Big 12 Conference Power Rankings Heading Into Week 5

Week 5 is here for college football, and the previous four weeks have been interesting, particularly for the Big 12. So, now it's power ranking time!

Conference realignment rumors and speculation have surrounded the Big 12 conference for 18 months now. Nebraska to the Big Ten. Colorado to the Pac-10. Texas A&M to the SEC. Four other teams to the Pac-12 and then not. Missouri possibly to the SEC.

It’s been tumultuous enough to distract people from the fact that the Big 12 is playing some great football collectively.

If fact, you could make the case that there is really just one bad team in the conference. But they have to be ranked, because, hey, that’s just what we do in sports.

Here’s how they stack up.

10. Kansas

Kansas, just like every other Big 12 team, does not have a losing record. However, that is no indication they will improve on that record all season.

The Jayhawks took a 66-24 beating at the hands of Georgia Tech a few weeks back, and it looks like a sign of things to come.

KU has no more non-conference cupcakes to beat and is clearly the worst team in the conference. They will go 0-9 in conference to make for a long year for Turner Gill and his Jayhawks.

9. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders are undefeated this season and are averaging 523 yards of offense.

Sounds like they should be ranked higher than ninth, right? They’ve blown out Texas State (who led at halftime) and New Mexico in the first two weeks of the season and followed those up with a one-point win over Nevada.

Texas Tech has played no one. Literally. That fact will come back to bite them. Not this next week against Kansas but the week after against Texas A&M.

8. Iowa State

A reader might be shocked to see Iowa State not in dead last like they usually are in the Big 12. This Cyclones team is different.

They’ve gotten big, tight wins over Iowa and Connecticut, and have a good chance at home next week against 17^th-ranked Texas.

Iowa State won’t be a great team this season, but they are a scrappy one who will make a bowl game and probably win it.

7. Kansas State

If it weren’t for their head coach, Kansas State’s record and ranking in this list would be lower. Bill Snyder may be nearly 72 years old, but he's still coaching these Wildcats like he was a spry 65.

KSU is a tough, grind-it-out team that will win ugly games with solid defense and a strong running game. It’s such a stark contrast to the styles of most other Big 12 teams that it will allow them to compete, as it has so far in the non-conference schedule.

6. Missouri

Records can be deceiving, and Missouri’s is a liar. The 2-2 mark they’ve posted so far is hardly indicative of how good they are.

They’ve got close losses to Arizona State in overtime and to Oklahoma in Norman (a place where most visiting teams are beaten in the first quarter).

The Tigers do fall some on this list because of their record, but, if they play up to their potential from here on out, they’ll move quite a ways up.

5. Baylor

A two-point win over TCU in Week 1 propelled this team to one of the best starts in school history, and their quarterback is playing out-of-his-mind efficient, with more touchdowns than incompletions.

Most people are high on Baylor for right now for those reasons, and they should be. However, one can’t be too much of a prisoner of the moment. They’ve beaten a good TCU team, and two very bad Texas teams (Stephen F. Austin and Rice).

Robert Griffin is good and so is his team, but they will be not be one of the elite teams in this conference at season’s end. They’ll fall partially back to Earth once they face Big 12 competition.

4. Texas

Case McCoy appears to be the savior the Longhorns need.

Texas has looked like a different team since McCoy: The Sequel took over the starting quarterback responsibilities from Garrett Gilbert. And that won’t change.

He has had a very small sample of work so far as a starter, but he will make Texas better over the long run. The Longhorns’ impressive running game and athletic defense will benefit from having a quarterback who can actually play the position.

3. Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s one-point loss to Oklahoma State was probably one of the most painful losses in school history, as they squandered a 17-point halftime lead.

And yet, they are still No. 3 in this conference. Just because they lost one game to a top-10 team does not mean they should fall at all, especially considering how close it was.

Texas A&M is not an elite team nationally, but they are very good in terms of the Big 12. They’ll rebound nicely this week in Dallas versus Arkansas, another team reeling from a conference loss.

2. Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State’s big win this past week over Texas A&M may have finally gotten them the national attention they deserve. And even if it didn’t, they’re fine with that.

The Cowboys are used to being overshadowed by bigger and better teams and will have no problem lurking in the shadows until the time is right. Then again, they also appear to have the maturity to play big on the big stage.

Either way, they’re good. Their offense is one of the best in the country (quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon are studs), and their defense is very underrated (as they demonstrated in the second half against Texas A&M by forcing four turnovers).

1. Oklahoma

The Sooners may have fallen in the national poll, but they haven’t fallen in my conference one.

They pulled out a tough win at home against a very good conference opponent in Missouri. Should they be punished for that? I think not.

The Sooners were coming off a very emotional win against Florida State the previous week and appeared to not have their heads all in the game. Their defense in particular looked a bit out of it, giving up over 500 yards of total offense.

Bob Stoops will fix that, just in time to pummel Ball State this week and face off against Texas the next.