Big 12 Rankings: Kansas State remains in crowded race for Arlington

After this weekend, every Big 12 team will be officially past the halfway mark of their conference slate. As it stands right now, five teams are in first or second place in the league. Kansas State has made a loud rearrival in this group, after back-to-back two-score wins and refound offensive success.

Here is how the Wildcats stack up in the weekly KSO Big 12 Rankings.

1. OKLAHOMA SOONERS

Mason: 1
DY: 1
Drew: 1

It looked like Oklahoma spent their bye week and lead-up to UCF marveling at the win over Texas. The Sooners were able to turn it on late and survive a bad two-point conversion play from UCF. Oklahoma survived their clunker, which is what TCU and other teams have done in the past to be a playoff team. I expect the Sooners to leave little doubt and reaffirm their playoff chances with a strong performance this weekend.
Next game: at Kansas, 11:00 AM FOX

2. TEXAS LONGHORNS

Mason: 2
DY: 2
Drew: 2

The Red River Hangover impacted both teams. Texas jumped out to a big lead early, but let Houston come all the way back and tie the game before eventually winning 31-24. The biggest note out of the game is Quinn Ewers’ sprained AC joint, which likely means he misses some action. A major game awaits next week when the Longhorns host Kansas State in what could be a game that has Big 12 title implications. It could be Maalik Murphy or Arch Manning behind center.
Next game: vs BYU, 2:30 PM ABC

3. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

Mason: 3
DY: 3
Drew: 3

Many expected K-State to win on Saturday against TCU, but few probably expected the 41-3 performance. The Wildcats balanced two quarterbacks with ease. Will Howard and Avery Johnson alternated possessions and played well. With back-to-back wins, Kansas State has placed themselves in the large tie for second place in the Big 12. If they handle business this week against Houston, they will be right back into the position that many assumed to start the season, which is fighting for a chance to get back to Arlington.
Next game: vs Houston, 11:00 AM ESPN2

4. OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

Mason: 4
DY: 4
Drew: 4

Many people, including myself, wrote Oklahoma State off and assumed that Mike Gundy was out of touch. However, he is proving again why he has been one of the best coaches in college football for the last 15 years. The Cowboys battled in Morgantown over the weekend and pulled away late, scoring nearly 50 points in their two-score win. Ollie Gordon is the best running back in the Big 12 right now. The schedule looks favorable. If the Cowboys were to upset Oklahoma next week in Bedlam, there is a real chance the Pokes play for the Big 12 title.
Next game: vs Cincinnati, 7:00 PM ESPN2

5. IOWA STATE CYCLONES

Mason: 5
DY: 5
Drew: 5

Iowa State got a bye week to gear up for the home stretch that will be a lot tougher on them than the first month of conference play. After a “should-win” game in Waco this weekend, the Cyclones finish off 2023 with games against Kansas, BYU, Texas and K-State. This team has over-performed in the Big 12 so far, but there is a chance they fall back to earth in the near future.
Next game: at Baylor, 2:30 PM ESPN+

6. KANSAS JAYHAWKS

Mason: 6
DY: 6
Drew: 6

The Jalon Daniels mystery continues in Lawrence! It seems likely that Jason Bean will start against Oklahoma this weekend, and head coach Lance Leipold doesn’t seem to have clear info he wants to give. Daniels and Bean can perform at similar levels in the Jayhawk offense under Andy Kotelnicki, but it is clear that Bean lacks some of the processing that Daniels has. It leads to a less effective and more self-destructive Kansas offense when Bean plays. Without Daniels, the Jayhawks are going to have to battle in most of their games left if they want a chance to win.
Next game: vs Oklahoma, 11:00 AM FOX

7. WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

Mason: 7
DY: 7
Drew: 7

Head coach Neal Brown may fulfill the preseason prophecy of getting fired after all. The Mountaineer defense couldn’t stop anything that Oklahoma State did on Saturday. The offense was also turnover-prone to start the game and forced themselves to play with their hands tied behind their back. This weekend West Virginia heads to a hungry UCF, who is still searching for their first Big 12 win and almost took down Oklahoma.
Next game: at UCF, 11:00 AM FS1

8. TCU HORNED FROGS

Mason: 8
DY: 8
Drew: 9

It is back to the drawing board for the Frogs. TCU was ambushed from the start by Kansas State this past week. The test for if you are a good Big 12 team this season might be if you score points or not on the Frogs’ defense. Houston and BYU only managed a combined 24 points against TCU. Meanwhile, K-State West Virginia, and Iowa State have averaged just shy of 31 points against them. TCU is a prime example of a 6-6 team. Competent teams can handle them and below average teams will get beat up.
Next game: 11/2 at Texas Tech

9. BYU COUGARS

Mason: 9
DY: 11
Drew: 8

That was a good bounce-back win for the Cougars and their first win against an incumbent Big 12 team. Like TCU, this team isn’t bad, but they aren’t good and will have some fluctuation in their results.
Next game: at Texas, 2:30 PM ABC

10. TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Mason: 11
DY: 9
Drew: 10

Quarterback Jake Strong threw three interceptions in his first crack at extended action in college football against Kansas State. He followed it up with another three against BYU and a loss where Texas Tech wasn’t very competitive. It has been a nightmare season for Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders. He and his staff have dominated the recruiting trail in Lubbock, but in-game the success isn’t there yet. This team will likely miss a bowl game a season after winning eight games.
Next game: 11/2 vs TCU

11. HOUSTON COUGARS

Mason: 10
DY: 10
Drew: 11

The offense for Houston is the real deal. Donovan Smith has been great for the Cougars this season, but they lack a run game and defensively they struggle to get stops. They remind me of some prior Kansas teams where if you let your guard down they can hang with you offensively for a bit, but will eventually not have enough to finish off the win.
Next game: at K-State, 11:00 AM ESPN2

12. BAYLOR BEARS

Mason: 12
DY: 12
Drew: 12

By the skin of their teeth, the Bears have beaten two of the worst teams in the Big 12 this season. Baylor is who we think they are though and they threaten nobody at the top of the league. If they beat Iowa State this weekend it says more about the Cyclones than them.
Next game: vs Iowa State, 2:30 PM ESPN+

13. UCF KNIGHTS

Mason: 13
DY: 13
Drew: 13

Oh so close for the Knights. Unfortunately, Oklahoma woke up in the nick of time and avoided a bad home loss. So now UCF returns home searching for their first Big 12 win this weekend. I think they get it.
Next game: vs West Virginia, 11:00 AM FS1

14. CINCINNATI BEARCATS

Mason: 14
DY: 14
Drew: 14

If Emory Jones wasn’t their quarterback, Cincinnati might actually be a little better than they are currently. Unfortunately for the Bearcats, Jones just knows how to lose and has brought his unsuccessful ways to Nippert Stadium. I feel bad for the other 21 guys that start for Cincinnati. Head coach Scott Satterfield doesn’t get out of here without blame, though. He is the worst coach in the Big 12 and it probably isn’t close, even with as much as I dislike Dave Aranda. Worse than Satterfield though is the athletic director, John Cunningham, who thought hiring him was a great idea. Cincinnati football had dynamite hire after dynamite hire going back to Mark Dantonio. That streak is over.
Next game: vs Oklahoma State, 7:00 PM ESPN2