Big 12 Football Power Rankings after Week 12
By Erika Brown
13. Baylor (3-8, 2-6 conference)
Baylor hasn’t had the season they were expecting and they lost another one on Saturday against the TCU Horned Frogs. The Bears controlled the time of possession, but only accumulated 347 total yards on the day. Quarterback Blake Shapen had only 20 pass attempts, and threw a touchdown to running back Dominic Richardson. But TCU dominated every other aspect of the game. The Bears face West Virginia at home this week.
12. Houston (4-7, 2-6 conference)
Houston looked to be in control of the game early on, until 1:30 left in the second quarter. They were up 23-9 against Oklahoma State, but an interception from Trey Rucker turned the tides for the Cowboys. After that, the Cowboys scored 27 straight points. While quarterback Donovan Smith played well, with 235 passing yards and 63 rushing yards, the rest of the offense was stagnant. Houston looks to bounce back against UCF this weekend.
11. UCF (5-6, 2-6 conference)
UCF was riding high on their win last week against ranked Oklahoma State. But Texas Tech handled them on their turf. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw for 248 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. But a blocked point after kick with five minutes left in the game was the downfall for UCF. They take on Houston for their final game of the season. If they win, they become bowl-eligible.
10. BYU (5-6, 2-6 conference)
BYU kept a surprisingly close game against OU this week. It wasn’t until the 4th quarter when Oklahoma pulled ahead by only a touchdown and BYU couldn’t match. What hurt BYU the most were the 3 turnovers, compared to OU’s zero. BYU controlled the time of possession and overall total yards, but OU still came out on top. Running back Aidan Robbins couldn’t be stopped, rushing for 182 yards on 22 carries. BYU heads into Stillwater to face Oklahoma State with a lot on the line – a bowl bid for the Cougars and a Big 12 Championship bid for the Cowboys.