POWER RANKINGS
1. Oklahoma State (4-0): Starting quarterback Spencer Sanders returned from injury leading into the showdown with Iowa State, leading many to wonder how head coach Mike Gundy would handle the position after true freshman quarterback Shane Illingworth performed admirably in relief of Sanders. Gundy rode Sanders, who is more athletic and experienced than Illingworth. The decision paid off with an important win over Iowa State that kept the Cowboys in first place.
2. Kansas State (4-1): Kansas State looked fine without starting quarterback Skylar Thompson with Will Howard playing well in the place of the injured starter. It helps to play against a hapless Kansas squad. Howard threw for more than 200 yards in the win.
3. Iowa State (3-2): The Cyclones couldn’t catch Oklahoma State in the second half. Brock Purdy and the passing attack remains a disappointment through five games of the season. In both losses this year, Purdy has thrown for less than 200 yards.
4. Oklahoma (3-2): Starting quarterback Spencer Rattler accounted for more than 300 yards passing despite only completing 13 passes. Running back TJ Pledger looked good for the second consecutive game when he totaled 122 rushing yards and a score on 22 carries. The defensive line is starting to cause problems to opposing offensive lines.
5. Texas (3-2): Texas snapped a two-game losing-streak with an easy win over Baylor. Easy wins are uncommon these days for the Longhorns, so head coach Tom Herman will welcome a week without drama.
6. West Virginia (3-2): A normally stout defense let down the Mountaineers in the loss to Texas Tech. The 34 points allowed against the Red Raiders were 13 more points than West Virginia had allowed in a game this season.
7. Texas Tech (2-3): A win over West Virginia provided the Red Raiders with their first Big 12 win of the season. Texas Tech relied on its defense in the win, which is a weird sentence to type about the Red Raiders.
8. TCU (1-3): The fact that this TCU squad beat Texas is mind blowing considering how bad the Horned Frogs have looked in their three losses.
9. Baylor (1-2): First-year head coach Dave Aranda is finding offense much harder to find in Waco in 2020 than it was to find in Baton Rouge last season when he was the defensive coordinator at LSU. The Bears scored three points in the first half against a Texas squad struggling to stop opponents entering the game. Baylor couldn’t run the football, forcing Charlie Brewer to throw the ball 43 times.
10. Kansas (0-5): Kansas’ next three games are against Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas. The next shot at a victory likely comes on Nov. 28 when Kansas hosts TCU.