POWER RANKINGS Breaking down the Big 12

1. Oklahoma: The best bet for fans of other Big 12 teams is that the NFL entices Lincoln Riley out of Norman. Oklahoma is rolling toward another Big 12 championship. 2. Baylor: The Bears quieted doubters with a convincing win on the road against Oklahoma State. Baylor has taken on the identity of its head coach Matt Rhule. 3. Iowa State: The Cyclones finally look like the team many predicted to compete with Oklahoma and Texas for one of the two spots in the Big 12 championship game. 4. Texas: The Longhorns needed a field goal to beat Kansas at home. Read that sentence again if you’re upset about Texas dropping to fourth in this power poll. 5. Kansas State: The middle of the Big 12 could be ranked in four different ways. We’ll take Kansas State at five after an impressive win over TCU. 6. Oklahoma State: Baylor humbled OSU in Stillwater. The Cowboys look like a bright program with QB Spencer Sanders at the helm, though he’s struggled to avoid turnovers. 7. Texas Tech: The Iowa State loss was a step backwards for Matt Wells’ program. Not because of the loss, but because of how the game played out. 8. TCU: The Horned Frogs simply can’t pass the football with any consistency and that makes it impossible to win big games in the Big 12. 9. West Virginia: No shame in getting throttled by Oklahoma. West Virginia gets an open week before a big push to reach bowl eligibility starts in November. 10. Kansas: Les Miles almost pulled off a signature win on the road against Texas. Did the Jayhawks turn a corner offensively or is Texas’ defense that depleted?