The Big 12 missed out on the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years last season, but thanks to the performances of some of the league's top teams, that isn't expected to happen again. As we approach the halfway point of the season, the conference also looks stronger and deeper than it has in a while. Here are our Big 12 Power Rankings heading into Week 6:
10) Baylor Bears (0-5, 0-2)
Could Baylor be the worst team in all of FBS? They've looked better over the last two weeks, hanging with Oklahoma and Kansas State, but are still winless.
9) Kansas Jayhawks (1-3, 0-1)
Kansas didn't look helpless against West Virginia, but they also didn't look great. A road trip to Iowa State on Oct. 14 will tell us if this group will be able to climb out of the bottom two this season.
8) Iowa State Cyclones (2-2, 0-1)
Are the Cyclones a good team? From the eye test, yes. However, they haven't been able to put it all together and really struggled offensively against Texas. Can they learn how to win before it's too late?
7) Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-1, 0-1)
If the Red Raiders had been able to upset Oklahoma State last weekend, the conversation around this team would be completely different. They were able to legitimately match up against the Cowboys and their defense isn't a trainwreck. But, close or almost won't be enough for Kliff Kingsbury.
6) Texas Longhorns (2-2, 1-0)
Texas' defense proved against Iowa State that their performance against USC was no fluke. If that group continues to play at a high level, the Longhorns become one of the most dangerous teams in the conference. Beating Kansas State on Saturday would go a long way in solidifying their progress.
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5) Kansas State Wildcats (3-1, 1-0)
We still don't know what to make of this Kansas State team at this point. They started the season ranked in the top 20, but their loss to Vanderbilt looks a lot worse now and they struggled to put Baylor away. We'll find out a lot more about this team this weekend against Texas.
4) #23 West Virginia Mountaineers (3-1, 1-0)
WVU is similar to Kansas State. They haven't been tested since their close season-opening loss to Virginia Tech, soundly beating ECU, Delaware State and Kansas. Beating TCU cements them as a contender in the conference, while a loss would show they're nothing more than a middling team.
3) #15 Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-1, 1-1)
Mason Rudolph and the Cowboys haven't been dominant over the last two weeks, but found a way hold off a game Texas Tech team last weekend for the road win. They have two weeks to get things right - a bye week and home game against Baylor - before facing Texas in Austin. Oklahoma State needs to get their mojo back.
2) #8 TCU Horned Frogs (4-0, 1-0)
TCU has a surprisingly good resume with road wins over both Arkansas and Oklahoma State, putting them in the top 10. Now comes another test against West Virginia, but there is a reason for the Horned Frogs to be confident - they're 17-0 at home as an AP top-10 team under Gary Patterson.
1) #3 Oklahoma Sooners (4-0, 1-0)
Oklahoma's win over Ohio State in Columbus is still the best win of the college football season and now get Iowa State coming off a bye. OU will hold this top spot until they lose.
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