Cowboys are easy choice to lead class
In the history of Big 12 football, Kansas State has won two conference titles, OSU has won one conference title and Iowa State has won no conference titles.
In their school histories, OSU has won two outright conference championships, unless you count Missouri Valley seasons in which the Cowboys played no more than three league games; Kansas State has won three conference titles; and Iowa State has won zero outright conference titles.
Yet after two weeks of the 2020 Big 12 football race, the States lead the league.
OSU, K-State and Iowa State each are 2-0. There's a four-way tie for fourth at 1-1 among Baylor, TCU, West Virginia and Texas. OU, Texas Tech and Kansas are in last place at 0-2.
It's quite a change from Sept. 12, when Kansas State and Iowa State lost to Sun Belt Conference teams Arkansas State and LouisianaLafayette, respectively, and Sept. 19, when OSU barely survived Tulsa, 16-7.
Since then, Big 12 favorites OU and Texas are a combined 1-3, with UT's overtime survival of Tech the only victory.
So the Big 12 rankings are quite interesting, if not upside down.
Remember, I rank teams based on what they've done — who they played, where they played and how they did:
1. Oklahoma State (3-0, 2-0 Big 12):
The Cowboys' schedule toughness improved Saturday, as West Virginia beat Baylor and Tulsa upset Central Florida.
2. Iowa State (2-1, 2-0): The Cyclones' loss to LouisianaLafayette was not good, but at least the Ragin' Cajuns still haven't lost. And winning at TCU clearly is a good win for Iowa State.
3. Kansas State (2-1, 2-0):
K-State's loss to Arkansas State took a hit when the Red Wolves were routed at Coastal Carolina.
4. TCU (1-1, 1-1): The Horned Frogs look like the real deal after
winning in Austin.
5. Texas (2-1, 1-1): The Longhorns are oh so close to being 0-2 in the Big 12. They needed to rally from 15 down in the final three minutes to win a week ago in Lubbock. That would have been a wild OU-Texas game; two 0-2 teams.
6. West Virginia (2-1, 1-1): The Mountaineers got a big win, beating Baylor. Maybe WVU can have a solid season.
7. Baylor (1-1, 1-1):
Bears
quarterback Charlie Brewer did not look good against West Virginia. Is a change coming?
8. Oklahoma (1-2, 0-2): Hard to rank the Sooners any higher until they beat somebody besides Missouri State.
9. Texas Tech (1-2, 0-2): The Red Raiders played tough against Texas and at Kansas State, and have nothing to show for it.
10. Kansas (0-3, 0-2): COVID or not, you can always count on KU.