Big 12 football power rankings: Iowa State, Kansas on the rise in Week 3
By Dante Pryor
10. West Virginia Mountaineers (0-2)
After the Mountaineers lost to the Kansas Jayhawks at home last week, head coach Neil Brown might have the hottest seat this side of former Nebraska head coach Scott Frost. The Mountaineers allowed 52 points against the Jayhawks.
The offense has played well, but coach Brown and the staff have to be concerned about how bad the defense has been the first two weeks of the season.
9. Baylor Bears (1-1)
What’s most concerning about Baylor’s 23-20 overtime loss to the BYU Cougars last weekend was the Cougars threw the football effectively without its two best wide receivers. The secondary was supposed to be one of the strengths of the Baylor defense this season.
In addition, the Bears struggled to run the football despite having one of the best offensive lines in the Big 12.
8. TCU Horned Frogs (2-0)
The Horned Frogs have dominated two inferior opponents in Colorado and Tarleton State. Over the next month, we’ll learn more about the Frogs and new head coach Sonny Dykes. TCU plays SMU in the Dykes revenge game for the iron skillet and then plays #6 Oklahoma next.
7. Texas Longhorns (1-1)
An old maxim says, “Don’t let a team beat you twice.” The Longhorns must make sure the Alabama Crimson Tide beats them twice. The Longhorns put so much into playing and trying to defeat Alabama that Texas has to ensure they get up for UTSA.
The Longhorns were so oppressed that head coach Steve Sarkisian hoped there would be no physical letdown.
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders had an impressive win against Houston last week. In Tyler Shough’s absence, quarterback Donovan Smith threw 350 yards and ran for 29 more in their 33-30 win over the Cougars. The Red Raiders do have four challenging games in a row. They first travel to #16 NC State, then host Texas before road games against Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
We’ll know much about how good this team is over the next month.
5. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)
Oklahoma vs. Nebraska looks significantly different now than it did during the preseason. For the Sooners, this should be a walkover win based on how the Cornhuskers have played and the change of head coach. That said, interim coach Mickey Andrews could rally the troops and play well against the Sooners.
Head coach Brent Venables wants the Sooners to come out fast and put the Cornhuskers away early.