Big 12 Power Rankings (Week 14): Deion Sanders' Colorado slides while Arizona State shines
In a week of crazy college football, the Big 12 was in the middle of the insanity. Colorado? BYU? Bad losses. The league now has a four-team logjam at the top, and the CFP situation looks interesting. That said, the Big 12 is probably doomed to a single team in the playoff.
But here's how the entire league shapes up in our Big 12 Power Rankings.
Big 12 Power Rankings for Week 14
#16 Oklahoma State (3-8)
The Cowboys at least went down fighting, losing a 48-56 shootout. That said, Oklahoma State (0-8 Big 12) remains one of the biggest disappointments in college football. Running back Ollie Gordon is still 130 rushing yards shy of 1,000 for the season, which is shocking.
#15 Houston (4-7)
Houston slumped 10-20 against Baylor due to a lack of offense. The Cougars (3-5 Big 12) are officially out of bowl consideration, but a win this week could still jump them a spot or two.
#14 Arizona (4-7)
Likewise, the Wildcats (2-6 Big 12) are officially out of the bowl picture. TCU scored 49 points against Arizona, which stumbled through its season despite having a top-flight quarterback/wide receiver combo in Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan.
#13 Utah (4-7)
Utah took Iowa State down to the wire in their 28-31 loss, but they have now been eliminated from the bowl picture. The Utes (1-7 Big 12) are a massive disappointment, but the team has also suffered injuries and bad luck. Utah's record could have read 7-4 instead of 4-7.
#12 UCF (4-7)
The Knights (2-6 Big 12) also stumbled out of the bowl picture with a somewhat uninspired effort at West Virginia. At halftime, UCF was down 21-7, which ended its season. The game ended in a 21-31 defeat.
#11 Cincinnati (5-6)
After a 5-2 start, Cincinnati (3-5 Big 12) has fallen off the bottom of the barrel. A 26-point loss to Kansas State doesn't raise much hope for the regular season finale against TCU, but that's the key to the Bearcats's post-season hopes.
#10 West Virginia (6-5)
The Mountaineers (5-3 Big 12) jumped on UCF early, gaining their sixth win and bowl eligibility. In the offseason, Neal Brown's future will be a topic of discussion.
#9 Kansas (5-6)
If Kansas finishes this four-game run to end the season, nobody can easily accuse the Jayhawks of doing things the way they have so far. Kansas started 2-6 but has knocked off Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado in the last three weeks. Victory against Baylor and Kansas (4-4 Big 12) will be a team nobody would want to face in a bowl game.
#8 Texas Tech (7-4)
The good news: 56 points. The bad news: allowing 48 points. That defense can't beat many people, but that offense keeps them competitive. The Red Raiders (5-3 Big 12) are a "glass half full/half empty" test.
#7 TCU (7-4)
TCU (5-3 Big 12) picked up a seventh win and scored all over Arizona. Their finale with Cincinnati will likely impact both teams a couple spots in the power rankings.
#6 Baylor (7-4)
The Bears (5-3 Big 12) got a bit of a snoozer win over Houston but now face Kansas in a good test to close the regular season. All three of the league's 7-4 teams can undoubtedly finish with a notable step forward or backward.
#5 Colorado (8-3)
Maybe jumping the Buffs to the top of the CFP was a little hasty. Colorado's season is a frustrating mix of getting into a position to be elite and then falling back. While Oklahoma State should be an easy opponent, an 8-3 Buffs team won't go into the playoff unless they win the league. The tiebreaker options don't stack up for Colorado (6-2 Big 12) to get that opportunity.
#4 Kansas State (8-3)
Kansas State (5-3 Big 12) whipped Cincinnati, but their third conference loss means it's all over but the shouting for the Wildcats. Their finale at Iowa State is another chance to pick up a few brownie points and knock the Cyclones out of the Big 12 title picture.
#3 Iowa State (9-2)
Iowa State is in the four-team pileup atop the Big 12. The Cyclones are in one of the better positions regarding tiebreakers, but these top three teams are all given CFP shots of between 26.0% and 26.7% by ESPN's FPI. They need to win the league and look good doing it. A regular-season finale with Kansas State could help the Cyclones (6-2 Big 12).
#2 BYU (9-2)
With a second league loss, BYU has fallen back to the pack. The Cougars (6-2 Big 12) are still in the playoff picture but don't have a great tiebreaker situation. There's probably no path to the playoffs outside the league title, so BYU's finale is significant. Houston should be an easy win, but the Cougars need some outside help.
#1 Arizona State (9-2)
Here we are — a week away — and the team picked last in the preseason media poll is now in the thick of the Big 12 title hunt. Arizona State and Iowa State hold advantages in either two-team or four-team tiebreakers. The Sun Devils (6-2 Big 12) have the best chance of winning the Big 12 and reaching the playoffs, per FPI. Only underachieving Arizona stands in the way of a 10-win season.
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