Texas dropped for the second week in a row after yet another close loss. While the Longhorns dropped to No. 4 in The Daily Texan's power rankings, they weren't the only team making significant moves. Here's how the power rankings are looking after Week 10:
No. 1 West Virginia
Welcome back to the top spot, West Virginia. The gutsy move by Dana Holgorsen to go for two with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter propelled the Mountaineers to a 7–1 record and kept their Big 12 championship game hopes alive. West Virginia has a tune up game with TCU at home before heading into a must win in Morgantown against Oklahoma.
No. 2 Oklahoma
No matter the situation, winning a night game in Lubbock is tough. Oklahoma experienced that first hand for three-and-a-half quarters last Saturday. The Sooners are sitting near the top in the AP and College Football Playoff standings, however their Bedlam matchup this weekend could prove to be a small bump in the road. Kyler Murray once again put up video game numbers and should do the same this weekend against a suspect Oklahoma State defense.
No. 3 Iowa State
Winners of four straight game, the Iowa State Cyclones are playing their best football of the season and aren’t showing signs of slowing down. It is very surprising to see Iowa State this high in the rankings following a 1–3 start to the season. It’s clear the Cyclones have figured out their bread and butter, having held opponents to just 16 points per game in their last three matchups.
No. 4 Texas
After being ranked No. 6 in the country, the Longhorns have since lost two straight conference games and watched their Big 12 championship hopes diminish. Todd Orlando’s defense was once again thrashed for another 500-plus yard and 40-plus point performance. As previously mentioned, a night game in Lubbock is never an easy place to get a win, and that is exactly what is in store for the Longhorns this weekend.
No. 5 Baylor
Baylor gets a big boost in morale following a game-winning touchdown by Denzel Mims with seven seconds left to defeat Oklahoma State 35-31. This is the exact victory Baylor needed to keep hope alive in the season. Baylor previously lost to Texas and West Virginia before the Oklahoma State victory and are now coming to an end of their gauntlet with a road test against No. 22 Iowa State.
No. 6 Oklahoma State
One week after storming the field and celebrating a victory over then-No. 6 Texas, the Oklahoma State Cowboys experienced heartbreak this past Saturday with a last second touchdown by Baylor to fall to 5–4 on the season. The Cowboys’ offense has fallen off since being ranked in the top 10 in total offense earlier this season. However, they are still producing 38.3 points per game, good enough for 13th in the country.
No. 7 Texas Tech
The Red Raiders suffered their second straight loss last weekend at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. What makes matters worse is Kliff Kingsbury’s squad held the lead for most of the first half and, had it not been for a busted two-point conversion play, could have tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Regardless, Tech looks for help from their home field advantage once again this week when the No. 19 Texas Longhorns come to Lubbock.
No. 8 TCU
After a week in the trenches of the Big 12, TCU escapes for the time being. A win is a win, even when it isn’t pretty, and that’s exactly what TCU’s 14-13 victory over Kansas State was. TCU erased a three-game losing streak but face a tough test with a meeting with No. 9 West Virginia in Morgantown this weekend.
No. 9 Kansas State
It’s rare to see a Bill Snyder-led team this low in the rankings throughout an entire season, but there just isn’t much talent on this Kansas State team. The Wildcats scored just 13 points in their one-point loss against the TCU Horned Frogs this weekend. Skylar Thompson has struggled this season, throwing for just five touchdowns and three interceptions so far this season.
No. 10 Kansas
The Kansas football program appeared to be turning things around this year with a 3–5 record heading into last week. But they were attempting a U-turn with an 18-wheeler on a two lane road. Kansas scored just three points against Iowa State to fall to 1–5 in the Big 12. To add insult to injury, they fired head coach David Beatty following the game.
