Big 12 power rankings: Week 11

By foxsports
Published

There's never much movement on a weekend without an upset, but here's how the Big 12 stacks up entering the final month of the season:

1. TCU: You have to get a little lucky and make a great escapes or two to win a Big 12 title. The Frogs might have cashed theirs in on Saturday in Morgantown. The Frogs got five turnovers from WVU and rallied from a 13-point deficit midway through the third quarter and a nine-point deficit early in the fourth quarter. This week's game against Kansas State will be the biggest in a long time in Fort Worth and a win would put TCU very close to a Big 12 title and a playoff ticket. 

2. Kansas State: Week after week, the Wildcats look solid as a rock. Saturday's game in Fort Worth will go a long way in clearing up the Big 12 title picture. If Kansas State wins it, the Wildcats may only need a split in road games at West Virginia and Baylor to win the title. 

3. Baylor: The Bears weren't sharp offensively and Bryce Petty's completion percentage is still lower than he'd like it to be after completing just 55 percent against the Big 12's worst team. However, the running game helped assure there would be no drama in Waco this week. Baylor's top four backs combined for 287 yards on just 38 carries, an average of 7.55 yards a carry. The big question: Is Baylor (or specifically, Petty) ready for OU? We may never get the answer to this and more burning questions. 

4. West Virginia: The Mountaineers stay above the Sooners after nearly knocking off TCU at home this week. WVU didn't play its best game and still had TCU on the ropes until the final second. When Terrell Chestnut's strip and score put WVU up 27-14 midway through the third quarter, it felt like WVU had turned a corner and all was lost for TCU. It only made the loss more painful. Still, West Virginia is an improved team with a chance to earn a big time bowl bid after a 4-8 season a year ago. 

5. Oklahoma: The Sooners' offensive line was an awful matchup for Iowa State, and OU dominated the line of scrimmage for 60 minutes. The Sooners need to win out and need Kansas State or TCU to take an additional loss outside of next week's game (two for K-State if the Wildcats win) to earn a share of the Big 12 title. 

6. Texas: The Longhorns know who they are and are capable of pushing around lesser defenses. WVU is better than people realize, but Texas wants to pound it and give Tyrone Swoopes chances to make plays inside and outside the pocket. If UT can pressure Clint Trickett, force some turnovers and slow down West Virginia's offense a bit, Swoopes may give them a chance to spring an upset. 

7. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys have now scored two offensive touchdowns in their last 14 quarters. You've got no chance to win games in the Big 12 doing that and OSU had two blowout losses and a near upset loss to Kansas to show for it. J.W. Walsh isn't expected to return this season and OSU's offensive line can't fast forward to their senior seasons. Expect more of the same in the coming weeks. The Cowboys just aren't a very good team right now.

8. Texas Tech: Davis Webb won't fix everything, but he'll give Texas Tech a chance to win a game or two down the stretch. The Red Raiders can't expect anything good without him on the field. 

9. Iowa State: If you can't stop the run, life gets difficult in a hurry. Iowa State is finding that out week after week. Any offensive improvement is negated if you give up 510--510!!--rushing yards. Is there a team in the history of college football who has won a game giving up over 500 yards on the ground? 

10. Kansas: Michael Cummings has shown a little potential the last few weeks. His completion percentage has risen in each of the last three weeks, amassing 811 yards, four touchdowns and just two interceptions. He's grown up a lot since struggling as a freshman in 2012 and outdueled Bryce Petty this week, despite the lopsided loss.