Big 12 Power Rankings Week 9: Oklahoma Needs a Battery Charge

Big 12 titan Oklahoma was rocked for three hours and drained by the charging Texas Tech Red Raiders last Saturday. As a result, the Sooners’ national title hopes took a huge hit.

All isn’t lost, though; the Sooners have games coming up against the two Big 12 teams listed ahead of them in the BCS chase.

Praised by me and a plethora of other analysts as the true No. 1 BCS team in the nation, the Sooners let us down last week by getting routed early by Texas Tech. OU came back to make it somewhat close, but the damage was done.

They dropped to No. 9 in the all-powerful BCS rankings. Where did the Sooners fall to on the somewhat important Lake Cruise's Conference Survey? Join me now to check on your favorite Big 12 team’s power position for this week.

10. Kansas: Jayhawks Juggling to Avoid a Winless Big 12 Season

Looking for their first conference win of the season, the Jayhawks (2-5, 0-4 Big 12) will travel to Austin. The Texas Longhorns will be awaiting them in hopes of avoiding three straight losses. Losers of five in a row, the Jayhawks will try staving off a dreaded sixth.

This battle of losing streaks should be intriguing, but Longhorn Network subscribers have the inside track to see it. Unless, that is, you have tickets to the game at DKR Memorial Stadium deep in the heart of Texas.

9. Iowa State: Cyclones Churning to a Complete Halt

ISU (3-4, 0-4) has broken a lot of their fans’ hearts and punched a ticket to losing four in a row. It’s been a digression season in Ames, but Cyclones fans hope prevailing winds will blow in a victory at Lubbock this weekend.

8. Missouri: Don’t Call Them “Pinkel’s Pussycats” to Their Faces

Pinkel’s players got routed by Oklahoma State in Columbia last weekend. As a result, the Tigers’ (3-4, 1-3) hopes for a bowl appearance this season took a further downturn.

Mizzou needs a desperation win against a hot Texas A&M squad, or the Tigers could start scraping from the bottom of the kitty litter bowl.

7. Texas: Longhorns Networking

Mack Brown’s bowl-seeking team is still ranked No. 24 by the BCS. With records of (4-2, 1-2), the Longhorns have a tough road ahead: Baylor, A&M, Missouri, Kansas State and Texas Tech are left.

Brown’s squad gets what could be somewhat of a reprieve this weekend against visiting Kansas. It won’t, however, be an easy game. Good blessings to both teams.

6. Baylor: Bears Need a Bounce

RG3 and the Bears need a blessed bounce or two in order to get back in the Big 12 race. They are in a virtual tie with Texas for sixth place.

The Bears get the No. 3 BCS team this weekend in Stillwater. A huge upset could be in the making. I look forward to the shootout almost certain to occur.

5. Oklahoma: Too Soon to Jump off the Bandwagon in the BCS Big Picture

Stay on the bandwagon because OU still has a shot to be the Big 12’s representative in the BCS National Championship Game.

They have the two conference teams ranked ahead of them in the BCS remaining on their schedule. Oklahoma will need to start fresh by beating KSU this weekend in Manhattan.

If the Sooners can’t ramp-up against a Bill Snyder team, then it could be another big loss.

4. Texas Tech: BCS No. 20

Tommy Tuberville’s team (5-2, 2-2) got ramped to No. 20 in the BCS after giving him the biggest conference win he’s had in the bountiful Big 12.

After romping to a 31-7 lead against the Sooners in Norman, the Red Raiders held on for the stunning 41-38 victory on the road. Tuberville’s team showed they are a legitimate offensive juggernaut ranked No. 3 in FBS passing yards per game.

3. Texas A&M: BCS No. 16

The fourth-place Aggies are on a roll like General Sherman through the Deep South. With victories over Texas Tech and Baylor, Mike Sherman’s squad has been the most dominant team of the Lone Star State’s Big 12 entries.

They’ll try to seek a measure of revenge against Mizzou this weekend at Columbia in the Midwest. The Tigers beat the Aggies, 30-9, last year in College Station near Houston, Texas.

2. Kansas State: Creeping

College football’s BCS No. 8 Wildcats were No. 11 last week. They’ll need more than seven or 11 to make a winning stand at home against the Sooners this weed and Oklahoma State in two.

Bill Snyder’s wild bunch will have to beat the juggernaut Cowboys in Stillwater after the knock ‘em down and drag ‘em out matchup against OU. Godspeed, Wildcats.

1. Oklahoma State: Better Win Bedlam

Long known as the second of the two Oklahomas, the wildest offense in the Midwest—the Cowboys—have realized T. Boone Pickens’ wildest dreams.

When he donated money to build athletics facilities, he envisioned the day OSU would surpass OU as a national powerhouse.

That day is here; The Cowboys are ahead of the Sooners in this week’s BCS rankings and Lake’s Cruised Them Big 12 Countdown.

Now, the Statesmen had better win the Bedlam series this year. No excuses. Likewise, don’t make me cruise on you next week because you offered some lame excuse for missing my show. Don’t forget to catch the Lakester right here on this same channel.

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