This is a look at the Big 12 conference and where the Bears Truth staff and special contributor Jay Lockett feels they stack up. The contributors rank the Big 12 teams as individuals, and the average is used to rank the league 1-10.
Bill Snyder and the Kansas State Wildcats stay on top of the power rankings.
These opinions are developed off of each team's most recent football game and the games leading up to the most recent game. They are merely a reflection of how the staff at Bears Truth felt that each team played up until this point of the college football season.
Kansas State stays in the top spot even with their week off, while Kansas is still holding its own as the worst team in the Big 12. Texas got a big win over Oklahoma State, but it wasn't enough to jump them into the second spot in the rankings. Texas Tech beat Iowa State in Ames, but they still have a lot of questions to be answered as they have still not faced even an average offense.
Each voter's individual rankings are in parentheses.
1. Kansas State
Brian: (1) Off date doesn't make them less impressive.
Ashley: (1) Been the most impressive team on both sides of the ball so far.
Colt: (1) Typical KSU team. Not much flash, just will get it done. Should run over Kansas this weekend.
Brenden: (1) Could be in the top 5 when they play WVU in 3 weeks.
Jay: (1) "Ocean Front Property (but is it in Arizona?)" Right now Kansas St is Living and Living Well, but it's a tough call. West Virginia's defense is the only thing keeping them at number two for now. After they meet up we'll know if we should throw the Golden Gate in Free.
2. WVU
Brian: (2) Another test, this time on the road this week will show if shootout was due to poor defenses or unreal offenses.
Ashley: (3) Best offensive team in a conference loaded with good offenses.
Colt: (2) Put me on the bandwagon that it is going to be tough to outscore West Virginia and most teams will have to. If they get by Texas this weekend they are my favorite to win the Big 12.
Brenden: (2) Geno Smith will haunt defenses all year.
Jay: (2) "I Can't See Texas From Here." Or up here at number two. Hope there is as big as a gap in #2 and #3 as I think there is. We'll see this weekend in Austin. By the way Stedman really shined out of Oprah's shadow last week. But he's still in Terrance's shadow.
3. Texas
With Malcolm Brown out against West Virginia Saturday, Joe Bergeron will be the No. 1 running back for Texas.
Brian: (3) Impressive win, although video review showed otherwise.
Ashley: (2) Road win in Stillwater never easy; have to put them ahead of WVU for that victory.
Colt: (3) Texas might be the most balanced offensively and defensively in the Big 12. This will keep them in a lot of games. But the defense, which was supposed to be the backbone of the team, has been a huge bust until this point in the season.
Brenden: (3) The OSU win was big, but lets see if an experienced vertical passing game exposes them again.
Jay: (3) "Back to Bein' Me?" 2012 is different than 2010 and 2011 and that's a shame.
4. Oklahoma
Brian: (5) Still not sold on the Sooners.
Ashley: (6) Probably better than Tech and Baylor, but they haven't protected home field.
Colt: (4) They have had two weeks to prepare for a Tech team that essentially ended their National Championship hopes a year ago. Tough road game. Still not impressed with their offense.
Brenden: (4) Haven't been impressive yet, but they have the talent to get rolling.
Jay: (6) "She Let Herself Go" They may get all they can handle in Lubbock this weekend.
5. Baylor
Brian: (4) Must improve defensively to make the next step
Ashley: (5) Defense looks rough but offense is elite.
Colt: (5) However you want to slice it, giving up 70 points is not good. It is brutal. Luckily for Baylor, there aren't many teams in the Big 12, if any, that couple a great defense with a great offense, making it a lot easier to outscore people while the defense is growing.
Brenden: (7) The defense has a different take of the phrase "get off the field".
Jay: (5) "A Fire I Can't Put Out" Torched to the ground. I have a hard time justifying Baylor at 5 based on the defense. However OU has questions to answer as well.
t-6 Oklahoma State
Brian: (6) Gutsy performance versus Texas, but not enough.
Ashley: (8) Strong team, but like OU and Iowa State, they lost a home game they had to win.
Colt: (6) When they aren't forcing turnovers they are not good defensively. Still almost pulled it out against a "Top 10 team" at home.
Brenden: (6) Although the score didn't agree, OSU should have beaten a top 15 team.
Jay: (8) "Easy Come, Easy Go" Pretty much describes the game against Texas as well as their season so far.
t-6. TCU
Brian: (7) 24 points vs SMU?
Ashley: (7) Still not sure what to think of them; struggled to beat a below average SMU team.
Colt: (8) Despite the rain, offensive woes continue. Your defense gives you the ball SIX times and you only muster out 156 total yards? Rain or not, that is not good.
Brenden: (5) The offense hasn't been as consistent in the early going.
Jay: (7) "Does Ft. Worth" even cross your mind after that rain soaked game in Dallas?
8. Texas Tech
Brian: (8) Good win on the road.
Ashley: (4) Jumping them way up for defensive efforts and winning convincingly in Ames.
Colt: (7) Want so bad to put them higher on this list than No. 8, but they still have not faced an a team with a pulse offensively and I'm not sure that the Sooners' are that test. That said, beat the Sooners' and they will get the respect nationally.
Brenden: (8) Tech will jump up the rankings with another win over OU
Jay: (9) "It Ain't Cool to be Crazy About You" Even though it was a big win this weekend, still think they're right where they belong towards the bottom.
9. Iowa State
Brian: (9) QB play is killing this team.
Ashley: (9) Offense is not up to par with other Big 12 teams.
Colt: (9) Their quarterback play has been awful. Very surprised we have not seen Jared Barnett this season.
Brenden: (9) This may be a frustrating year for ISU. They need to find a way to put up points.
Jay: (10) "Down and Out". Maybe a bit harsh. They're not that bad.
10. Kansas
Brian: (10) Here to stay.
Ashley: (10) Continues to drag up the rear. Would need to upset KSU on the road to change that for the next rankings.
Colt: (10) Did Kansas play this week?
Brenden: (10) Its almost midnight madness
Jay: (11) "I Hate Everything"
- Colt Barber
- Staff Writer - BearsTruth