Big 12 College Football Power Rankings: Week Two
Rating teams is, by its' nature, an inexact science. Polls have vague guidelines, and different voters can vote for different things. Some pollsters vote for a team based on where they think the team will be at the end of the season based on their schedules and progressions, while others base their votes solely on the body of work to date.
That's what makes power ranking a more objective tool for determining where teams are in the course of a season. Because you know you're getting a snapshot of where teams are not, based on their current body of work, you have a consistent set of criteria and can make judgments from week to week based on what you see on the field rather than what you guess will happen in the future.
So, after two weeks of play, how does the Big 12 sort itself out?
No. 12: Colorado (1-1, 0-1)
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Last game: Lost to California, 52-7, on the road
Last week: No. 7
What happened: Welcome to the Pac-10, Ralphie. After a convincing win in their intra-state rivalry game against Colorado State, the Buffaloes went west to play their future conference-mates at Berkley. CU was down 31-0 at the half, and was never competitive. Oh, by the way, Colorado State (CU's victim last week) lost to Nevada 51-6.
Why No. 12? A combination of an embarrassing loss and an exposure of the team you beat is a sure bet to drop you like a rock in the power rankings. Some experts call it a "Boise State Maneuver."
Next game: Hawai'i, at home. If this isn't a get-well game for the Buffs, Dan Hawkins could struggle to make it through the year as the head man.
No. 11: Oklahoma State (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat Troy, 41-38, at home
Last week: No. 10
What happened: Mr. "I'm A Man" Mike Gundy and his charges were trailing the Trojans at home, at halftime. No, the OTHER Trojans, the ones from Alabama. The 'Pokes needed all 157 yards from Kendall Hunter and a second half rally to hold on and win.
Why No. 11? Yes, you can be undefeated and drop in a power ranking, even to a team with one loss. Okie State gets very little credit for their defeat of Washington State last week, and their struggles against a team like Troy should be a huge warning sign that this team will struggle moving forward.
Next game: Tulsa, at home. The Golden Hurricane put up a lot of points on what is becoming exposed as a suspect Cowboy defense, and could end their perfect season.
No. 10: Iowa State (1-1, 0-0)
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Last game: Lost to Iowa, 35-7, on the road
Last week: No. 9
What happened: At one point, the Cy-Hawk series between intra-state rivals was a tough match to call. Not lately. Iowa's dominance of the 'Clones was established early, and the late ISU score and low number from the Hawkeyes don't tell the tale of how outclassed Paul Rhodes' team was.
Why No. 10? Iowa State plays tough, relentless, and opportunistic defense, but athletic limitations and a suspect offense means the 'Clones need help from their opponent to compete.
Next game: Kansas State, at a neutral site. If ISU can load up the box to limit Daniel Thomas and make K-State win through the air, the 'Clones have a chance to pull an upset.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 9: Kansas (1-1, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat #15 Georgia Tech, 28-25, at home
Last week: No. 12
What happened: Some idiot, after KU's loss to FCS North Dakota State last week, said that Turner Gill would need to engineer a miracle turnaround to get a win over Georgia Tech. Apparently there is a body of water Gill walked over on his way to practice during the week leading up to the game. Changing quarterbacks and burning a redshirt on a talented freshman tailback might have something to do with it, too.
Why No. 9? As impressive as beating Georgia Tech was - and make no mistake, beating a ranked team after coming off a crushing loss in a season opener is as impressive as it gets - any team that has a loss to an FCS school can't shoot up too high in the power rankings.
Next game: Southern Miss, on the road. Which Jayhawk team will we see on the road?
No. 8: Baylor (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat Buffalo, 34-6, at home
Last week: No. 11
What happened: Another comfortable win over a lesser opponent. Baylor is one of the harder teams to power rank at this point, because they really haven't faced enough of a test to see how good they really are. But Griffin put on another offensive show, and the Baylor defense played well enough.
Why No. 8? Another comfortable win over a "should have beat them" team is enough to keep the Bears from dropping like the teams that have slid below them.
Next game: TCU, on the road. Yeah, the difficulty level ramps up a bit. Sitting Robert Griffin on your fantasy team might not be the worst idea.
No. 7: Texas Tech (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat New Mexico, 52-7, on the road
Last week: No. 8
What happened: New head coach Tommy Tubberville has showed little sign of backing off from former head coach Mike Leach's air raid strategy, letting Tech QB Taylor Potts throw for three touchdowns and 297 yards. If Tubberville is looking to create a balanced offense, he's got some work to do.
Why No. 7? Keep in mind, this was a New Mexico team that Oregon beat 72-0 last week, and Tech gave up 433 yards of total offense to the Lobos.
Next game: Texas, at home. If Tech gives up 433 yards to the Longhorns, it's likely they'll give up more than 17 points.
No. 6: Kansas State (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat Missouri State, 48-24, at home
Last week: No. 6
What happened: Yes, the Purples got the win they should get over FCS Missouri State. Yes, Carson Coffman came out of his shell to throw for 280 yards and three touchdowns to compliment Daniel Thomas and his 137 yards of rushing and two touchdowns. But, still, it was Missouri State, and the K-State defense did surrender 24 points and 447 total yards.
Why No. 6? The Purples held serve against lesser competition, so they held their spot in the power rankings.
Next game: Iowa State, at a neutral site. Thomas is something special, but the Cyclones are the best defense K-State will have seen this year.
No. 5: Missouri (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat McNeese State, 50-6, at home
Last week: No. 5
What happened: Missouri did what good teams are supposed to do against teams like McNeese State - get an early lead, look impressive, and cruise to a comfortable win. Nebraska fans may be glad to be leaving the conference after this year to avoid two more years of reminders about what could have been with Blaine Gabbert calling the signals in Lincoln.
Why No. 5? Yes, Mizzou looked very good. But it was McNeese State. Staying put in the power rankings is the best you can hope for.
Next game: San Diego State at home. The competition at least ramps up to FBS level, but still a notch below anything that will tell us how good the Tigers are.
No. 4: Texas A&M (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat Louisiana Tech, 48-17, at home
Last week: No. 3
What happened: The Aggies clunked along at the start of the game, but Jerrod Johnson's playmaking abilities eventually pulled A&M away from an overmanned Louisiana Tech team. Having an 11-point halftime lead after five fumbles and a blocked punt is an accomplishment in itself.
Why No. 4? A&M's drop has less to do with the Aggies, and more to do with a certain other team in the conference making a point.
Next game: Florida International, at home. I suspect Mike Sherman will be using the FIU game as a ball security exercise as the Aggies get ready for conference play.
No. 3: Nebraska (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat Idaho, 38-17, at home
Last week: No. 2
What happened: Nebraska pulled out to an early 31-3 lead, then stuttered and allowed Idaho to pull the score back to a more respectable numbers. Four turnovers and 10 penalties contributed to an uneven, if ultimately successful, performance.
Why No. 3? A sloppy, but ultimately safe win against a team like Idaho isn't enough to hold off a hard-charging OU squad sending a message.
Next game: Washington, on the road. Nebraska's redshirt quarterback Taylor Martinez gets his first test on the road against a BCS-conference foe.
No. 2: Oklahoma (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat Florida State, 47-17, at home
Last week: No. 4
What happened: Reports of the Sooners' demise as a national title contender after a sluggish win over Utah State last week were, apparently, greatly exaggerated. OU destroyed the Seminoles on both sides of the ball, with quarterback Landry Jones throwing for 380 yards and four touchdowns.
Why No. 2? It's very tempting to put OU in the top spot after such a convincing performance, but the clunker they put up against Utah State is enough to keep them on the silver medal podium. For now.
Next game: Air Force, at home. The Falcons bring a unique offense to Norman, but the Sooners are so full of confidence at this point that they should overmatch the service academy.
No. 1: Texas (2-0, 0-0)
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Last game: Beat Wyoming, 34-7, at home
Last week: No. 1
What happened: So much for that whole "Texas as a power running team" thing they were trying to do last week. Garrett Gilbert came out and threw 35 times for 222 yards and four touchdowns to pull away from Wyoming. The game was close for a while, and the Longhorns' inability to dominate a WAC opponent should be of some concern, but ultimately the difference in quality showed through.
Why No. 1? Oklahoma notched the most impressive Big 12 win of the season to date, but Texas' two wins put together still leaves them ahead by a nose against their Red River rivals.
Next game: Texas Tech, on the road. The Longhorns can't afford anything but a four-quarter performance against the Red Raiders if they want to keep alive the dream to return to the BCS title game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
