Editor’s Note: This article first appeared as part of the November 5 Double Coverage flipbook.

1. Oklahoma

Freshman quarterback Caleb Williams shined yet again in the No. 4 Sooners’ 52-21 rout of Texas Tech. The win brought Oklahoma to 9–0 on the season, with a clear path to the Big 12 Championship Game and a College Football Playoff berth. However, the Sooners have their toughest stretch of football still left to play after a bye this Saturday, with future opponents in No. 14 Baylor, Iowa State and No. 11 Oklahoma State.

2. Baylor

Back-to-back impressive wins over BYU and Texas gave the No. 14 Baylor Bears a big boost after the team’s loss to Oklahoma State. While Baylor has exceeded all of its preseason expectations, the Bears’ ceiling could be even higher with a Big 12 championship within grasp if the Bears manage to take down Oklahoma in their meeting on Nov. 13. First, Baylor will have to take care of business against a TCU program without now-former head coach Gary Patterson.

3. Oklahoma State

The No. 11 Cowboys rebounded from a close loss to Iowa State with a 55-3 blow- out of Kansas. Taking care of the Jayhawks was a good sign for Oklahoma State, after the Cowboys’ struggles in Week 9. Much like Baylor, Oklahoma State controls its own destiny, most of which relies on a win against a top ranked Oklahoma team when the two rivals meet on Nov. 27.

4. Iowa State

After a 38-31 letdown loss to West Virginia in Week 9, the Iowa State Cyclones are 5–3. Yet despite the loss and a 5–3 record, the Cyclones are the only team above .500 within the Big 12, and are in prime position to bounce back with a reeling Texas team visiting Ames, Iowa, where Iowa State is 3–1.

5. Kansas State

Skylar Thompson has the potential to shake up the Big 12. After returning from a knee injury, the senior quarterback is flashing an improved arm on top of his ability with the run-pass option and keeping the ball for himself. Kansas State is on a roll as a result, with back-to-back wins over Texas Tech and TCU.

6. West Virginia

After kicking off conference play with three straight losses, the Mountaineers are back on track after a big win over then-ranked No. 22 Iowa State in Week 9. The Mountaineers badly needed the win heading into a tough end of season stretch that includes No. 11 Oklahoma State this Saturday, before matchups in Texas and Kansas State.

7. Texas

The Longhorns are close, but there’s no tally for close in conference standings. After dropping three straight games, the Longhorns are squarely out of conference contention. There’s still games left to play to secure a bowl bid, including Saturday’s matchup against Iowa State, but the Longhorns will not find themselves in the Big 12 Championship Game come December.

8. Texas Tech

The 5–4 Red Raiders just didn’t have enough gas left in the tank in a 52-21 blow-out loss to Oklahoma. Texas Tech heads into the bye week in Week 10 looking to reconfigure offensive and defensive schemes to prevent a discouraging loss again. The bye is a break interim head coach Sonny Cumbie badly needs to secure a bowl game bid with Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Baylor still left on the schedule.

9. TCU

Goodbye, Gary Patterson. The head coach who terrorized the Horns for many years is packing his bags in Fort Worth and looking for a new head coaching stint. Like Patterson, the Horned Frogs’ chances at salvaging the season after a devastating Week 9 loss to Kansas State are gone.

10. Kansas
The Jayhawks saw a brief bit of daylight after almost taking down the Sooners in Week 8. But then, Kansas lost in typical Kansas fashion to Oklahoma State and remains last in the Big 12 with a 1–7 record on the season. Back to last it is.