedEx Field in 2016. WVU won 35-32. – Cody Nespor, Morgantown Dominion Post
8. TCU
Previous ranking: 9
Points: 93
Record: 4-4 (2-3 Big 12)
Last week: Open date
This week: at Texas Tech (Thursday)
Comment: TCU is coming off an open week in the schedule. The Horned Frogs have lost three of their last four games, a disappointing showing after finishing as national runners-up last season. In the last game, TCU was throttled by Kansas State 41-3 in a rematch of the 2022 Big 12 championship game. One bright spot has been running back Emani Bailey, who is fourth in the league with 106.4 yards per game.
Did you know? TCU coach Sonny Dykes is the son of the late Spike Dykes, who was Texas Tech’s football coach from 1986-99. Sonny will make his first trip back to coach a game in Lubbock since he was a Red Raiders assistant coach from 2000-06. – Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle
9. BYU
Previous ranking: 8
Points: 85
Record: 5-3 (2-3 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Texas, 35-6
This week: at West Virginia
Comment: Losing by 29 points to Texas was expected for BYU. But the offense again gained under 300 yards, signaling a wider problem. BYU went three-and-out five times and only had four drives of sustained offense (with more than four plays).
Did you know? BYU gained 12 yards of offense in the first quarter, the lowest total in Kalani Sitake’s tenure. – Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune
10. Texas Tech
Previous ranking: 10
Points: 65
Record: 3-5 (2-3 Big 12)
Last week: Open date
This week: vs. TCU (Thursday)
Comment: Probably the most headlines about a spitting incident since “Seinfeld” was on the air, which is better than the alternative for what could’ve been talked about in the open week.
Did you know? This will be a battle between the two biggest disappointments after Tech was picked fourth and TCU fifth in the preseason Big 12 poll. The Horned Frogs have taken the last four meetings with the Red Raiders. — Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
11. Baylor
Previous ranking: T11
Points: 56
Record: 3-5 (2-3 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Iowa State, 30-18
This week: vs. Houston
Comment: Baylor continued its mystifying trend of starting slow on Saturday, giving up an early touchdown and never leading. The Bears haven’t scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game in any game this season and have only led after the first quarter twice this season, against Long Island and Cincinnati, both wins. Baylor hasn’t led at home against a Big 12 opponent this season.
Did you know? Baylor has one of the youngest offensive lines in the country, with three freshmen consistently getting starts, more than double the rest of the Big 12. The Bears have five freshmen on the two-deep depth chart for the offensive line, tied for the most in the nation. — Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald
12. Houston
Previous ranking: T11
Points: 41
Record: 3-5 (1-4 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Kansas State, 41-0
This week: at Baylor
Comment: After a spirited effort in a near-upset of Texas, Houston suffered its first shutout since 2000 – following a span of 291 consecutive games — with a 41-point loss at Kansas State. “I don’t think that’s who we are,” coach Dana Holgorsen said. But is it? UH has failed to score an offensive touchdown in two Big 12 games, lost by 23, 21 and 41 in league play, and has trailed by at least 21 points the last two games. The November stretch offers hope with Baylor, Cincinnati and UCF. Those three teams are a combined 2-13 in Big 12 play.
Did you know? Houston will renew an old Southwest Conference rivalry when it plays Baylor for the first time since 1995. UH’s 28 meetings against the Bears are tied for the seventh-most among all opponents in school history. – Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle
13. UCF
Previous ranking: 13
Points: 36
Record: 3-5 (0-5 Big 12)
Last week: lost to West Virginia, 41-28
This week: at Cincinnati
Comment: Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee scored four touchdowns but also turned the ball over four times as West Virginia outscored UCF 17-7 in the fourth quarter to send the Knights to their fifth straight loss, keeping them winless in the Big 12.
Did you know? UCF has allowed 19 rushing touchdowns in its five conference games, more than 121 Football Bowl Subdivision teams have allowed all season. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel
14. Cincinnati
Previous ranking: 14
Points: 16
Record: 2-6 (0-5 Big 12)
Last week: lost to Oklahoma State, 45-13
This week: vs. UCF
Comment: The Bearcats played a tight game vs. Oklahoma State for a half until the wheels came off in the second half. The Cowboys scored 21 unanswered in the third quarter and outscored UC 35-6 overall in the second half. Oklahoma State became the second team (along with Iowa State) to outrush, outpass and overall outgain Cincinnati in total offense.
Did you know? Scott Satterfield has lost six in a row for the first time in his head coaching career. Oklahoma State’s 45 points were the most against the Bearcats since East Carolina scored 48 in 2018. In former coach Luke Fickell’s first season of 2017, UCF scored 51 against the Bearcats at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats and Knights are the only two Big 12 teams without a conference win in 2023. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer
AP Photo/Eric Gay
AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski