Where Big 12 Teams Rank in the Top 25 After Week 6

Six weeks into the season, the Big 12 is still hanging around with four teams in the latest Associated Press and USA Today Top 25 polls. 

There wasn't a ton of movement this weekend. The biggest winner would have to be Baylor after it dismantled West Virginia 73-42. But the Bears are still fighting the perception that they don't deserve to be in the Top 10. 

So how did the four Big 12 teams in Bleacher Report Top 25 fare in the national polls this week?

Ben Kercheval's B/R rank for each team is listed in italics.

Oklahoma (5-0): No. 12 (AP); No. 10 (USA Today) 

Oklahoma struggled against TCU's extraordinary secondary in Saturday's 20-17 win, but the mark of a good team is that it can find several different ways to win. Against TCU, OU leaned heavily on its defense. For the first seven drives, the Horned Frogs couldn't even manage to get a first down.

This isn't TCU's best offensive team, to put it lightly, but still, that's quite an accomplishment for the Oklahoma defense. 

Up next for the Sooners: the Red River Rivalry against Texas. OU is an 11.5-point favorite over the Horns, according to VegasInsider.com. Too low?

B/R Rank: No. 12

Baylor (4-0): No. 15 (AP); No. 15 (USA Today)

The Bears keep creeping up the polls, but a lack of a quality opponent is keeping them from moving up closer to where I think they belong. While it's true that Baylor's schedule toughens up in the final month of the season, it was still impressive what this offense did to West Virginia Saturday night. 

The Mountaineers' defense isn't a lock-down group by any stretch, but it should have been good enough to keep Baylor from scoring 73 points—the Bears' highest output of the season. In two previous Big 12 games, WVU did a good job containing Oklahoma (pre-Blake Bell) and Oklahoma State. 

B/R Rank: No. 10

Texas Tech (5-0): No. 20 (AP); No. 21 (USA Today) 

After getting behind 10-0 to Kansas early, Texas Tech rolled out 54 straight points to win 54-16. Before anyone pronounces Tech's offense "back," understand that Kansas gave the Red Raiders a lot of help. 

Tech's defense continues to be impressive. Granted, the Jayhawks are awful on offense—the worst in the Big 12—but this Tech unit is turning into arguably one of the top defenses in the Big 12. The Red Raiders will need strong play from that unit when they face Oklahoma on October 26.

B/R Rank: No. 19

Oklahoma State (4-1): No. 22 (AP); No. 20 (USA Today) 

Oklahoma State appears to be leveling off a bit.  The Cowboys were unimpressive against West Virginia a week ago, but since the Mountaineers didn't play their best game either—other than on defense—it seemed to be a case of a good team having a bad day.

But Kansas State played worse than WVU did, with all kinds of penalties and turnovers, and Oklahoma State barely escaped with a 33-29 win at home. The most appalling stat was that the Pokes started three meaningful drives off turnovers in the red zone and came away with only three field goals. 

Not only is that failing to capitalize on opportunities, but coach Mike Gundy has to know that not every opponent is going to play as poorly as Kansas State did. The defense played well enough to keep Oklahoma State in the B/R Top 25, but this team needs to get out of its slump. 

B/R Rank: No. 22