Big 12 Power Rankings: TCU, Kansas State make statements on way to title tilt

On3 imageby:On3 Staff Report11/28/22

All things considered it was a relatively drama-free week in the Big 12, with neither of the title contenders tripping up as TCU and Kansas State maintained their spots atop our Big 12 Power Rankings.

Texas did its part with a win over Baylor but didn’t get the help it needed to make it to the conference championship game.

Let’s break down the rest of the action from the extended weekend.

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Today we update the Big 12 Power Rankings following Week 13 games.

2022 Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 13

  1. TCU

TCU took a page out of Bill Yoast’s playbook and left no doubt. The Horned Frogs steamrolled Iowa State 62-14 to make a statement for the College Football Playoff selection committee, though it certainly won’t be needed at this point if the Horned Frogs duplicate that kind of performance next week against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game.

  1. Kansas State

Not to be outdone, Kansas State also racked up an impressive win. The Wildcats dusted the in-state rival Jayhawks 47-27 to reach the league’s title game. Kansas State ran for 230 yards and scored four times on the ground in the contest, while quarterback Will Howard threw for two scores. The Wildcats will be appearing in the conference title game for the first time since 2003.

  1. Texas

Texas flirted with disaster following a Quinn Ewers fumble in the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns turned to the ground game to close things out against Baylor and it did not disappoint. Bijan Robinson ran for 179 yards and two touchdowns, Roschon Johnson ran for 77 and two more and Texas topped Baylor 38-27 to reach eight wins.

  1. Texas Tech (+2)

Texas Tech has continued its steady rise up the Big 12 Power Rankings, winning its seventh game with a thrilling 51-48 overtime result against Oklahoma. The Red Raiders trailed by 18 at one point but quarterback Tyler Shough threw for 436 yards to help Texas Tech roar back. Dillon Gabriel threw for six touchdowns for Oklahoma but was hit hard in overtime and sacked, forcing a game-tying 34-yard field goal attempt that missed.

  1. Oklahoma (-1)

The Sooners were the epitome of an up-and-down team all season under first-year coach Brent Venables, and Saturday’s game was a microcosm of that. Gabriel was electric in the game and Eric Gray ran for 161 yards, but the Sooners just ran out of gas in overtime. At 6-6, Oklahoma finished the regular season without a winning record for the first time since 1998.

  1. Baylor (-1)

Baylor was competitive against Texas but allowed the Longhorns to pull away after a costly Blake Shapen interception in the fourth quarter. After a promising midseason turn, the Bears closed things out with three straight losses to end 6-6 on the year. It was a disappointing season for a team that went into the year with Big 12 title aspirations.

  1. Oklahoma State

What a disappointing finish to the season for the Cowboys, who lost five of their last seven and four of their last five. Saturday was a humbling 24-19 loss to West Virginia, with the Mountaineers running roughshod over Oklahoma State’s defense to the tune of 250 yards and three scores. The Cowboys will limp into bowl season with a 7-5 record.

  1. Kansas

Quarterback Jalon Daniels returned from injury a week ago, but Kansas hasn’t clicked back into gear since he went down midseason. It was still a strong year for the Jayhawks under coach Lance Leipold, but a 47-27 loss to Kansas State in the regular-season finale was Kansas’ sixth in the last seven games, keeping the Jayhawks near the bottom of our Big 12 Power Rankings.

  1. West Virginia

The Mountaineers had a rough season, but Saturday’s 24-19 win over Oklahoma State was a real positive. Even after quarterback Garrett Greene was knocked from the game and had to head to the locker room West Virginia stood strong. Injuries took a toll during the course of the 2022 season, but there are some definite pieces to build around and the Mountaineers finished by winning two of their last three games.

  1. Iowa State

The Cyclones lost six one-score games this season but were in no danger of suffering that fate against the Horned Frogs on Saturday, getting absolutely demolished in a 62-14 beating. Iowa State lost eight of its last nine after opening the season with a three-game winning streak.

Want to see how this week’s power rankings compare to our previous edition? Check out the 2022 Week 12 Big 12 Power Rankings here!