Big 12 Power rankings after Week 7: Deion Sanders' Colorado tumbles again after K-State loss
The Big 12 has had an upside-down season to date. The last two unbeaten teams in the league are Iowa State and BYU, while preseason powers like Utah and Colorado have had multiple losses. But here's a breakdown of where the league stands after Week 7.
Big 12 Power rankings after Week 7
#16 Kansas (1-5)
The Jayhawks have taken a long tumble from their spot as one of the expected top teams in the league. Kansas was off this week but needs a minor miracle to salvage their season.
#15 Houston (2-4)
Also off this week were the Cougars, who ESPN judges as having the league's worst chance of reaching a six-win season (just 6.3%). Houston had minimal expectations and has played accordingly.
#14 Baylor (2-4)
The Bears have also had a rough season. They were off in Week 7 but have a small window to make the 2024 season a significant one.
#13 Arizona (3-3)
Despite a ton of offensive talent, Arizona continues to struggle in 2024. BYU bested them 41-19, and ESPN rates the Wildcats with just a 55% chance of bowl eligibility.
#12 TCU (3-3)
The Horned Frogs are pretty essentially a .500 level team. They will have to improve to solidify their post-season situation, because as things stand, they're almost perfect on the fence for bowl eligibility.
#11 UCF (3-3)
The Golden Knights couldn't pick up a home win over Cincinnati and have fallen to the very middle of the league. ESPN gives them a 39% chance of coming up short of six wins and bowl eligibility.
#10 Oklahoma State (3-3)
Another team that has struggled with high expectations is Oklahoma State. OSU's offense has been much less explosive than expected, and they will have to improve quickly to salvage its back end of the season.
#9 West Virginia (3-3)
The loss to Iowa State was a missed opportunity for the Mountaineers to solidify their status. Instead, they still have plenty of work to do to reach a bowl game and are out of the league title picture completely.
#8 Cincinnati (4-2)
The Bearcats sneak into the top half of the Big 12 with a 19-13 win over UCF. A season with a likely bowl game is a solid improvement from Cincinnati's recent performance.
#7 Utah (4-2)
A tough loss to Arizona State lands Utah just above the midpoint line of the league. This wasn't the season the Utes had envisioned, and after being preseason favorites for a CFP spot, they're estimated at a 0.8% chance of that berth per ESPN.
#6 Colorado (4-2)
The Buffs nearly rallied to pull off an impressive victory, but Kansas State and Avery Johnson had one big play more than Colorado. Deion and the Buffs will still be interesting, but the loss virtually eliminates them from league championship and CFP berth contention.
#5 Texas Tech (5-1)
The Red Raiders have been winning games quietly, climbing into the upper echelon of the league. They were off this week but remain a near-certainly in the league's bowl picture and on the periphery of the league title.
#4 Arizona State (5-1)
The Sun Devils picked up a big win over Utah on Thursday that knocked the Utes into the middle of the league standings, suggesting that ASU still could have a league title or CFP ambitions.
#3 Kansas State (5-1)
The Wildcats were impressive in their 31-28 win at Colorado, which kept them in the league picture. K-State is as imposing of a team as any in the Big 12 and could still emerge with the league crown.
#2 BYU (6-0)
The Cougars have certainly been a surprise. They dominated Arizona in a 41-19 victory and have a just under 1-in-3 chance at the CFP bid, per the ESPN FPI numbers.
#1 Iowa State (6-0)
The Cyclones won at West Virginia and remain atop the Big 12. They're certainly the FPI favorite for the Playoff, as their 53% chances lead the league.
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