1. Baylor
The No. 4 Bears snuck by Kansas State 31-24 in freshman Jarrett Stidham’s first game at quarterback. Stidham was as good as advertised, passing for 419 yards and three touchdowns. A game against Oklahoma at home should be his first real test.
2. Oklahoma State
The No. 5 Cowboys became legitimate Big 12 contenders with a 49-29 win over then-No. 5 TCU. The road to the Big 12 could run through Stillwater with Baylor and Oklahoma still due for visits. But that’s contingent on Oklahoma State taking care of Iowa State this week.
3. Oklahoma
The Sooners dismantled Iowa State 52-16 and remain the darkhorse in the Big 12 race. Oklahoma plays Baylor on the road, TCU at home and Oklahoma State on the road. Winning all three would clinch the Big 12, and give the College Football Playoff committee something to really think about.
4. TCU
The Horned Frogs’ thin defense came back to bite them in their 49-29 loss to Oklahoma State. To make matters worse, star wide receiver Josh Doctson left the game in the first half with a wrist injury, but TCU head coach Gary Patterson confirmed Doctson is not out for the season. TCU can still salvage its season with wins over Oklahoma and Baylor, but that seems like a tough feat for this bunch.
5. West Virginia
The Mountaineers took down Texas Tech 31-26 to improve to 4-4. West Virginia has the chance to end its season on a high note with Texas, Kansas, Iowa State and Kansas State coming up next.
6. Texas Tech
Tech’s potent offense only scored 26 points on West Virginia. The Red Raiders have now lost three straight games, but their final two games come against Kansas State and Texas. Texas Tech only needs to win one for bowl eligibility.
7. Texas
The Longhorns looked shaky in the first half against Kansas, but exploded in the second half to win 59-20. A win against West Virginia on Saturday would go a long way in helping Texas reach a bowl game.
8. Kansas State
The Wildcats made it close against Baylor, but didn’t have enough to stop Stidham. Kansas State now sits at 3-5. To make a bowl, it needs to go 3-1 in its final four-game stretch against Tech, Iowa State, Kansas and West Virginia.
9. Iowa State
The Cyclones fell back to earth with a 52-16 loss to the Sooners and have to deal with Oklahoma State next.
10. Kansas
Kansas is still winless in head coach David Beaty’s first season and goes on the road to play TCU next.