POWER RANKINGS

1. Oklahoma State (5-1): Oklahoma State needed the open week to get healthy ahead of Bedlam. Star running back Chuba Hubbard only managed six rushing attempts two weeks ago in the win over Kansas State due to nagging injuries. The Cowboys need him on the field against Oklahoma. A win over the Sooners clears a path to the Big 12 title game.

2. Iowa State (5-2): The Cyclones are 5-1 in Big 12 play with three games remaining on the schedule. Much of Iowa State’s success is in spite of quarterback Brock Purdy, who entered the year with plenty of expectations and high NFL draft aspirations. Instead, it is the running game paced by Breece Hall keeping Iowa State in the win column.

3. Oklahoma (5-2): The Sooners are on a Big 12-best four-game winning streak following a 1-2 start on the season. Oklahoma’s offense scored 62 points in each of the last two victories. More surprisingly, the defense is only allowing 17 points per game in the three games following the overtime win over Texas.

4. Texas (5-2): Texas travels to Kansas on Saturday hoping to increase its winning streak to four games. The Longhorns haven’t won that many games in a row since winning six straight early in the 2018 season. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger is second in the Big 12 with 1,834 passing yards. True freshman running back Bijan Robinson is emerging as a future star.

5. West Virginia (5-3): Consistency is the allusive trait for a West Virginia squad that’s alternated wins and losses over the past five weeks. The Mountaineers eased the pain of a close loss to Texas two weeks ago by returning home to beat up on TCU.

6. Kansas State (4-3): Kansas State can vault back into Big 12 title contention with a win over Iowa State. Reserve quarterback Will Howard is gaining confidence with each successive start in place of the injured Skylar Thompson. Howard led the Wildcats in rushing with 125 yards in the two-point loss to Oklahoma State in Kansas State’s last game.

7. Texas Tech (3-5): A last-second field goal propelled Texas Tech past Baylor in a game that only mothers of the players could love. Quarterback Alan Bowman, the starter earlier in the year, came in off the bench to lead the game-winning drive. Sophomore running back Sarodorick Thompson ran a season-high 13 times for 69 yards in the win.

8. TCU (3-4): Can TCU contemplate firing Gary Patterson considering the school has already built him a statue? The quarterback play is atrocious. The defense is average. The Horned Frogs are 32-27 since the beginning of the 2016 season.

9. Baylor (1-5): The Baylor offense should be quarantined and become illegal for public consumption until head coach Dave Aranda finds a consistent way for his team to move the football. Three of Baylor’s five losses were one possession games.

10. Kansas (0-7): The Jayhawks ended Charlie Strong’s tenure in Austin. They could do the same to Tom Herman if an upset happens.