Big 12 Power Rankings: Week 14

Big 12 Power Rankings: Week 14

Published Nov. 24, 2014 1:11 a.m. ET

Here's where the Big 12 Power Rankings sit after a predictable Saturday across the league. 

1. TCU: The Frogs sat at home on Saturday and watched Minnesota beat a top 25 team on the road, Ohio State struggle and Baylor look less than impressive. TCU still probably needs a top four team to lose if it's going to crash the playoff. Baylor going down wouldn't hurt, either. Holding off the Bears in CFP poll after the next two weeks won't be easy. 

2. Baylor: The Bears didn't earn any style points against Oklahoma State, but they didn't do anything to hurt their chances. The Bears' playoff hopes are pretty simple and Saturday's game against Texas Tech won't have much impact, barring a loss. Baylor will likely need a loss from a team ahead of them and a convincing win against Kansas State to be in good position to crack the top four. 

3. Kansas State: The Wildcats managed to beat West Virginia on the road despite rushing for one yard on 29 carries. Tyler Lockett and Jake Waters continue to improve. The Wildcats don't get enough credit for being an explosive offense. They average 6.24 yards per play 

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4. Texas: Nothing would validate Texas' improvement and first season under Charlie Strong than knocking off TCU on Thanksgiving. It absolutely could happen. Expect a low-scoring game in Austin. 

5. Oklahoma: If Samaje Perine closes his season with another 200-yard game against Oklahoma State, don't be surprised if he sneaks up on Trevone Boykin, Kevin White and Bryce Petty to steal Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors. He's already at 1,428 yards with 19 rushing scores. No Big 12 back has topped 1,600 yards since Jamaal Charles in 2007. 

6. West Virginia: The Mountaineers are flirting with a sub-.500 season, but a win over Iowa State would ensure a winning season for Dana Holgorsen. Clint Trickett suffered a head injury against Kansas State, but Skyler Howard showed promise in the second half against a good Kansas State defense. Even if Trickett is healthy this week, Holgorsen said Howard will play this week in Ames after he completed 15/23 passes for 198 yards and two scores. 

7. Texas Tech: Tech snapped its three-game losing streak, but this is a concerning stat from USA Today's Paul Myerberg: Kliff Kingsbury is 4-0 against Iowa State and Kansas and 2-11 against the rest of the Big 12. Tech has given up an average of 60.3 points a game in its last three outings against Baylor. 

8. Oklahoma State: All the talk after OSU's loss to Baylor centered around Mason Rudolph as a bright spot, but why does Tyreek Hill seem to be getting fewer and fewer touches in OSU's offense? He's stayed healthy this year, but he needs more touches if the Cowboys' offense is going to reach its potential. He only had 11 offensive touches against Baylor and had just nine against Texas last week, a week after his first 100-yard rushing game. 

9. Kansas: Getting run over by Oklahoma's offensive line had to be tough, but in a weird way, isn't that a sign of progress for the Jayhawks? When losses stop being painful, you have a problem. KU hasn't been a pushover since Clint Bowen took over, but it needs to finish strong against K-State next week if he's going to have a chance to get the full-time job. 

10. Iowa State: ISU missed its best chance in awhile to earn a Big 12 win at home against Texas Tech. The Cyclones rallied from a 14-0 deficit to take a 24-14 lead, but only scored three points in the game's final 25:57. That's not good enough against many Big 12 teams. Aaron Wimberly did log his second 100-yard game this season with 102 yards and two scores on just 19 carries.

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